Day 8: Justification {31 Devotions in 31 Days}

In the world today, we cannot come across one person who hasn't been hurt or is hurting. Many of us are bound by fear, guilt, anger, hatred, depression and so many other unpleasant emotions. The Lord Jesus Christ has given everyone opportunity to be delivered. Yet it is not enough to just recognize that we need Him...we must know Him. Through that knowledge, through that real faith, we then are able to see our sin clearly instead of pointing at other people. A new door opens up towards repentance and (hopefully) a complete healing process.

"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" Romans 1:20

This entire devotional series is about emotional bondage and is geared to deliver us from unhealthy, sinful emotions that keep us from fulfilling God's purpose in our lives. One thing remains clear when it comes to deliverance over bondage: we must first acknowledge that we are sinful and recognize those emotional sins in order to overcome them.

We can't spend our breath and time putting the blame on others. Even if someone else was in the wrong and we are emotionally paying for it, we are still responsible for how we handle the situation. Holding on to fear, guilt and pride is non-verbally justifying our sinful nature. When we choose to embrace our hurts instead of Christ, we are easily deceived.

Romans 3:20 says:
"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

To justify ourselves is to place us in the position of a righteous man. We paint ourselves as a victim, innocent and just when we are offended. Yet the scripture plainly states that by the law is the knowledge of sin and the deeds of that law no one should be justified in his own eyes. We are all sinners! Even if we are heavy with emotional pain, it is not right for us to grip onto them and hold them over people's heads.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" Romans 3:23-24

It is a very hard concept to wrap our minds around. That even those who are broken, crying alone at night due to some unfortunate circumstance in their life, are still sinful. We want to believe that the wounded are just but the Bible says that every single one of us come short of the glory of God because of our sin. The Lord is the only just one.

But there is hope. God's glory was justified freely by His grace through the cross! When the Lord manifested Himself as a man and gave His life, that redemption was made available to wash away all sin. We no longer have to carnally justify our emotional pain but we can boldly approach God and receive deliverance!

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16

"So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Hebrews 13:6

Reflections:
Have you ever said: "I know I shouldn't be mad at her, but she shouldn't have done that" or "My heart is hurting too much, Lord, for me to forgive them." These phrases show a person justifying why they should stay in their emotional bondage. Think about the offenses and relationships in your life. Think about the people who have wounded you the most. Are you still living in a justification mindset?

Action:
It is time to take those to God! To boldly approach the throne, not just asking forgiveness for how you feel but asking that the Lord place compassion upon your heart towards others. Pray that you can move past your emotional turmoil and into grace! Grace towards them and for yourself. Then go to them and declare that forgiveness and mercy (Matthew 5:24)

Prayer:
Lord, we are so thankful for Your grace and love! Thank You for Your sacrifice at Calvary, that each of us has the opportunity to be redeemed and washed of sin. Help us to believe in Your power more than our own, for we all come short of Your glory. You are Holy, Righteous and Just. Show us the reality within our justification so that we are moved towards forgiveness and then eventually repentance. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Are you holding your emotions hostage against someone?

Is that person God?

Tomorrow's Devotion Topic: Repentance
For a full list of daily devotional topics & more information about 31 Devotion in 31 Days: Breaking The Chains, go here to read the original post.

 

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Sunday Devotion: God is Not Our Enemy

Someone tweeted this thought provoking line:

"He is enough to break the chains of my disobedience."

It got me thinking. Yes, He is definitely enough! The Lord has been showing me this week just how perfect He really is. There is no fault in Him. If something is not right in our lives, we shouldn't blame God. He is our Deliverer, Provider and Saviour. Everything He does has a purpose and is perfect. He is love and cannot deny Himself (1 Timothy 2:14), therefore He acts within the boundaries of love.

I couldn't help but think, however, that this person might be using the quote as a crutch to not do anything about their disobedience. It is a very dangerous thing when we don't take responsibility for our disobedience and just expect God's grace to clean us, when we won't let go of our dirty laundry. Yes, God is surely enough...but He has given us free will and we can pray all day for Him to take away our sin yet never loosen our grip. It's like telling your mom to take your car keys because you shouldn't be driving and yet your knuckles are turning white as she's trying to pry them out of your clenched fists. God will never force obedience. He requires it.

My pastor's wife once said:

"Our enemies are not other people. They are the devil, the world and sin."

Many times in this life, we tend to lash out at other people or God as if they are our enemies. The deep problem is never resolved because the accusation was not correct. Yes, other people can say and do ridiculously dumb and hurtful things. However, it is their sinful nature and what they've allowed into their hearts. They absolutely need to be accountable for their actions and words. But we also need to be careful not the put labels on our fellow brethren. The enemy works to turn us against one another for he is the accuser of our brethren (Revelation 12:10.) It's their sin that is our enemy. They are actually victims in the hands of a disobedient, rebellious world. They have been deceived by the enemy. And they need us to love more and pray for a spiritual awakening.

One of my favorite shirts is from JCLU. It reads "Hate the sin. Love the sinner." The shirt is no longer available but you can see it here in an old post (pardon the bad writing.)
The saying really put things into perspective for me. We are commanded to love others, even those we think are enemies. The Lord sees past the flesh, this body, and sees the soul. He sees that it is really sin that governs people and they are in need of deliverance from a stronghold.

It reminds me of an often mistaken quote that's been floating around the internet. Many credit C.S. Lewis but actually the quote derives from a novel by William M. Miller Jr. This just confirms how we should always research something before believing it. That's another devotion entirely.
Miller's quote reads:

"You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body."

This coming week, I pray that we can break the chains around false mindsets, setting our minds free of untrue beliefs. To pray and forgive those who we claim are our enemies, even if we think it's God Himself. I pray for truth to be revealed. We cannot base our faith on how we feel; we must have a solid foundation. That can only come from the Lord Jesus Christ, His Word and taking time to seek Him through prayer.

I will leave you with some truths:

The Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour, is enough.
His blood covers ALL sin, not just some.
His salvation is perfect and available to everyone
We must do all that we can to be in right standing with Him.
He will meet our needs and will never fail us.
He is not our enemy.

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."

2 Corinthians 12:9