blemish – Praying Pint

30.z. “Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket”

Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Proverbs 4:18   But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

John 12:36    While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

Romans 2:19-20    and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,  an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—

2 Corinthians 6:14   Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness

Ephesians 5:8   for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

Philippians 2:15  that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

1 Thessalonians 5:5   For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.

Luke 11:33    “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.

Mark 4:21    And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand?

Jesus never challenged us to become salt or light. He simply said that we are – and we are either fulfilling or failing that given responsibility. A key thought in both the pictures of salt and light is distinction. Salt is needed because the world is rotting and decaying, and if our Christianity is also rotting and decaying, it won’t be any good. Light is needed because the world is in darkness, and if our Christianity imitates the darkness, we have nothing to show the world. To be effective we must seek and display the Christian distinctive. We can never affect the world for Jesus by becoming like the world.

“Poor world, poor world, it is dark, and gropes in midnight, and it cannot get light except it receives it through us!…To be the light of the world surrounds life with the most stupendous responsibilities, and so invests it with the most solemn dignity. Hear this, ye humble men and women, ye who have made no figure in society, ye are the light of the world. If ye burn dimly, dim is the world’s light, and dense its darkness.” (Spurgeon)

“Christ knew that there would be strong temptation for the men that had it in them to be lights to hide their light. It would draw the world’s attention to them, and so expose them to the ill will of such as hate the light.” (Bruce)

“Christ never contemplated the production of secret Christians, – Christians whose virtues would never be displayed, – pilgrims who would travel to heaven by night, and never be seen by their fellow-pilgrims or anyone else.” (Spurgeon)

The figures of salt and light also remind us that the life marked by the Beatitudes is not to be lived in isolation. We often assume that those inner qualities can only be developed or displayed in isolation from the world, but Jesus wants us to live them out before the world. Are you a light to those around you? Does it shine bright? Does it give illumination to those around you so that they are able to see Jesus Christ and the reason for your faith, obedience, and reliance? The light of Jesus Christ is nuclear, never needs batteries, is always charged, and always gives off light. We somehow lose our charge. The light of Jesus Christ becomes dim through us. Why???? The busyness of life will try to consume us, worldly passions will try to convince us, and selfish desires will pull at us. It is when our guiding desire is to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we say, think, and do that we will find things of this world and its lust and passions will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

24.w. “How you ought to walk and to please God”

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

2 Peter 3:14    Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.

2 Peter 1:4-9     by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.  For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,  and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

Psalms 78:8   and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Philippians 1:9    And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,

1 Thessalonians 4:1   Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.

What keeps us from being “Steadfast”, “Immovable”, and “Diligent”? Has the definition of these words changed? Loyal, faithful, committed, devoted, dedicated, dependable, reliable, steady, true, constant, unwavering, unswerving, resolute, determined, adamant, firm, unshakeable, unfailing, unyielding, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, careful, thorough, constant, persevering, persistent, zealous, dedicated, committed, driven, active, tireless. The meaning of these words has not changed so it be in our application of God’s Word in our lives. If we are not in His Word there is little chance it will have influencing application. If we allow ourselves to be consumed with what the world has to offer, how can we be steadfast, immovable, and diligent? It takes work, commitment, and determination to be steadfast, remain immovable, and ever diligent in things of God. Do not allow the allure of this word rob you of the grace, mercy, and blessings of God now and in heaven.

5.i. You will look around and take your rest in security.

Job 11:13 “If you prepare your heart, you will stretch out your hands toward him. If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and let not injustice dwell in your tents. Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure and will not fear. You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters that have passed away. And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be like the morning. And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security. You will lie down, and none will make you afraid; many will court your favor. But the eyes of the wicked will fail; all way of escape will be lost to them, and their hope is to breathe their last.”

Isaiah 12:1-2 You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”

Hosea 6:3 Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”

There is nothing like feeling secure. We find a peace that passes all understanding when we humbly come to Jesus Christ with a contrite heart, repentant heart, and a seeking and desiring heart. We enter into a restful peace because we have yielded all claim to self and self-reliance into the hands of Jesus Christ. We know this to be true and yet too often we wait until there are trials and troubles before we do the yielding. The fact is we could have more satisfying and fulfilling lives if we would just learn to live with a daily committed yielding of any claim to our life and yield it all to the honor and glory and obedience of Jesus Christ.

Salvation came at a great cost

“Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”

“They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

John 19:31 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”

Luke 23:39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

1 John 5:6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

Zechariah 13:1 “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.

1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Titus 2:14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Titus 3:5-7 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Hebrews 9:13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

1 John 1:6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Revelation 1:5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood

The crucifixion of Jesus had a single purpose: “who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” This redemption came at the cost of His life and is to be understood, believed, and with a thankful and contrite heart trusted in, by faith, for the forgiveness of sin. What manner of person should we be in light of this act of mercy and grace? We ought to remember the sacrifice of Jesus and live in humble service to Him. Our mind should never lose thought of the cost He paid. Our lives should be lived out in thankfulness. In remembrance our thoughts and actions should bring honor and glory to Him. The first step in this honor is a heart and mind deep desire to know Him. We do this through actively reading and meditating on His word. Day by day in His word, with a willing heart and mind to be led, will yield a life that chooses to honor and glorify Him. Spend time in His word. Meditate on it. Listen for His whispers of guidance. Choose to life for His purpose and plans.