Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Devotional 130509

Dear brothers and sisters,
Good morning. Thanks for praying for my health. My soar throat has improved significantly though coughing still lingers on. I hope I will fully recover for this weekend. Please continue to pray for our Vision sharing event on this Sunday afternoon. Especially pray that many young career people will come to explore God’s plan for their lives.

"I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man" (Acts 24:16). God's commands are given to the life of His Son in us, consequently to the human nature in which His Son has been formed, His commands are difficult, but immediately we obey they become divinely easy.

Conscience is that faculty in me which attaches itself to the highest that I know, and tells me what the highest I know demands that I do. It is the eye of the soul, which looks out either towards God or towards what it regards as the highest, and therefore conscience records differently in different people. If I am in the habit of steadily facing myself with God, my conscience will always introduce God's perfect law and indicate what I should do. The point is, will I obey? I have to make an effort to keep my conscience so sensitive that I walk without offence. I should be living in such perfect sympathy with God's Son, that in every circumstance the spirit of my mind is renewed, and I "make out" at once "what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

God always educates us down to the scruple. Is my ear so keen to hear the tiniest whisper of the Spirit that I know what I should do? "Grieve not the Holy Spirit." He does not come with a voice like thunder; His voice is so gentle that it is easy to ignore it. The one thing that keeps the conscience sensitive to Him is the continual habit of being open to God on the inside. When there is any debate, quit. "Why shouldn't I do this?" You are on the wrong track. There is no debate possible when conscience speaks. At your own risk, you allow one thing to obscure your inner communion with God. Drop it, whatever it is, and see that you keep your inner vision clear.

Our Lord Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). Our liberty in Christ begins with our willingness to obey His teaching. Our life long struggle is to be delivered from the bondage of sins. Our human nature is a sinful nature: self-centeredness, self-righteousness, lustful, greedy, rebellious and so forth. If we do not obey the teaching of Christ and deal with the sinful nature of ours sincerely, we will try to justify it with all kinds of excuses and ways. We can change our law book or dictionary to remove the definition of sins, but we can never be able to change the Word of God or the reality that we are still bond by sins. Deep down inside, we know we are not free or satisfied, until we surrender to the Word of God and obey.

Stop giving yourself excuse or justification not to obey. Do it now and be delivered from the bondage of sins in order to enjoy the abundant life that our Lord has prepared for you.

Love you because of His command,
Lawrence

No comments: