45Rom013.mp3
Commentary
Lord, You are my complete provision. I will not think on what I will wear, eat, or where I will dwell. I am in surrender to You. I am adopted into my true home. I am your child, in Jesus' name!. I receive your word now, to grow and to bring light to the dark world, direction to the lost, and comfort to the ill.
In the first 4 verses, we see that God does NOT turn a "blind eye" to any of the evil works that we do. He will execute judgement. I understand that God is merciful, and that everything He does is for our good. I also understand in the same context, He will not any good thing go unnoticed, nor will He let any evil thing go unnoticed. Though I am grateful that the Lord would take the time to improve in me, and to enhance my life in all detail, I do not wish to be constantly punished and reproved for things I should not be doing in the first place. I know it is not necessary to do the evil things, and I know it is not the will of the Lord.
It is important to know that there is a balance at work in our lives. God will sustain us. He will reprove us, and He will forgive us, too. We need not be the rebellious ones, to be known as the "black sheep". We can be the "good son" if we truly wish to live the good life. Don't do evil, especially deliberately. There's more "unaware" sin in our life than we know, so why should we add deliberate, willful sin to the pile? Open our eyes, Lord... so that we can see the good and the bad. Let us follow only the good. Let us partake and distribute only the good. Let your mercy clean us of all else.
Verse 5 and 6 tells us that we need to keep things in their proper perspective. To not mix this with that. To not neglect the duties and obligations, both great and small. We represent God in our lives, and we need to show the integrity that we have. Pray that it be solid!
These things enlisted in us to do, we need to make this a "natural" part of our daily lives, insomuch that we don't have to give any conscience effort to do this, but that we will to do it "naturally" as the only thing we know to do. Some people have a very distorted view of what love is. Be at peace with your friends, enemies, and yourself. Do and be only that which is good. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Help them to have life more abundant.
This chapter announces that NOW is the time. We are nearer than we had believed! It is time to be in position to live in our salvation! Stop doing the evil thing. Even when nobody else is looking. Stop thinking, "the Lord will forgive me". It is true, the Lord WILL forgive you. He will also pour out His wrath upon you, He will punish you, reprove you. Do you like the refiners' fire? Wouldn't you rather simply be the result of that fire, without having to endure the process? God does offer that. What do YOU want? Whatever you do will bring a result. Do you want your results to be reveling, partying and filthy messes that need refined all the time? Where will be time for the fruitful harvest? Where will be the time for sowing into that harvest? Though it is great that we can reap what we have not sown, but I wish to reap some of what I had planted, even primarily. I want to earn it, also.
It seems to me that Paul wants to really express the importance of doing away with the evil things, the "lusts thereof". It is good to be forgiven. It is much greater to not do the evil in the first place. How much bad seed do we sow into our perfectly good fields? We have to let that all grow up together. As a little sprout, it goes almost unnoticed. What we do in secret will be rewarded openly, both good and bad. When that little seed grows up in the fields, people are going to see the lusts that were planted there.
This is my commission, Jesus. to live and walk after You.
Thursday, June, 14, 2012- 7:37am
