Tuesday February 12, 2013

Read Matthew 5:18, Heb 10:15-18. Jeremiah 31:31-33. Ezekiel 36:25-27.

 

Put it in the ‘too hard basket’. That’s what her wholesale rejection of the Old Testament amounted to. I met a believer during a door knocking session and she said that she loves her church because they don’t waste time on the Old Testament. She continued to tell me about her inability to relate to and understand the God of the Old Testament as opposed to the God of love and grace in the New Testament.

 

But we simply cannot dismiss the Old Testament because it’s in that very same  Testament that God declares that the New Covenant will consist of having the Law, the Torah of the Old Testament, written on believers’ hearts. In this New Covenant God will pour out his Spirit and give believers a new heart that yearns and strives for obedience to the Law of God. The law will no longer be external, written on tablets of stone. It is now internal, written on tablets of human hearts.

 

Now many people may well get their nose out of joint at that point but rest assured we are not advocating human based religion, salvation by works or any kind of legalism. Rather the coming of the Holy Spirit mandates a superior holiness to that of the Old Testament. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:48, ‘Therefore be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.’ You only need to read the sermon on the mount in one sitting to see the incredibly high standards that Jesus sets.  The Holy Spirit leads, guides, teaches and equips believers in this endeavour.

 

The Lord has equipped you and I and all believers with the in-built ability and desire to strive for greater heights of holiness. He has given us all that we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

 

Confession:

 

 

Thanks:

 

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray for the work of Scripture Union throughout Australia. Pray that they would be adequately equipped to continue running camps, training and placing chaplains and helping at-risk children and teens. Pray that God would use SU powerfully to bring many into the kingdom and to disciple new believers.

¥ Pray that every person in your congregation would have a heart that yearns for holiness. Pray that God would be moulding and making each and every person more and more like Christ in all areas of life.

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. What should be a Christian’s attitude be to habitual sin in their lives?

2. How should we deal with sin in another believer’s life?

3. What should a person do if he/she thinks their church has become complacent about sin?