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NASB | Matthew 1:21 "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 1:21 "She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus (The LORD is salvation), for He will save His people from their sins." |
Subject: Saved from sin? |
Bible Note: Greetings again. About a year ago I was in a group studying the book of Malachi. Somehow, the concept of the "sin of obedience" was drawn out of this time. One thought that the Lord gave to me was a picture of the Lord stretching out His Hand, offering and beckoning us come into a Divine dance with Him. All too often I suspect that we are not looking for His hand but rather for what is in it. I guess I am beginning to see my past efforts at serving in a new and very unflattering light - no, my motives were not always un-selfish! I served from a spirit of obligation rather than a spirit of love for the Lord. Did I enjoy what I did "for the Lord?" Tough question. Yet, today I do know the difference between happiness and joy. Upon reflection, I see that although my motives may have not been Godly, the result of what I did HAS reaped a harvest in my life, for it has brought me into a deeper relationship with the Lord as I am overwhelmed with the intensity of the love He has lavished upon me, inspite of myself! Oh that others might know this and experiencing the cleansing and freeing power of God's love too! More later. Blessings, mommapbs PS:Interior Design No matter what the size, age or condition of our homes, they are constantly in need of cleaning, repair and redecorating. Some of us are able to handle the minor details of household maintenance on our own, but many of us need assistance. Thankfully, The Yellow Pages™ are full of resources for any needed service! Those of us who need help making a house our home often call in an “expert.” An interior designer has been trained to use color and space effectively. Often by just rearranging what we already have, they can transform a disjointed space into a comfortable and inviting room. But sometimes, a major overhaul is necessary. The interior designer must remove every hint of the past in order to create a new area for living. Jesus wants to do the same thing for us too! Jesus desires to come and live within us. In fact, the Bible tells us that He is knocking at our heart’s door, waiting for us to open it! Many people, when they hear His knock, scurry around trying to clean up or redecorate their lives before they invite Jesus to come in. This is a futile effort, for no amount of cleaning can erase the presence of sin that dwells within the walls of our heart. There is nothing we can do to make our lives a livable space for Him! But He is still knocking; Jesus wants to be “at home” in us! We must recognize the presence of sin, invite Jesus to come in just as we are, and then let Him go about His work. For He is more than an interior designer, He is an architect. Jesus wants to start from scratch! From the instant He steps across the threshold, Jesus creates a new heart within us, takes up residence and begins to transform us according to His blueprint! After He has changed us however, there are times when we drag some old things out of storage and try to incorporate them into His design plan. We push and pull the furniture of the past around in an effort to make it fit. But sin can never coexist with the holiness of God. The peace that once surrounded the walls of our heart becomes covered with a fresh coat of frustration when we let inappropriate furnishings into our lives! We need to examine the living room of the heart and check for items such as these: a couch of complacency a chest of complaint and criticism a desk of doubt an armchair of arrogance a portrait of pride a settee of self-righteousness a rug of ritual ridden religion No amount of window dressing or fragrant flowers can remove the ugly stench of the sinful choices we continue to make! They must be exposed! Allow the light of God’s Word to reveal the things that have darkened your soul. Let Jesus remove and rearrange the furniture of your life according to His plan. Let the fragrance of His presence permeate your thoughts and actions; and let His lamp shine so that no drapery can conceal the Light of His life within you! |