The Mathematics of the Flesh & Our Savior – Purity 1530
Purity 1530 12/16/2024 Purity 1530 Audio Podcast
Purity 1530 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of the sun over a frost covered farmland and forest landscape, what I am calling “Into the Clearing”, comes to us from yours truly as I captured this scene while out walking along Waite Road in Easton yesterday morning.
Well, It’s the last Monday before “Christmas week” begins next week and I am hopeful that we will begin this work week a little wiser than we have been in the past. We learn from our experiences, right, so it only makes sense that we would get wiser and wiser as we walk through time and space, right? While that’s some rock solid logic, I think we would all confess that sometimes the things that seem to make sense don’t necessarily play out in our experiences and when it comes to our acquiring wisdom for our lives we know that there is at least one variable that messes up that logical equation: us!
We are not perfect people, and we are not necessarily “getting better all the time” and even though we will confess to “knowing better”, there seems to be some disconnect between what our minds “know intellectually” and what we choose to do experientially.
For example, one of my struggles is food addiction, and through experience and study, I have learned that certain foods are unhealthy or are “not good” for me, but even though I “know this” I don’t always choose to live according to what I know is “right”. This past weekend’s indulgences in candy, cookies, and eating too much would testify that my actions are inconsistent with my knowledge and my state health goal of losing weight to the point of my “ideal” weight according to the BMI scale. While one day’s indulgence won’t necessarily stop your progress, I know that it doesn’t help it, and I know the tendency to “cheat” can create a pattern of bad behavior that will stop progress and cause you to fall further away from your intended goals. This would be true for food or any other struggle of the flesh – once you give in, you are more likely to sin again.
There seems to be a mathematics to good and bad choices in which the good choices we make seem to have a small quantifiable benefit that add up to success over time whereas the bad choices we make seem to “cost more” and can add up to bad consequences relatively quickly. That seems to be the “mathematics of the flesh” and if we understand it, we will have to choose to never or seldom “do the wrong thing” because if we do, we will fail to meet our goals. Some people seem able to do this. They have the will power or discipline to “just say no to the wrong things” whereas others seem more subject to the temptations to give in. The world system tells us that there are winners and losers, and it is up to our own efforts and abilities how we can be successful. But this is a big lie, all winners lose eventually because the flesh is weak and no amount of effort on our part will make us a “winner” where it really counts – in eternity.
Our state of being is not a matter in which we can will our ways to a good place, we need the Lord Jesus to be saved. Only faith in the finished work of Jesus and a surrender to His lordship will make us a “winner” in the end. Jesus gives us life eternal and the power to leave our old lives behind. So to overcome the struggles of the flesh, we put our faith in Jesus and choose to “walk in the Spirit” – whose fruit includes the self-control we need to “make good choices” and to do so “forever more” as those who the Son sets free truly can be free indeed but just like the mathematics of the flesh indicate – we must choose to make those good choices everyday and while that math may make the idea of freedom seem hopeless or impossible, those who follow Christ know there is hope with Jesus and that the impossible is possible with God.
So, I’m here to encourage you and to let you know that each day, we can begin again – not by declaring that we will never fail again, but by abiding in Christ and seeking His strength, presence, and wisdom throughout our day to live the life He has for us.
We need a Savior for eternity, and we need a Savior to live a good holy life. We have to keep receiving God’s mercy and grace and rely on Him to give us the strength to overcome and to keep following His lead to find and maintain our freedom.
Speaking of our Savior, the In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanly devotion for today, is about Jesus and I am sharing it on the blog today to remind us of all of our need for Him. Dr. Charles Stanley writes:
“Our Savior
Jesus chose to die for our sin so that we can live forever in His presence.
In today’s reading (Isaiah 53:1-12), Isaiah prophesied that a Savior would come to atone for the sins of mankind (v. 5). But the long-awaited Messiah didn’t match people’s expectations about Him.
The Jews imagined a strong ruler who would lead their nation with worldly power, but Jesus was a servant who spent time with outcasts and the lowly. They hoped for a man who would end Israel’s persecution; He died a criminal’s death and warned His followers that they would not be accepted by the world. Jesus didn’t fit what the Jewish people wanted—yet He was so much more than they understood.
One day we all will come before God to be judged. Sin’s penalty is death, an agonizing eternal existence apart from Him. Yet Jesus bore our sin so that whoever trusts in Him can look forward to eternal life (John 3:16). He chose to take our punishment, voluntarily dying so we could live forever in His presence. Jesus was “the way” God could satisfy His justice and love His people (John 14:6).
Salvation is a free gift. It requires nothing on our part except acceptance and surrender. Have you accepted Christ’s death on the cross as the atonement for your sin? The Redeemer’s death leads to life. He doesn’t guarantee an easy road, but He promises to stay with you always.” – Charles Stanley
Amen. Because of our faith in Jesus, we are accepted by God, forgiven, and set free.
But just like those who don’t see Jesus as Messiah because of their expectations, we too can misunderstand how we are to live as God’s children.
Even though we know we are saved by faith, we often fall into the trap of believing that we must work hard to sanctify ourselves – that we have to whip ourselves into shape to be more like Jesus but in John 15, Christ told His disciples that without Him we could do nothing. Jesus tells us that our power lies in abiding with Him but when we try to fix ourselves, we deny what He said.
So, let’s remember to let go and to let God help us to “just be” the people He has already made us to be by staying in His presence – abiding with Him – and walking with Him as His holy people.
Let’s just accept His mercy and grace for today and allow Him to “save us” from ourselves and to make us new, one day at a time.
God has done a mighty work in us the moment we believed in Jesus- so let’s believe and let His finished work flow through our lives – one day, one moment, one step, at a time.
——————————————————————
For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/.
——————————————————————
Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By John G. Kruis.
(While Bible verses on various topics of Counseling can be found with a quick Google search, we encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late author’s work. (https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Scripture-Reference-Counseling-Kruis-ebook/dp/B00CIUJZT2?ref_=ast_author_dp )
This morning’s meditation verse comes from the section on Hope.
Lamentations 3:32 (NLT) Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love.
Today’s verse falls under the fourth point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on Hope.
4. God is always faithful.
Today’s Bible verse keeps it real – that God will bring grief into our lives – through loss or our own failures – we will grieve but we can have hope with Christ because He gives us life with Him for eternity and His presence can help us in our struggles and grief, here and now, for today.
God’s plan is a compassionate plan. The world of sin and death would naturally lead us to despair, but Christ overcame the world – He lived a sinless life and He conquered death through His resurrection and when we become His disciples, He shows us the truth, way, and the life that defeats sin and death.
Our state in this world may give us grief but God’s plan provides us with the compassionate care we need to walk through our pains and trials with peace, love and joy.
———————————————————–
As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.com where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.
Today we continue sharing from “Day by Day Along the Way” By Jay E. Adams.
As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase Adams’ books for your own private study and to support the late author’s work. This resource is available online for less than $20 at many sites.
Day 29
As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him. – Colossians 2:6
How easy it is to be caught up in something “new, fresh.” It is those Christians who want to grow, who are often looking for “something more.” But that is a dangerous route to take. There are all sorts of people out there who will tell you that at last they have found “the true secret to successful Christian living.” Also, many cults prey upon the desire for newness. So beware of anyone who goes beyond the simple and clear teachings of Christ that are apparent in the Scriptures. Be suspicious of everything “new” or “different” that is proposed. Remain with the Lord and the biblical teaching that you learned when you were first saved. “Something more” usually isn’t what you need to progress in your understanding and service. What you really need is more of the something that you already have! When anything is added to that which is complete, it actually dilutes it so that “more” results in less. Become more involved, more committed, more devoted to the things that you already understand, and you will grow—properly.[1]
—————————more tomorrow————————
The MT4Christ247 audio podcast is available on YouTube, Apple, Amazon, Spotify, iHeartradio, Podbean, Audible, and many more podcast platforms!
Subscribe to The MT4Christ247 Channel on YouTube!
Email me at m.t.clark@mt4christ.com with any questions, or comments, or to inquire about our Christian Life Coaching or Prayer Ministry Services.
“The views, opinions, and commentary of this publication are those of the author, M.T. Clark, only, and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any of the photographers, artists, ministries, or other authors of the other works that may be included in this publication, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities the author may represent.”
Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship
[1] Jay E. Adams, Day by Day along the Way (Cordova, TN: Institute for Nouthetic Studies, 2020), 37.
Leave a Reply