God Centered, Spirit Led
Our call is to live a life that is dedicated to and centered in Jesus. As we centered our lives in Him, we are led by the Spirit to a life that does His will.
“If any member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, when they realize their guilt and the sin they have committed becomes known, they must bring as their offering for the sin they committed a female goat without defect... In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.” Leviticus 4:35
Judgment is a good thing. It comes from the Hebrew word mishpat and means God's righteous standard, the order God sets for right and wrong, and includes the entire process from desire to action. When the people brought offerings before God to make atonement it was in light of God's standards that they had violated. Some sins are intentional and some unintentional, but both cause harm.
God's judgment offers us a way back to wholeness. He knows the impact of sin in our lives and wants to lead us to the life He designed for us. Would you embrace more judgment in your life of what is best for you? Are you open to God giving you feedback if you believed it would lead to intimacy and freedom?
“Rise up, Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve. Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it. When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”
Psalms 94:2, 15, 18-19
No one had to tell David that he was a sinner. He committed the worst sins and knew that he fell short of God's standards of righteousness many times. Despite his sinfulness, David models relational trust and humility. He sought the Lord and he knew that when he turned to God he would find support.
David welcomed judgment in his own life and hoped to see it in the world around him. Don't we feel the same? Don't you see evil and wonder why it is allowed to persist? David is honest about how he feels about the evil and hopes for a world founded in God's righteousness. How does trusting God with what you see around you free your heart to love others more than cast judgment?
“Remember him—before the silver cord is severed, and the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the wheel broken at the well, and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it...here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
Ecclesiastes 12:6-7, 13-14
In the closing chapter of Ecclesiastes, Solomon leaves us with a primary truth. God sees everything. He sees our actions, knows our thoughts, and understands our motivations. This is meant to help us live authentically and honestly before God so that the judgment He gives us brings us to a life of hope.
We read this passage in light of knowing that Jesus turned judgment into just mercy. Jesus did not come to condemn but to help us see that as we live openly before God we are freed to let the Spirit guide us to be who we were made to be. The freedom we receive is meant to empower us to do His will. How does fearing God, or having the right perspective of the power and wonder of God, help shape how you live?
“Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies."
Jeremiah 28:15-17
The greatest barrier to receiving the blessing of God's righteousness is the false. Healing comes when we operate in spirit and truth. Lies put up a wall, add barriers, and keep us from aligning our lives with the God.
Ask Jesus to examine your heart, mind, and soul. Is there anywhere in your life that you have accepted a lie or are holding on to something that is not from Him? Listen and respond to what He says.
“Choose seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit, and full of wisdom...Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue...who began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.”
Acts 6:3-10
It is easy to read right over the line that people were chosen of good reputation, full of the Spirit, and full of wisdom, but there is a direct connection to all the scriptures that we read today. The people in Acts were living out the teaching of Leviticus and Ecclesiastes. They accepted God's judgment of what was right and wrong for their lives and they chose to obey God's commandments. What happened when they did?
They were full of the Spirit and Wisdom. As we center our lives in Christ, following His example of trusting in and doing God's will, we find the Spirit filled, kingdom led life that is our inheritance. Fearing God does not lead to being afraid, but emboldens us with courage like Stephen. Obedience leads to elevation and wisdom gives us power.
We are invited to be faithful in the ordinary. Faithful in the small details that make up a reputation of whether we listen to God's judgment of what is right and wrong. When we choose to faithfully follow the ordinary then we lock our spiritual power, and we will see the extraordinary. The text says opposition arose, but nothing could stand up against the Holy Spirit. Would you like a life where nothing can stand against you? It begins with doing the little things like they are big things so that God can do bigger and mightier things through you at just the right time.