Something to Remember when Tempted

And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors. And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, Save thyself, and come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him. And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

Mark 15:24-37

God the Father sent His willing Son to die on the cross. Crucifixion was the cruelest and most agonizing method of execution in the Roman Empire. Those that were crucified were the lowest of the low and worst of the worst. Such a penalty was typically reserved only for the worst of criminals and most despised of men: traitors, murderers, and the like. And yet this is the death that the Son of God suffered.

He went to the crucifixion willingly, choosing not to free Himself from it (Matthew 26:53). He made the sacrifice, bearing our sins in His body, that we might have forgiveness of sins and salvation (I Peter 2:24).

And while it is good for us to reflect on the love that God has for us, and that was shown for us in this way (John 3:16), it is important that we remember that must have that same love for Him (I John 4:7-21). This love, we see is faithful obedience to what the Lord requires. And after all, He does not require so very much of us. He requires no great heroics or mighty deeds. He simply asks us to humbly serve. And yet, so often, we fail in our love towards God and sin.

And each time we sin, that is why Christ died. Each sin, no matter how small it may seem to us, made the sacrifice made by the Son of God necessary.
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Hebrews 6:4-6

The next time you consider sinning and then repenting afterwards, think of this. The next time you think, “Well, I don't sin often, so...” you should consider this. The next time you are faced with temptation, remember that choosing sin is what made the crucifixion necessary. And that each time you sin, you are, in essence, saying to God that the sacrifice made by His Son doesn't matter to you. Each time you sin, you are basically telling God that you don't care about the death of His Son. Each sin is a rejection of God's love, and the love of His Son, Jesus.

Suddenly repentance, and walking according to God's will, seems like a pretty good idea, doesn't it?

A Christian's Attire

Often, clothing is lumped into two groups: modest and immodest. Scripturally speaking, that is not what we see, however. What we see in scripture are three groups of dress: nakedness, proper, and immodest. It is worth our time to very briefly consider each of these. It is also worth remembering that the same rules regarding dress apply to both men and women.

Nakedness
Nakedness is not necessarily being completely unclothed. Nakedness can also mean partially clothed, but not clothed enough. In Genesis 3. In verse 7, we see that the man and the woman made for themselves “aprons” or “girdles.” These coverings would have been minimal, but there would have been some covering provided. In verse 10, however, Adam describes himself as naked, even while wearing some clothing, and God does not dispute the fact. A person can be clothed partially, yet still be naked. We see instead that the Lord makes them “coats” or “tunics” which provided sufficient covering (roughly shoulders to knees) to cover their nakedness. It is also worth noting that preventing lust in others is not the sole reason why nakedness is condemned. If such was the case, then Adam and Eve would not have been sinning in their nakedness. I would contend that it has as much to do with respect and proper treatment of what the Lord has provided (our bodies) as it does with not being a stumbling block to others.

Nonetheless, we do see in the Bible nakedness being placed with sexual immorality In Leviticus 18, there are a number of verses in which the Israelites are told not to “uncover the nakedness” of various relations. Some translations go so far as to translate it as having sexual relations, as this is certainly the point of these passages. Nakedness is a close relation to sexual immorality, which as Christians we are to flee (II Timothy 2:22). It's not worth getting close to.

Preventing lust in others (Romans 13:14), honor and respect for God (I Peter 2:17), and taking care of what the Lord has provided (Titus 1:7) are certainly principles in the New Testament, and reasons to avoid nakedness.

Immodesty
If nakedness is not wearing enough clothing, immodesty is perhaps the opposite. Immodesty is the act of dressing in a proud manner meant to attract the eye and attention. In I Timothy 2:9, Paul gives instructions for women's dress. His instructions are essentially “Don't be proud and haughty in your dress.” Wearing flashy or much jewelry, wearing only the finest and most expensive clothing, and the like is condemned. Indeed, we must realize that such attire is entirely counter to what we should be as Christians: humble (I Peter 5:6). Biblical immodesty is showing off through clothing. Instead, we should focus our selves on the inward man and on humbly serving the Lord.

Proper Attire
A sense of propriety should be seen in the dress and manner of a Christian (I Timothy 2:9, Romans 13:13). Our clothing should not be scanty. Nor should it be rich and vain. Anything more or less is not in line with following Christ.

It is worth noting once again that the same Bible principles that apply to dress for men also apply to women, and the other way around. It applies equally to the young and elderly. Nakedness and immodesty are equally important for all. And if you have a question about something, there's an easy rule of thumb. If you're not sure whether it's immodest, proper, or nakedness...put it back in the closet and put on something else that you're sure is proper instead.

The Works of God

Great are the works of the LORD; They are studied by all who delight in them. Splendid and majestic is His work; And His righteousness endures forever. He has made His wonders to be remembered;The LORD is gracious and compassionate. He has given food to those who fear Him;He will remember His covenant forever. He has made known to His people the power of His works, In giving them the heritage of the nations.

Psalm 111:1-6 (NASB)

We can see many of the works of God. We can't help it, they surround us. The very earth that we stand on is a work of God, as is the air that we breath. The psalmist refers to the food that God provides those who follow Him and the revealing of His might. And while it is easy to see, enjoy, and delight in the physical things that God has worked, it is worth noting that such is not the most important point to the psalmist.

The works of His hands are truth and justice; All His precepts are sure. They are upheld forever and ever; They are performed in truth and uprightness. He has sent redemption to His people;He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.

Psalm 111:7-10 (NASB)

The most wonderful of God's works are the precepts and commandments, and the Lord's work of redemption. More precious than the food that had been provided, more important the physical security that was given, stands the word of God.

Often people look at the Bible and see only restrictions and limitations. Many see something that is drudgery to follow. The psalmist sees otherwise: it is a work of God that is to be delighted in. Do you delight in the word of God? If so, it is one of His works that you will study and spend time with. When a person truly is interested and excited about something, he or she will spend much time and energy with it. We should have that delight in the Bible: the Lord's precepts and commandments.

The psalmist also mentioned the redemption God provides. In the New Testament, of course, we are shown the redemption of our souls by Christ (I Peter 1:18-19). Is there anything we should delight in as much as in this?

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials

I Peter 1:3-6 (NASB)

We should rejoice and delight in the good news: that we have a God who was willing to send His Son to earth to live a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15), die on the cross (Philippians 2:8), and rise again the third day (I Corinthians 15:4) that we may have opportunity for salvation if we respond in faith (Ephesians 2:8) and obedience (Hebrews 5:9).

But do we delight in it? If so, according to the psalmist, we will study it. And of course, all that we need to know is contained in the Bible, so we will study the Bible diligently and intently if we truly delight in the redemption offered to us.If we are not studying this work of God (Ephesians 2:8-10), then it is because we do not delight in it. So, how much do you appreciate salvation. Enough to study what the Lord has to say?