Category: Devotionals

You are a theologian, be a good one.

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals2 Comments

“But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

(Heb 5:14)

You are a theologian. You may not believe yourself to be a theologian but you are one. You have an opinion about God. You believe He does and doesn’t operate in one way or another. You even tell others what you believe about God from time to time. Your belief causes you to act in a certain way. You are a theologian. 

You may not be a very good theologian, but you are one. As Christians, we should want to be good theologians. Our understanding of God should be accurate. The only way we will have an accurate understanding of God is if we are in a constant state of growth. 

When we come to faith in Christ, we have ideas about God. But those ideas need to be adjusted and shaped. Our wrong thoughts about God need to be replaced with right thoughts about Him. As well as what we don’t know needs to be sured up. 

Sadly, many Christians don’t grow in their knowledge of God. They are happy to exist with the knowledge they already possessed. Or they are happy to remain in an immature state. But remaining immature like little babes is not a mark of a good theologian. It doesn’t benefit us nor does it benefit those with whom we live in community. In the previous verse, the writer chastises those who are immature when he says, 

“for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.”

(Heb 5:13)

Those who are immature are unskilled. They are not able to handle the Word of God rightly, which leaves them vulnerable, unable to “distinguish good from evil.” (Heb 5:14b) and unable to accurately communicate who God is, and how they and others should live in light of who God is. 

Immaturity in the faith is not a badge of honor. It opens you and others up for harm. You are a theologian, be a good one.

Sin is deceitful. We need one another.

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

“But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Heb 3:13)

We need one another. Not just to help with physical matters, but to help us grow spiritually. Sin can be deceitful. It can trick us into believing that our thoughts and actions are right and good when in reality they are sinful. We need others who are willing to speak into our life to point out our wrong thinking and wrong doing.

Spiritual growth occurs in community. If we are not in community with other believers, we hinder our own spiritual growth. As believers we should want to grow to be more like Christ. He is the One who has provided us with salvation after all. He is the One who provides us with rest.

If you are not prioritizing Christian community, you need to make it a point to do so. You need to plug in with a solid Bible believing, gospel-centered church in your area and begin fostering community.

Sin is deceitful. We need one another.

Jesus helps us defeat temptation

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“For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Heb 2:18)

Jesus did not have an easy life. He was misunderstood, attacked, beaten, and finally nailed to the cross. Along the way He was tempted. Unlike us, He did not succumb to temptation. He held fast, proving Himself to be faithful and righteous. As a result, He is able to act as our high priest, as the one who is the go between us and the Father.

As our high priest, He not only brings sacrifice on our behalf, but He is the sacrifice. He gives Himself so that He might propitiate (satisfy) the Father’s wrath against our sin (Heb 2:17).

Through Jesus’ high priestly activity we are also released from bondage. We no longer have to fear the power of death. It’s bondage has been broken (Heb 2:14-15). We experience these benefits because Jesus took on flesh and blood, partaking in our life, living righteously and defeating temptation (Heb 2:14;18).

Jesus can help us, then, in our suffering because His suffering resulted in our release from bondage and empowerment by Him. Therefore, when we are tempted, we should not turn inwardly, nor should we run from God. Instead, we should turn to Jesus. He is able to help us defeat the temptation to which we are experiencing.

Be a refreshment to others through your love

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“For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.” (Philemon 1:7)

We should seek to refresh one another in the faith, being a blessing to them. We should be a joy for others to be around. We should love others in such a way that they are reinvigorate them rather than deplete their energy.

Philemon was a refreshment for Paul so much so that Paul gained much love and comfort from Philemon’s sacrificial love for him. Oh, how we should should long for someone to say the same about us. That we refresh them. That they derive much joy and comfort from our love.

May we be refreshing brothers and sisters in Christ.

We don’t have a pretty past, praise God for our present

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“he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,” (Titus 3:5)

We do not have a pretty past. Before Paul pens these words he paints a picture of us. Telling us we were foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to all kinds of passions and pleasures. If that wasn’t bad enough, we learn we were full of malice, envy, and hate for one another. The picture of our past is not pretty.

It is important we understand who we once were. If we forget, we might believe we were worth saving. That it was our righteousness that wooed God into giving himself for us. But then again those who are righteous don’t need saving. Those, however, who are unrighteous do — that’s you and me. We are unrighteous people who need the righteousness of Jesus. We need to be changed, to be washed, to be renewed, to be regenerated. We need saving, not because we are righteous but because we are unrighteous.

We have not gained salvation any other way and for any other reason than our God is a God of mercy who doesn’t give us what we deserve. When we think of salvation like that, we should be driven to worship and praise God for what He has done for us.

Pastor, be faithful and trust the Lord to bring growth in those you serve.

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“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,” (2 Tim 2:24)

Pastor brother ministry is not easy. Ministry is not easy because we mainly deal with people. People are not always easy.

Even though people are not always easy, we are told that we must not be quarrelsome. In other words, we must not be people who are argumentative or who like to engage in disputes over every last thing.

Instead, we must be kind and patient. We must be able to teach. As well as we must correct our opponents with gentleness (2 Tim 2:25).

In all the work we do, we must trust that the Lord will bring growth in the life of others. We are not the Holy Spirit. We cannot cause another to change. Only the Lord can bring about true repentance in a person (2 Tim 2:25). We must be faithful to do what we are called to do and trust the Lord will bring the growth.