2021-04-27
James 1:25 NLT
Dr. David Jeremiah tells of a well-known seminary professor who spent a summer studying in Jerusalem. In his apartment building lived an orthodox Jewish rabbi with whom he studied Hebrew throughout the summer. One day the professor sat and listened to his Jewish friend recite the entire book of Psalms, in Hebrew, without missing so much as a jot or tittle. Now that’s pretty impressive, right?
But God doesn’t bless you for merely reading His Word, or memorizing it, or even being able to repeat it word for word in the original languages. God only promises to bless those who “do” what His Word says. Reading your Bible without putting it into practice is like going into a good restaurant and eating the menu while ignoring the meal.
“Don’t just listen to God’s word…do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it” (vv. 22-25 NLT).
One of the dangers of enjoying great preaching is that you can enjoy it and go home moved but unchanged. The knowledge of God’s Word is vitally important. But a head knowledge of the Scriptures can actually water a root of spiritual pride in your heart whereby you applaud the Scriptures but don’t apply them. So the word for you today is – “do” God’s Word!
Soul food: Num 4:34-6:27; Mark 5:1-10; Ps 94:1-11; Prov 10:24-26
Jakobus 1:25 NLV
Dr David Jeremiah vertel van ‘n welbekende kweekskoolprofessor wat ‘n somer lank in Jerusalem gestudeer het. In sy woonstelblok het daar ‘n ortodokse Joodse rabbi gewoon, saam met wie hy Hebreeus bestudeer het. Een dag het die professor gesit en luister hoe sy Joodse vriend die hele boek van Psalms, in Hebreeus opsê.
Dis nogal indrukwekkend, nie waar nie? God seën jou egter nie as jy net sy Woord lees, dit memoriseer of dit selfs woord vir woord kan opsê nie. God beloof slegs om diegene wat ‘doen’ wat sy Woord sê, te seën. Om jou Bybel te lees, sonder om daarvolgens op te tree, is soos om in ‘n goeie restaurant te sit en die spyskaart te eet, terwyl jy die maaltyd ignoreer. ‘Julle moet mense word wat dóén wat die woord sê. Moet dit nie net aanhoor nie; dan bedrieg julle julleself.
Julle sal saamstem: As jy altyd net die woord aanhoor en nooit doen wat dit sê nie, is dit so goed of jy kyk na jou gesig in die spieël sonder om iets aan jou voorkoms te doen. Jy bekyk jouself, gee pad, en vergeet wat jy gesien het. As jy jou egter verdiep in God se volmaakte wet – dié wet wat ‘n mens vrymaak – en jy dóén wat die wet sê en jy vergeet nie wat jy gehoor het nie, dan kan jy God se seën verwag op wat jy doen’ (verse 22-25 NLV).
Die kennis van God se Woord is lewensbelangrik. Kennis van die Skrif kan egter geestelike trots in jou hart kweek, waarvolgens jy die Skrif toejuig, maar dit nie toepas nie. Die woord vir jou vandag is dus – ‘doen’ God se Woord!
Sielskos: Num 4:34-6:27; Mark 5:1-10; Ps 94:1-11; Spr 10:24-26
2021-04-26
Zechariah 14:21 KJV
Yesterday we thought about what ‘sin’ really means. Today, we’re thinking about ‘holiness’. In a similar vein to the word ‘sin’, the word ‘holy’ can become just another piece of Christian jargon. Both are words that we hear a lot in churches, and don’t often take time to properly define.
We see a flawed example of performing false holiness in the Pharisees throughout the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They make a song and dance about their own piety, without much to show of a genuine love of God. In Matthew 23:33, we see Jesus say to them: ‘You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?’ (NIV). God is not impressed when we pretend to be holy by making a show of following rules and regulations. Holiness must mean something other than being religious.
Most often in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word used for holiness is godesh, which can be translated to mean ‘apartness’, ‘separateness’, or ‘sacredness’. By His very nature, God is separate from the world, and therefore our model of true holiness. John 4:24 tells us that ‘God is Spirit’ (NIV), which sets Him apart from earthly things, and makes Him sacred.
Thankfully, Jesus bridges this separation, and through the Holy Spirit, we can share in God’s holiness. We become ‘sacred’ too, something clothed in Spirit and different from the rest of this world. We are set apart to carry His presence here. This doesn’t mean that we should be isolated from everything around us, but that we should be noticeably set apart for God’s purposes.
That is what’s meant by being in the world, but not of it. We can’t make any differences without getting involved in the earthly community around us, but we have to stay holy through our ongoing relationship with God.
Num 3:1-4:33; Mark 4:26-41; Ps 144:9-15; Prov 10:22-23
Zechariah 14:21 KJV
Holiness should always be “unto the Lord.” Any time we make it “unto men,” it’s wrong and misguided because it’s just pride and pretense. Jesus condemned the Pharisees not for their acts of piety, but because they performed them to impress others. Not only did they live by a long list of religious “do’s and don’ts,” they also kept a scorecard on others who didn’t live up to their list and denounced them for it.
Some of us grew up in homes and churches that did this, and when the word “holiness” is mentioned, we squirm and think of Christians with somber faces and pointed fingers of accusation. That’s not Bible holiness, that’s legalism! And God hates it, and the Bible condemns it.
To understand what true holiness is, think of the word “contamination.” It’s one of every hospital’s greatest concerns. It’s why doctors in an operating room insist that their surgical instruments be constantly sterilized; caps, gowns, and gloves worn; and the environment in the room maintained at a temperature where germs can’t live. Are you getting the picture? Now adjust the lens a little bit, and you’ll see the spiritual application.
True holiness does not isolate you from the world, it insulates you from its contaminants. Paul corrected the Corinthian church for their approach to the communion table: “In eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk” (1 Corinthians 11:21 NKJV). So Paul addresses their spiritually sloppy, anything-goes attitude. “For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep [have died]” (v. 30 NKJV). What’s the answer? “Holiness – unto the Lord!”
Soul food: Num 3:1-4:33; Mark 4:26-41; Ps 144:9-15; Prov 10:22-23
Sagaria 14:21 NLV
Heiligheid moet altyd ‘vir die Here die Almagtige’ toegewys wees. Wanneer ons dit aan mense toewys, is dit altyd verkeerd en misplaas, omdat dit net trots en pretensie is. Jesus het die Fariseërs veroordeel, nie vir hulle vroom dade nie, maar omdat hulle dit gedoen het om ander mense te beïndruk. Nie net het hulle volgens ‘n lang lys godsdienstige ‘moets en moenies’ gelewe nie, hulle het ook telling gehou van ander mense wat nie volgens hulle lys lewe nie en hulle daaroor veroordeel.
Sommige van ons het in huise en kerke grootgeword wat dit doen en wanneer ons die woord ‘heiligheid’ hoor, raak ons ongemaklik en dink aan Christene met somber gesigte en vingers wat in beskuldiging na ons wys. Dis nie Bybelse heiligheid nie, dis wettiesheid! God haat dit en die Bybel veroordeel dit.
Om te verstaan wat ware heiligheid is, dink aan die woord ‘kontaminasie.’ Dis een van elke hospitaal se grootste bekommernisse. Dis hoekom dokters in operasieteaters daarop aandring dat hulle sjirurgiese instrumente konstant gesteriliseer word; dat almal die regte klere dra en dat in die teater ‘n temperatuur gehou word waarin kieme nie kan oorleef nie. Kry jy die prentjie?
Pas nou die lens ‘n bietjie aan en jy sal die geestelike toepassing sien. Ware heiligheid isoleer jou nie van die wêreld nie, dit insuleer jou van die wêreld se besoedeling. Paulus het die kerk in Korinte se benadering tot die nagmaaltafel gekorrigeer: ‘Want by die gemeenskaplike maaltyd eet elkeen haastig sy eie ete met die gevolg dat die een honger bly en die ander een weer dronk word’ (1 Korintiërs 11:21 NLV). Paulus het hulle slordige geestelike houding aangespreek. ‘Dit is waarom daar baie swakkes en siekes onder julle is, en heelwat onder julle reeds oorlede is’ (vers 30 NLV).
Wat is dus die antwoord? Heiligheid – vir die Here die Almagtige!
Sielskos: Num 3:1-4:33; Mark 4:26-41; Ps 144:9-15; Spr 10:22-23
