The title of this writing brings a word to mind that reminds me of my father-in-law. He emphasized his interpretation of the word when I was questioning a dilemma that I was facing. He gave me sound advice, and I’ve never forgotten it. I miss his counsel; he passed away too soon. The word he expounded on was ‘justify’.
He and his loving wife, Marie,
impacted many, young lives for Christ and influenced me in godly ways that were
extraordinary in the short time that I knew them as Mom and Dad. They may have left this world but never my
heart.
They expressed love in ways
that I could feel the very presence of God in their touch and words. The power of God was no stranger to
them. They were strong Believers and
walked in His power, while standing firm in their faith. The extreme love they possessed poured out on
everyone they met.
Dad, as I called him, accepted
Jesus as his Savior at the age of forty-two.
A person is never too old for God to save their soul and bring happiness
and peace into their life, while freeing them from the bondage of sin. The devil says, “It’s too late.” but God says
in (Corinthians 6:2), “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the
day of salvation.”
Regarding the word I mentioned
earlier, my father-in-law told me that a person can ‘justify’ just about
anything they want to obtain, do, or say, but it doesn’t necessarily make it
right with God. I believe Dad was saying
that justification is merely the manipulation of one’s mind to make it right in
their own thinking when they know in their heart it is wrong.
My soul desire is to love and
please the Lord in the same way I observed my in-laws and their dedication to
God when they were with us. Their
example of God’s love remains foremost in my mind. They lived what they shared with others.
The one thought I would like
you to take away from this writing is how important it is to grasp the concept
that honesty is the best policy in everything and not try to justify anything.
In my opinion, even if it
means losing out on questionable deals where money is concerned, or when
material things become the bottom-line temptation; doing the right thing should
always be paramount above desires, greed, and foolish thinking. To justify and reason out ideas to obtain
something is probably wrong, anyway a person tries to justify it. By doing this, they are no doubt thinking,
“What’s the harm in it?”
I sincerely strive with
everything in me, and of course with the Lord’s help, to keep my head on
straight; to be honest and aboveboard in whatever I do. I believe in the quote, “Honesty is the best policy.” There has never been a more accurate
statement made in my opinion.
(1 Timothy 6:9-11), “But
those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many
foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.” (vs
10) “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have
strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with
many sorrows.” (vs 11) “But you, oh man of God, flee these things and pursue
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.”
If you are in a quandary as to
whether or not the next move you make is sanctioned by God and you have a
sneaking suspicion or a slight inkling that you are perhaps being manipulated
and beguiled by Satan, ask yourself these two questions: “What would I do if
Jesus were standing next to me?” and “What would Jesus do?”
I believe the answer will be
in the highest percentile that the answer you receive will absolutely reveal
what to do next. It is then up to the
individual to heed or ignore the answer they get. They can yield to fleshly desires and give
into crafty manipulations of the devil or be wise and not justify one’s actions
to procure something.
As my father-in-law pointed
out, “Do not justify something and regret it later!” If we choose unwisely, this defiance, because
of selfish desires, will more than likely bring self-condemnation, worry, and
sleepless nights, while the closeness to God may fly out the window until such
time that forgiveness and/or restoration has been restored.
Experiencing ongoing joy and
peace is contingent upon walking uprightly before God in ALL things. A person reaps what they sow. The following scripture says it quite well.
(Galatians 6:7-8), “Do not
be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also
reap.” (vs 8) “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption,
but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”
The Bible says that God will
provide a way of escape, a route away from situations when being tempted, but
it is up to the one being tested to exit stage right or stay and perform the
act of rebellion against God. Fame,
fortune, advancements at work through deception or backstabbing, or coveting someone’s
property or cavorting unwisely does not pay good dividends, spiritually or
otherwise.
It’s not worth it. Finding oneself out of harmony with God,
because of disobedience is not wise. The
pleasure of sinning is seasonal at best—not lasting. Then regrets come. I would be foolish to say that there is no
pleasure in sin, because there is, but the wage of sinning is quite high. Sooner or later, wrongdoing will catch up to
a person, at which time the Piper must be paid one way or the other.
No doubt you are acquainted
with Newton’s 3rd law of motion: “For every action there is an equal
and opposite reaction.” I believe we can
apply this law to the negative repercussions that sin brings.
I thank God that He provided
help and forgiveness to everyone that stumbles and falls on their face, because
of wrong choices or falling into the trap of justifying one’s actions. Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price for
sin. He gave His life, freely, on a
cross for the sins of humanity. He loved
us that much! This included you and me.
If we fall, I believe God is
saying, “Get up! Dust yourself off! My strength is your strength! Keep on keeping on! A winner never quits, and a quitter never
wins!” He also says the following:
(Matthew 11:28-30), “Come
to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (vs 29)
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.” (vs 30) “For My yoke is easy and My
burden is light.”
(1 John 1:9), “If we
confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.”
As I see it, if a person has
an attitude of, “What’s the harm in it?” they may be walking on thin ice or
playing Russian roulette with their life.
Personally, as I wrote earlier, I want to please the Lord in all things.
If you are facing what seems
to be an insurmountable mountain ahead of you, do this. Speak the name of Jesus over that mountain,
and every temptation, question, and shadow that falls across your path. Give it all to Jesus and look for the EXIT to
escape temptation and it will be there.
You will then be able to watch the hand of God move in your behalf.
(1 Corinthians 10:13), “No
temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is
faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but
with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to
bear it.”
I’ve heard that we learn
through our mistakes, but when we listen to God’s voice speaking to our
subconscious and do what he says to do or not do, I believe that we will cease
the verbiage, “What’s the harm in it.” when God shows us a better way to live.
God gives us an abundant life
through Jesus, His Son. It takes our
obedience to God, by allowing the holiness of Christ to live through us, much
like my father-in-law, mother-in-law and my Christian parents did while they
were alive.
(Romans 12:1-2), “I beseech
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”
(vs 2) “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and
perfect will of God.”
www.wordsfrompapa.blogspot.com
Written by,
Papa Boyd
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