July 17
1 Chron 24:1-26:11 | PS 13:1-6 | Prov 19:15-16 | Rom 4:1-12
When it comes to faith one must be able to hear from God, then once hearing be able to trust Him and submit to His Lordship. Notice the thing which most people lift up is missing from this equation: doing or works. This seems so easy, but it has been rendered so difficult. How can one hear when the noise never ceases. Attached to one’s phone, television, etc. there is a steady stream of interference which parades itself as information and valuable education, all the while pulling you from the only essential information. Everyone gets puffed up through the years as we grow in knowledge and position, growing in ourselves, gaining confidence, all of which sounds so good, not realizing it makes it more and more difficult to submit to another authority, the authority of God, Himself. God doesn’t ask us to do this or that. He asks us to be His child and learn to depend upon Him.
We read this simple truth about Abraham in Romans 4:3, “For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” Notice no acts on Abraham’s part, just belief, trusting God on His Word. Paul goes on in 4:5, “But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.” He goes on to describe that the rite of circumcision came after faith, much in the same way the act of adult baptism comes after faith. Paul goes on to quote David as we read in 4:6-8, “ David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it: “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.” This is the complete opposite of what the world pushes. He goes on to show how circumcision adds nothing to faith in 4:11-12, “Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith. And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.”
Most, sadly, refuse to open their ears to the simplicity of the gospel message which rests on repentance and submission. Those who do listen often have so much difficulty with humbling themselves and allowing God to have all the answers. So many get lost in religion. Religion has everything to do with doing to falsely believe that following some prescribed set of acts, rituals, or rites that somehow faith is achieved when even the most casual glance must make one admit that most who jump through these religious hoops fail to give God the slightest thought on a day to day basis. It really is so simple but the world, our flesh, and the devil has made it so difficult. Please empty yourself of anything and everything which prevents you from coming to Him and accepting Him with child-like faith. It is the most important decision of anyone’s life, both for our time on earth and eternity.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: