Key Verse
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him.
(Matthew 7:11)
Central Truth
God loves us! Of course He wants us to be fulfilled today.
VICTORY IS OURS
This chapter is the finale of Jesus' well known and quoted Sermon on the Mount. He wraps up with a number of important statements about how we are to treat others. In verse one, He tells us not to judge others, which in today’s context is pretty much a politically correct tenet. He goes on to say that this is important because the measure we use will be used against us. This is the amazing thing. When we begin to become judgmental, we use a faulty standard. We use a standard that is irrelevant in the presence of a Holy God. By expecting others to meet this standard, we are rejecting the sacrifice that was made on our behalf to fulfill that gap between us and the perfectness of a Holy God.
God has called us to do something hard. He says in verse 13 that the easy way leads to destruction. If being a Christ follower were easy, we wouldn’t see Christians that struggle with addictions, attitude, selfishness or any of the poor behaviors left over from our sinful nature. Conquering these things are definitely within our grasp - even though they are not easy. Having been released from the sinful nature that has trapped us into a life of failure, we can have victory over our sin. Also remember in verse 7 Jesus tells us that if we ask, it will be given to us. If we ask for victory over that thing that gets between us and our Father, surely He will grant us the victory. He has already granted us forgiveness. Why would He not grant us victory over sin in our life today?
Now read verse 11 again. With those words fresh on your mind, do you wonder whether your Father will give you victory over your sin? He offered his Son, to be sacrificed on a cross, dejected, and despised. He was freely offered for you. Is there anything that would move you to a closer relationship with Him that He would not freely give you? You can have victory today. I’m sure as you have read this today, you know that there is something in your life that falls short of the mark. If you’ll pray now that God will give you victory over this sin, you’ll have it. You’ll have it today. Remember that the journey is not easy. It is hard, but God wants us to experience victory in our lives today.
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I had forgotten how powerful this chapter in Matthew is! Seems very fitting in getting the New Year started off in the Godly direction. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGood stuff!
ReplyDeleteGarrett, I wanted to have something smart and profound to say in response to this, but all my words just feel feeble. I needed to know that I could have victory today over my sin that so easily entangles. Thanks for being God's messenger.
ReplyDeleteI think referring to verse 11, Jesus is trying to tell us to TRUST when He knows that we are very skeptical that there IS a God that really loves us so much that He would give us GOOD THINGS. I think we kind of "expect" God to make us suffer for things for our own "good". We don't REALLy believe that God will give us Good things....because we really know that we don't "deserve" it, so therefore, He would be "enabling" us if He gave us things we asked for.....I think He is trying to tell us, to stop being AFRAID of GOD and in "foolish Faith" Trust Him, so that we CAN Come to Love Him and can Realize HIS love for us. (I use "foolish Faith" to repeat the Biblical premise that the world will call us "FOOLS" for trusting in someone we cannot "see" with physical eyes. I hope I can TRUST HIS GOODNESS more this year.
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