HIS LAW, HIS AUTHORITY
Carey Madding
Today's Scripture: “I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments.’” Daniel 9:4, ESV
Theme: God is Master of the Covenant, Law, and forgiveness of sins.
JUDGY-JUDGER
There are so many stereotypes of “church folk.” Dana Carvey’s “Church Lady” character on Saturday Night Live is a prime one. The lisping priest in “the Princess Bride” comes to mind: “Maaiwaige is what bwings us togever” is his classic line. In many ways, maybe even most of the time, the media portrays believers as their most exaggerated, hypocritical selves.
The stereotype that many of us fall into is being the judgy-judger. I can imagine this fictional character sniffing a nose at a teen with drooping pants or tsking at someone’s piercings and tattoos. This type of believer thinks himself or herself above, beyond, and frankly more spiritual and holy. Sadly, this attitude is found in all of us at some time or another.
LORD OF LAW AND COVENANT
This week we are focused on the name Adonai, the Lord of Lords and Master. Over the last few weeks, we talked about “the Lord who makes you holy” and sanctification. We learned it is a process of becoming sanctified and that we are all somewhere on that journey, not yet complete but no longer where we started. If that’s the case, we are walking in a great crowd of pilgrims, but we are not exactly in tandem with anyone. We spoke of how God made some laws purely for the purpose of separating His people from others. In fact, many of those laws are now done away with because of Jesus. With the birth, life, and death of His Son, God ushered in a New Covenant with fewer external laws, but deeper, expanded spiritual responsibilities.
God is the Master of the Law. He fulfills it, satisfies it, rescues us from it when we can’t live up to the standard, and stands in our place. In this New Covenant, the Holy Spirit inhabits each believer and brings knowledge and conviction of sin. He empowers repentance and confession. The Spirit brings restoration and healing. We need God’s Word and must keep seeking His will, but the Spirit has responsibility for conviction, and no one else. The God who provided a way of escape and salvation is fully capable of revealing His desires to us. We may not listen or choose to obey. But even the smallest toddler knows right from wrong. Even the most rebellious person is aware they are choosing to rebel. In other words, nobody needs my tsking or snubbing. The Lord Most High has judging, convicting, and forgiving well in hand.
Make It Personal: All that is necessary is for me to keep my eyes on my Lord and my own issues. If I focus on the sin He has revealed in my life, I am less haughty when I look at your failures. If I am working on the log in my own eye, with the help of the Spirit, I can hardly see and will certainly find grace if I spot your flaws. Let’s make our own confessions and ask God for His forgiveness. Since we will never match His holiness, let us put aside self-righteousness. Let’s be so thankful for His grace that we extend it to others.
Pray: Lord Most High, Your ways are above my ways. Your holiness is beyond my comprehension. Help me not to be so caught up in rules and laws that I become a Pharisee, judging others, but unwilling to look into my own sin and shame. I bring to You my heart. Examine it and reveal to me any wicked way in me, that I might repent, follow Your Law more closely, and become more like Your Son, Jesus. In His Name I pray. Amen.
Read: Isaiah 55:8-9; Psalm 139:23-24; Matthew 7:1-5
Weekly Memory Verse: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.” Psalm 8:1, ESV