ESOCS Devotional 14 December 2022
TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 10:11-22
MEMORY VERSE: “Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.” Deuteronomy 10:16
0 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted lace ”
This is a fundamental counsel. The relationship between God and us begins with the condition of our hearts. The content of our hearts either helps to lubricate it or destroy it. The heart also determines almost every other thing concerning our life situation. This is the reason the Scripture advises us to “Keep [our hearts] with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” (Prov. 4:23). If we are able to do this effectively, we would take care of many odd things in life.
The Christian faith demands purity of heart, mind, spirit, soul, and body. If we get it right in this particular area, we would become one with God and the Holy Spirit through our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who would enter heaven after life on earth are those who have “clean hands and a pure heart …” (Ps. 24:3 & 4). Such people have nothing to do with any form of ungodliness or worldliness. They are clean in the inside (inward man) and outside (outward man). Our Lord specifically admonished the Scribes and Pharisees against their life of hypocrisy by which they tried to make others believe that they were holy by their outward show whereas they were dirty and stinking in their inward man (heart). He said, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.” (Luke 11:39). People who are like them have defiled minds and conscience; and they do not have a good relationship with God because they are abominable and disobedient in His sight (Titus 1:15 & 16).
We have been counseled to “circumcise the foreskin of [our hearts], and be stiff-necked no longer.” Circumcision of the heart would enable us remove those things in our hearts that make us impure before God and we would become obedient to His commandments and will. Such things spoil our relationship with Him. They were there at the time of our birth because of the corrupt nature we inherited from Adam. When we remove them the original nature of God in us would come forth. The Christ-nature in us would begin to dominate our lives. We would become Christ-like; and we would do only things that are right. We would live a sinless life because the new man (Christ) would operate in us since the old man(Adam) is dead and taken away (Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:9 & 10).
As Christians, we are clothed with the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Let us not put off that garment. It is most golden. When we shall walk to the heavenly banquet hall during the Lamb’s supper, the dress code that would admit us into that hall is the righteousness of God in Christ. The triumphant saints are already wearing that garment. They are waiting for us to win the race also. But the truth remains that we must become saints here on earth while we are alive; for that is only how we would become saints in the life after now.
CHALLENGES
- Examine yourself carefully and eliminate those things that are not Christ-like.
- Make conscious efforts at keeping your inward man clean, pure, and holy all the time.
PRAYERS: Pray the Holy Spirit to sustain you in the fight against sin.
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
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ESOCS Devotional 14 December 2022
