Time with Jesus - Friday, 01 February 2013
Hi all,
Today we meditate on righteousness and Christianity.
When I committed my life to Jesus Christ, two things happened. He gave me the
gift of salvation. At the same time, He gave me the gift of righteousness. As
long as He is my Lord and my God, I am righteous. The one goes with the other
and are inseparable. Paul puts it this way. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor. 5:21 TNIV So if I say “I am righteous!”
it’s because of what He has done. Don’t blame me for what He has done!
One of the most beautiful illustrations of this is
revealed through a poem called, “The Touch of the Master’s Hand!” It’s not one
of mine. I wish it was. I’ve attached a copy so we can all understand what
happens when the Master touches our lives. To the world, I look like a tattered
and broken old violin. Then the Master touched me! Suddenly I’m not what I look
like. In His hand I’ve been made righteous. I can hardly believe it myself.
Blessings,
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
THE TOUCH OF THE MASTERS HAND
‘Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile;
"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar, a dollar"; then two!"
"Only two?
Two dollars, and who'll make it
three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars twice; going for
three.." But no,
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As caroling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
said; "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.
A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
Two thousand! And who'll make it three?
Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice,
And going and gone," said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand
What changed its worth." Swift came the reply:
"The Touch of A Master's Hand."
And many a man with life out of tune,
And many a man with life out of tune,
and battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
much like the old violin,
A "mess of pottage” “A glass of wine;
A game - and he travels on”.
"He is going" once, and "going twice,
He's going and almost gone."
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd,
Can Never quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that's wrought
By The Touch of the Master's
Hand.
Myra 'Brooks' Welch
Kindly contributed by:
S. Simons
S. Simons
Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Friday, 01 February 2013
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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©
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These
devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright
protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it
is for non-commercial Christian purposes
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©
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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God’s Righteous standards
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The only Righteousness a
Christian possesses is that which has been given to him in Christ. This is
one of those things we’ve heard about but don’t really understand. Paul
writes, 21 God made him who had no sin
to be sin for us, so that in him we might
become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor 5:21 TNIV
Many years ago, Dr Ken
Stewart stated, “Jesus had all the righteousness and we had all the sin. Then
we traded. He got our sin and we got His righteousness”. It may sound very
unfair. But God is not “fair”. Fairness is a human expression and does not
apply to God. There’s nothing fair about the first being last and the last
being first. There’s nothing fair about him taking our sinfulness and giving
us His righteousness. He does it by grace; and grace is seldom “fair”.
You and I talk about
fairness as though it’s something which should apply to all. Something like
the cost of a loaf of bread. If it costs me R10, why should it cost less or
even more to you. Fairness dictates that the price should be the same for
all. Yet we all have dreams of benefitting unfairly. Perhaps the easiest and
best illustration of this is what happened to Kate Middleton. She married
Prince William. Almost overnight she went from being just another beautiful
young woman, to being the wife of the future monarch. She is now carrying in
her womb a baby who will one day be king or queen. Now that’s unfair! I have
a granddaughter. Why shouldn’t her baby be the future monarch? It’s not fair.
But it is right. We could say it’s a gift bestowed on an unrighteous woman. A
free gift to someone totally undeserving!
God chose to make me
righteous. He didn’t have to do it. He didn’t need to do it. His infinite
grace welled up and as a result we traded. So in some inexplicable way, in
Him I have been made righteous. Don’t blame me for this. God did it and I’m
not complaining.
I must confess that in
those early days, I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t feel like it, look like it
or behave like it. If anyone had asked me if I was righteous, I would have
said, “No Way!” None of that has changed. But since then I’ve learned to lean
more and more on Jesus Christ. I like to put it this way. I may look like a
cheap and nasty old fiddle. But the Lord tells me I’m a Stradivarius. The
music I play sounds terrible. The strings are broken and the bow is twisted
and bent. Then Jesus picks me up and begins to play the very music of heaven.
One day, I’ll look like a Stradivarius. In the meantime, “Play on Lord
Jesus”. You see, He has made me righteous. Don’t blame me for the way I look!
Furthermore, it was His idea and I’m not arguing with Him! Today’s meditation
looks at God’s standard of righteousness.
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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6 And this will be His name: 'The
LORD Is Our Righteousness.' In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel
will live in safety.
Jer.
23:6 NLT
5 You meet those who happily do what is right, who
keep a good memory of the way you work. But how angry you've been with us!
We've sinned and kept at it so long! Is there any hope for us? Can we be
saved? 6 We're all sin-infected,
sin-contaminated. Our best efforts are grease-stained rags. We dry up
like autumn leaves-- sin-dried, we're blown off by the wind
Isaiah
64:5-6 MSG
15 I will tell everyone about Your righteousness. All
day long I will proclaim Your saving power, though I am not skilled with
words. 16 I will praise Your mighty deeds,
O Sovereign LORD. I will tell everyone that You alone are just.
Psalm
71:15-16 NLT
10 I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For He has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and
draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding
suit or a bride with her jewels.
Isaiah
61:10 NLT
22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on
his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattest calf and
kill it. Let's have a big dinner and celebrate.
Luke
15:22-23 NIrV
7 Let us celebrate, let us rejoice, let us give him
the glory! The Marriage of the Lamb has come; his Wife has made herself
ready. 8 She was given a bridal gown of
bright and shining linen. The linen is the righteousness of the saints.
Rev
19:7-8 MSG
8 Indeed, I count everything
as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For
his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in
order that I may gain Christ 9 and
be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the
law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God
that depends on faith--
Philip 3:8-9 ESV
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There’s never been a single day in all of history,
That anyone’s been righteous. It cannot ever be.
But there is one exception. Our Master, Jesus Christ.
He was completely perfect. His righteousness sufficed,
All of the requirement that Father God required;
And it’s by His perfection we do what He’s desired.
God created Adam and he was innocent.
It’s when he had defected, that human life was bent.
Of course men claim that they are good. But it is a delusion.
None of us are righteous. So let’s clear the confusion.
Any righteousness that you perceive in me and you,
Is nothing of our making; but just what Christ can do.
The fact is, we are wearing His cloak of righteousness.
Take a look what’s underneath and see the ugly mess!
Some say this is offensive. “My righteousness is fine.
I’ve always been a “good guy” and I’m content with mine”
But here is what is shocking. The best that’s ever done,
Is just a pile of garbage the Lord above will shun.
No matter what we think we are, we cannot make the grade.
The finest deed done by the flesh and anything that’s made,
Is far beneath the standards the Lord above demands.
It’s tainted by the filthiness of sinful human hands.
So when we start repenting, we must bear this in mind.
We’re wicked, ugly sinners In us you cannot find
A morsel of true righteousness. And so we must repent
Of all the “good things” we have done. They’re twisted, warped and
bent.
So now let us all face the facts. It is in Christ alone,
That we acquire our righteousness. Do I detect a moan?
“Without Him I am nothing? I’m sure that cannot be.
There has to be a little good deep down inside of me.”
But that is a deception. Whatever you may see,
Came down to you from heaven and from His Majesty.
So let us all be sober and take a proper look;
See what has been written in God’s Most Holy Book.
Forget about your goodness. It isn’t good at all.
It doesn’t meet His standards. I hope this makes you stall.
Because, till this is understood, you’ll think you’re good enough.
But it is what the Lord declares. I’m sorry if it’s tough!
I’m sad if you’re offended. I wish it wasn’t true.
I’d like to think the things I’ve done was all I need to do.
But Jesus Christ has made the rules. He is the referee
And He will blow the whistle on “stuff” from you and me.
Jim Strickland
Written
1st
February 2012
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