Lent 2020 Day 18

Scripture Reading

Jeremiah 31:27-34

"I will be there God, and they will be my people." That is the promise of God to Israel and to us today as heirs of God's covenant with Israel through the death of Christ. Jeremiah reminds us that God's promise to Israel was to establish and everlasting covenant with them. The original covenant promises of God to Israel came to be viewed as the old covenant when Jesus came and said he was establishing a new covenant. This new covenant is what God is referring to in these verses. 

Jeremiah's most important contribution to biblical thought is the concept of the new covenant. God says that there will be a difference in the the old covenant that he made with Israel and the new one that he will make. God recalls the people's unfaithfulness to God. He even compares himself to Israel's husband and Israel as the unfaithful wife. "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." (Jeremiah 31:33)

The Law found its home on the stone tablets that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai. The problem with the Law is that it failed to bring about a change of heart attitude in Israel. They would be obedient to God for a little while and then they would be unfaithful and break the covenant again. God is saying that this new covenant will be written on our hearts so that our lives will be changed. God is talking about a transformation of the heart and life of every person who accepts Christ as Lord and Savior. This new covenant is relational not legal. "I will be their God, and they will be my people." This new covenant is what being a Christian is all about, it is relational...God desires for us to have a relationship with him. My prayer for you today is that you would enter that covenant relationship with God if you are not a Christian. If you are a Christian, my prayer is that you would renew your commitment to God today. 

Prayer: God, thank you for writing the Law on my heart and for establishing a new covenant with me. Help me to be faithful to you each day in big ways and little ways. I want you to be my God, and I want to be part of your people. Amen. 

Lent 2020 Day 17

Scripture Reading

Romans 7:7-12; 8:1-4

The main point Paul is attempting to make is that through the Law he realized what sin was. "Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, 'Do not covet'" (Romans 7:7). It's the same principle of when someone tells you not to do something you hadn't even thought about doing until they said something to you about not doing it. For instance, if you are walking in a park and you see a sign that says "Stay off the grass," it will probably arouse in you an intense desire to walk all over the grass even though before you saw the sign you hadn't even thought about walking on the grass. Paul is saying that the Mosaic Law is what points out our sin to us in hopes of driving us to see our need for God. 

In chapter 8 the incredible news for those who are believers is that there is no condemnation. That means because of Christ's fulfillment of the Law and his death and resurrection we are no longer sentenced to death and separation from God. The Law because it pointed out our sin left us in despair because we knew that we wouldn't be able to meet God's standard of holiness. Therefore, the consequences for us were death and hell, but God had other plans. The wonderful fact is that God sent his son to be a sin offering so that we might have eternal life. There is a sense in which Christ literally died in your place and mine when he hung on the cross. Why did he do it? Because he loved us so much that he would die in order for us to have a relationship with him. 

Prayer: Father, thank you for loving me enough to give up your son, Jesus. Your love is more than I can comprehend. Your grace is deeper and wider than my mind can fathom. I know you are holy and I am not. Thank you for the righteousness of Christ which has been credited to my account so that I might live in freedom from sin through you. Amen. 

Lent 2020 Day 16

Scripture Reading

Galatians 3:15-26

"What then was the purpose of the law?" According to Paul the Law serves to lead us to God. The Mosaic Law which includes the Ten Commandments was given to show them the need for the Promised Seed to come. The Promised Seed was Jesus. It is through Jesus that Abraham becomes a blessing to the whole world. 

The Law is like the signs at Six Flags that say you must be a certain height to ride this ride. If we don't keep the Law, which we can't because we are sinful, then we realize that we don't meet God's standard. So we need someone who can meet that standard for us. Because of Jesus' sinless life he was able to offer his life as a sacrifice for us who as sinners, deserve death. The Law was instituted by God to demonstrate our need for Christ. When we look at the Law and its requirements we realize that we have broken at least one of God's commandments and in most cases all of them (at least in our heart). God's plan with the Mosaic Law was for it to serve as a standard of righteousness that would point out our unrighteousness so that we would see the need for Christ in our lives. 

The key to this passage is understanding that God did not have two ways of saving people (an Old Testament way and a New Testament way). It has always been God's purpose to use faith in who Christ is and what he did to bring people into a right relationship with him. 

When you think about the Ten Commandments does it make you proud that you keep most of them or are you even more thankful for God's grace that sent Jesus to fulfill the Law so that we could have a relationship with God? 

Prayer: Father, thank you for the Law that you gave Moses so many years ago. Use it to continue to point out the sin in my life and my dependence on Christ. I praise you for your grace that you have freely given to me. May my faith rest in you alone. Amen. 

Lent 2020 Day 15

Scripture Reading

Exodus 19:5-6, 20:1-17

Exodus contains the story of God rescuing his people from slavery and bondage and bringing them out of Egypt into the wilderness to prepare them for their inheritance of the land promised to Abraham. In Exodus 19, God leads Moses up Mount Sinai to have a little chat. God talks to Moses about Israel being his chosen people whom he will bless and who are set out to be holy, different from all the other peoples of the land. 

Exodus 20 is the account of Moses telling the people the Ten Commandments God had given to them as guidelines of their covenant with him. God was establishing Israel as a holy nation. These ten commandments were not intended to be posted in every public place in Israel, rather they were intended to serve as the contract or guidelines of God's covenant treaty with Israel. The Ten Commandments were to remind Israel of who God is and who they were. That's why the beginning focuses on God and his act of saving the people from slavery in Egypt. The stipulation of the covenant falls on God. It was not a covenant that was dependent on Israel's faithfulness. All we have to do to see that, is read the rest of the Old Testament and see that time after time Israel breaks God's Law and is continually unfaithful to God. The incredible thing about God's covenant here in Exodus is that God provides his grace to Israel because he knows that they are not going to be able to stay faithful to all the commandments. The good news for Israel and the good news for us is that God does not withdraw his love for us and commitment to us even when we are unfaithful. That's how BIG his love is!

There is one more important thing to point out about the Ten Commandments. Notice how the first part focuses on the vertical, it deals with our relationship to God as individuals and then the second part focuses on the horizontal, the relationships we have with different people. Do you remember what Jesus said when he was asked what the greatest commandment was? Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The Law has always been about loving God and loving others. Can you honestly say that you are trying to live out these two commandments that our whole faith is based on? 

Prayer: Yahweh, thank you for your Law that points out my need for your grace. Jesus satisfied all the requirements of the Law on my behalf so that I might walk in a covenant relationship with you. Thank you for the history of the salvation of your people through the Exodus event and how it reminds me of my own salvation experience. May your name be praised! Amen. 

Lent 2020 Day 14

Scripture Reading 

Acts 3:17-25

As you think about this passage from Acts it helps to place it in proper context to fully understand what is taking place here. This is Peter talking to his fellow Jewish people after he and John healed the crippled beggar. Peter explains to the Jews that the healing power of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God who is the Father of Jesus, made the man walk again. Peter's purpose is to demonstrate the connection of the promised Messiah of the Old Testament with Jesus of Nazareth, a simple carpenter turned teacher. The underlying interpretation of Peter's statement is that God was always in control in spite of the circumstances and actions of the Jews, God's chosen people. Peter picks up his discussion of Jesus being the Messiah that Moses, Samuel, and all the other prophets had foretold. 

The other interesting thing about this passage is verse 19. Remember that repentance is about turning from our sin to God. It is in the act of turning from sin and to God that our sins are wiped away because God forgives us. Repentance does not precede our sins being paid for by Christ. Rather it is because Christ has endured the cross for us that we are able to repent from sin and claim God's forgiveness in our lives. 

Lent is a season when one focuses on the cross of Christ. It is also a time when we mourn over our sin and in repentance seek the Lord again. Why do we repent from sin and turn to God as Christians? So that "times of refreshing can come from the Lord." As you pray today ask the Lord to bring to mind sin that you need to confess and repent from so that you can seek God with renewed passion. 

Prayer: Lord, to turn from sin to you is a difficult thing because of the power sin has over me at times. Help me to rely on you for strength and grace to repent and turn to you. Bring times of refreshing to my life. Amen. 

Lent 2020 Day 13

Scripture Reading

Luke 16:19-31

Can you imagine anything worse than being tormented for eternity? The rich man in this story couldn't stand to see his loved ones experience the same thing. The rich man, now sorrowful for his life of selfishness, asks Abraham to go to his family and tell them the truth that he ignored during his life. How helpless he must have felt to know the truth but was unable to tell his brothers. Abraham told him that his family had the Hebrew scriptures (our Old Testament) that proclaim the truth. The rich man said no, that's not good enough, they must see someone come back from the dead. Abraham knew that if the scriptures do not change a person's heart and life--not even the greatest miracle would change a person's heart. What needs to happen for you to be convinced of the truth of God's word? 

In telling this story, Jesus is also demonstrating his own role in fulfilling the Old Testament. God used the Law of Mose and the teaching of the prophets to shape and guide his people in their covenant relationship with God. Now Jesus had come as the ultimate fulfillment of the Law. The Law shows us our need for a savior, just as in this story Abraham is Lazarus's savior. The Law and the Prophets make it clear to us that the only possible way for us to have a relationship with God is for a mediator to bridge the gulf between our sinful state as human beings and the holiness of God. Jesus is our mediator.

Prayer: Yahweh, you are still the same God who established your covenant with Abraham. Thank you for including me in the covenant of your love through Jesus' death on the cross. I pray that like Lazarus I will find my rest and reward in you alone. Amen. 

Lent 2020 Day 12

Scripture Reading

Romans 4:1-12

Paul covers a lot of theological ground in these twelve verses. If you have time before you read on, go back and read Romans 2 and 3 for a better understanding of Paul's theological argument. Essentially he is making the case that God doesn't show favoritism when it comes to our salvation. He points out that being a Jew (one of God's chosen people and descendants of Abraham) doesn't matter at all when it comes to a relationship with God. Romans 3 really emphasizes the level ground that every person stands on...we are ALL sinners. 

Romans 3:21-24 

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

The good new for us is that we do not have to keep the Law or do anything else to be saved, because salvation is about faith in what God has done through his son. Abraham could not earn salvation, it was not about being circumcised or keeping the Law but about belief in the promises of God. Just like Abraham, when we are saved it's by faith NOT good works NOT morality NOT walking the aisle not being baptized. Abraham's faith is the lynchpin of salvation for humanity. It was through Abraham that God chose to bless all the peoples of the world: Jew, Gentile, male, female American international, Baptist, Catholic. God has provided the free gift of salvation for all who will believe in him. 

Remember that the redemption of fallen humanity was not something that began roughly 2000 years ago but has been God's purpose since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. 

Prayer: God, how blessed I am that you have forgiven my transgressions and covered my sin. Thank you for the faith to believe in your promise of a relationship with you for all eternity. Amen.