TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY MARCH 28, 2016.
SIMPLICITY
The condition of being simple, not complicated; plain; pure; absolute; unaffected and humble.
For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God. II Corinthians 1:12.
But I fear, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, that your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. II Corinthians 11:3.
Most people live a very complicated life today and get overwhelmed when they face the issues of life. It is so easy for a person to make a simple issue very complicated. For example: How do I pay all these bills? How do I handle my child? Why is my spouse upset at me? How do I get all this work done that my boss expects today? Do these questions relate to you?
People our age often reflect back on the so called “good old days” and remember life as being so much simpler then today. With the invention of so many innovative devices designed to save time and labor it would seem like life would be easier and simpler. Instead for most people the opposite seems to be true. People are busier than ever and life is anything but simple.
Busy schedules cause us to neglect our relationship with the Lord and that is disastrous. In the first verse we have put above we read that the apostle Paul lived a life uncomplicated by worldly distractions. He did not live by worldly wisdom but by the grace of God. He was concerned for the believers in Corinth because he had heard that they were complicating the simplicity of the gospel message by listening to false teachers and following their teaching.
False teachers can be very convincing and persuasive. Their message may sound good and even make sense to some people. The reason for this is that the false teachers say what the people want to hear. Their message usually is about having prosperity and victory in life. But they add human ideas and standards that are inconsistent with God’s Word and the simplicity of the gospel. One of the big errors is that these false teachers make God’s love something to be earned rather than something to be freely accepted from God.
God did not make receiving Jesus into our hearts complicated. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians (above verse) speaks of the simplicity of our salvation. Paul taught the same clear and simple plan of salvation that Jesus gave us, as written, in John 3: 2 to 9 when Jesus explained it to Nicodemus. Jesus responded to Nicodemus by saying, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus did not understand what it meant to be born again. In the scriptures Jesus made it very clear by saying that one must first realize that they were born a sinner and must pay a penalty, the debt, for his or her sins. Secondly, one must ask God for forgiveness and then ask Jesus to come into his or her heart which acknowledges that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins.
We are born into this world with a sinful nature. We are born corrupt and must be made new creatures if we want to spend eternity with our Lord. When we accept Jesus as our Savior a great change is made in our heart by the power of the Holy Spirit. Through the work of the Holy Spirit we are made new creatures. We are born again.
The writer of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 2:3, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” There is no alternative in order for us to escape God’s condemnation of our sins.
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 6:1.
Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
We thank You for the freedom we have to worship you in such a simple way in spirit and in truth. Help me to be courageous and bold in defending the simple message of God’s love and our faith in Jesus who gave His life to save us from all of our sins.
 |
| Special Price Only $10.00 Click Here for More |
ONE FINAL SUGGESTION.
If you have not received your FREE BOOKMARK from us, please click on either:
or
Write Ken and Dottie a note
And we will send one to you.
It includes 10 golden rules for a happy family.
It includes 10 golden rules for a happy family.
