Discerning Right from Wrong

"Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?” 1 Kings 3:9
 
King Solomon was a wise king.  The Bible says that he was the wisest man who lived during that time!  (1 Kings 4:31)  God was pleased that Solomon did not ask for wealth and riches at the beginning of his rule - instead he asked for wisdom to govern God’s people well and to know the difference between right and wrong.

Many times when we are just coming to know God, we are not really aware of sin in our lives.  We may not think a lot about what we do may that may not be good for us.  More often than not, through life experience, the influence of culture, and our upbringing we become desensitized to sin, without us even realizing it. 
 
As we get to know God more and get a revelation of His ways, certain things that were once okay just don’t feel right anymore.  This doesn't mean we're immune to sin - but it means sanctification becomes a part of our walk with Him, leading us to paths of righteousness, or right living.

"He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name." -Ps 23:2 & 3

One of the biggest roadblocks you and I will run into in life is discerning between right and wrong.  I’ve heard it said this way: “Being a Christian has two pillars - one is a relationship with God and righteousness - the other is a non-relationship with wrongdoing.” 

Can you discern right from wrong in your life? Pray today that God will give you a discerning heart and mind, and so that you can be led by the Holy Spirit’s leading in your life.

Absolute Truth

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me'". – John 1:6

Sometimes I have a difficult time talking to friends who question God’s goodness because they believe in something other than, or in addition to, the gospel. 

“Why would God send good people to hell?” they query.  “Why won’t Muslims or Buddhists go to heaven? Your God is so close-minded!”

The sad thing is the lack of understanding of God’s goodness.  God doesn’t send people to hell – we choose where we go.  He provided a way out through His Son, Jesus Christ, so that, “none would perish, but could have eternal life.”- John 3:16

Imagine that a friend of yours was telling you how to get to their house.  They gave very specific instructions as to the way to get there, but you said, “Oh no, that’s alright – I can get there myself my own way.”  You would never get to the place your friend intended for you to go.  You would, in fact, be lost. 

Our generation is the biggest believer in relative truth.  “Do what feels good, as long as it doesn’t affect someone else,” we say.  We rely a lot on grace.  Now, I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with freedom in Christ - that is one of the main benefits of our salvation in Him.  But, when we believe in something other than, or in addition to, the truth, it sets us up for yokes of bondage limiting us to the full potential of God’s grace and power to accomplish great things in our lives.

Do you believe in an absolute truth?  If you are uncertain, ask God today to reveal it to you, and reveal the reason why.  Often if we do not have the why behind the truth, we are less likely to know how to tell others why we believe the way we do.  Ask Him- He will show you. 

Dumbing Down Sin

"When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God." -Galatians 5:19-21
 
We live in a dangerous world today. And I'm not just talking about the dangers of drunk driving, murderers, terrorists, or drugs. It has to do with the way we see our humanity.

As our humanity runs the show more and more, more of us try to make our particular brand of sin socially acceptable. When this happens, everything becomes muddied and grey - there is no such thing as black and white morality. But the fact of the matter is, there is a right and wrong. There is a plumb line of morality that exists, that would make our world better if we could all learn to embrace it.

The problem with this as we go on is that we see no need for salvation. We think we are good on our own, (even if we don't feel that way all of the time), and so we go on in life, defensive if anyone calls attention to our sin and cites it as a problem. We may even go to extremes to get the government to agree with us. But in reality, it is a huge problem. Proverbs says, "Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery." -Proverbs 29:1

When Abraham put Isaac on the altar, it was a prophetic sign of things to come, for Jesus especially, but also for us. You see, when we put what may be dear or close to us on the altar, God can use that greatly. The fact that Abraham put his own flesh on the altar is testament that we, too, need to put our flesh on the altar - we are "crucified with Christ, so it is no longer I that lives, but He that lives in me." (Gal 2:20) The very fact that we need to put things on the altar is what allows us to step into God's kingdom!

Are you willing to put anything in your life that is not of God on the altar today?