Glorify God in everything you do!

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:31)

In whatever we do we are to give glory to God. Glorifying God means we make much of Him. We show His worth, value, wisdom in how we live and act. When we follow His commands or mirror His character, we glorify Him. We make much of Him showing He is worthy.

In this particular instance, Paul, writing to the Corinthians, takes up a discussion regarding idolatry. In Paul’s day, food was sacrificed to idols before it was sold and set on the table. It was a way of recognizing and worshipping the local gods for provision. As Christians, we don’t believe there are local gods who provide for the local people. Thus, no gods should be worshipped, or are worshipped when meat is offered to them for sacrifice.

Some Christians believed the pagan sacrificial system was of no value. The people were not really offering sacrifices to gods because no gods existed. Others, however, still believed in the gods. When they saw other Christians eating meat offered to the gods, they were misled into the practice of syncretism. They believed they could worship Jesus alongside these other gods.

So as not to mislead other brothers and sisters in Christ who have not matured in their understanding, Paul advocates they not partake of meat offered to idols, particularly in front of another whom they know would be misled. Nor are they to eat meat at the house of a non-believer who expresses at dinner that the meat they are serving has been offered to idols. They are to give up their right to the meat so as not to lead another into idolatry. As well as they are to give up their right so as not to give the non-believer the impression that it is ok to worship Jesus alongside the local gods.

Giving up our rights is done out of love, not out of a legalistic spirit. Jesus willingly died for us out of love not because He was forced. When we give up our rights, as Jesus gave up His, we glorify God. We show His action of self-sacrificial love worthy to be emulated. As well as we show we value God more than our own right to eat or drink whatever we choose. Furthermore, we glorify God because we show he is greater than any so called god.

Our eating and drinking in regard to idols is one way we glorify God. As well as we glorify God in our willingness to give up our rights so as not to lead another brother or sister in Christ astray. There are many other ways we can glorify God. We should take every opportunity to glorify Him.

We should glorify God in everything we do!

The Lord’s mindfulness should drive us to worship

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

“O LORD, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him?” (Ps 144:3)

Tucked in the middle of Psalm 144, as Psalmist both blesses the Lord for His work and asks Him to do more, He is struck with wonder and amazement. We all should be struck with wonder and amazement as well. We should be flabbergasted that the Lord is mindful of us, sinful humans who live in rebellion to Him. It is amazing God cares so much. It is mind boggling that He provides a salvation for a people who hate Him. It is simply amazing!

When we think of the Lord’s concern, care, and provision, like the Psalmist, should be driven to ask the same question — Why does God think of us? Why does He provide for us? Why does He care for us as He does?

The answer reveals our God is a God of love. He loves and cares for His creation. He has compassion on us, providing for us physically and spiritually.

When we consider all the Lord does, we should be driven to praise and bless the Lord.

Do you recognize you were bought with a price?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

“for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Cor 6:20)

We are to seek to glorify God daily by living according to His will. We should seek to glorify God, not to earn favor from Him, pay for our salvation, or pay Him back.

Instead, we are to align ourselves with His will out of gratitude for what He has done for us. Jesus, the Son of God, has come. He lived a perfect life, perfectly keeping the Law. He did not deserve death. He didn’t deserve the Father’s wrath. But He died and absorbed the Father’s wrath on our behalf in order to redeem us. He paid the ultimate price on our behalf, ransoming us from the wrath of God. As those who have been bought by Him, we should seek His glory.

As well as we are to align ourselves with God’s will seeking to glorify Him with our bodies because we have been freed from the grip of sin. We no longer have to live according to the flesh. We are no longer dominated by Satan. He is not our master. We have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. We should use our bodies to glorify the one who has redeemed us.

Do you recognize you were bought with a price? Are you living for Christ? Do you follow Him?

You are God’s Fellow Worker

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

“For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.” (1 Cor 3:9)

What a privilege it is to be called God’s fellow workers. As believers, we have not only experienced salvation but we are also used as God’s instruments to bring others to faith in Christ as well as to help others grow as disciples of Christ. We are His fellow workers.

If God thinks of us as His fellow workers, we must think of ourselves in the same way. We must not shrink back from Jesus’ command to make disciple-making disciples. We must get to work.

While we must get to work, seeking to accomplish the mission Jesus has set before us, as God’s fellow workers, we don’t work alone. The God of the universe, the All-Sovereign, Creator, and Sustainer of all things works alongside us as we seek to work for Him. We work with the power provided us by God Himself.

Do you recognize you are counted as God’s fellow worker? Do you trust God to empower you for the task of making disciple-making disciples?

Are you able to boast in the Lord?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

“so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.””

(1 Co 1:31)

You are not a Christian today because you are wiser, more powerful, or from a family worthy of salvation than others you rub shoulders with each and every day. Nor are you a Christian today because you are stronger and popular than others. You didn’t earn, force, or buy your way into right standing with the Lord. Your wits, brilliance and intellect didn’t cause you to turn the Lord over the next person. You are a Christian today because the Father sent Jesus Christ to die for you.

It is Jesus who presents the us with the wisdom of God. It is Jesus who is righteous. It is Jesus who is set apart. It is Jesus who provides us with redemption from the wrath of God. Wrath we deserve because we live in constant rebellion against God. 

When you consider your salvation, you are not to boast in yourself. No, you should boast in the Lord. He is the reason you can call yourself a Christian today. He is the reason you experience salvation from His wrath. 

As Christians, we are to boast in the Lord. Some may boast in their intellect, successfully completed projects, wealth, homes, cars, career success. Other may boast in their atheletic abilities. While the world celebrates these accomplishments, we are to celebrate and boast in the Lord saving us. 

We must cast off what the world values and put on what God values. When we separate ourselves from the world’s values and the things in which they boast, we will be able to boast in the Lord. 

Should we submit to the government?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Rom 13:1)

Among all the the things we have experienced in 2020, we can add a season of political turmoil. A season that doesn’t want to end. Come January though changes will happen. Some of you may be glad for those changes while others will disagree.

Whether we agree or disagree, we are to heed the instruction found in God’s Word. We are to be subject to the governing authorities. Whether they represent our political party or not, we can be subject to them because every authority has been instituted by God. Paul even goes so far as to call them God’s servants for our good and the avenger who carries out God’s wrath (Rom 13:4).

Given some authorities bent towards immorality it is hard to believe they are put in place by God, considered His servants, and are to carry out His wrath. But God’s Word reveals that is their position. It is how the sovereign Lord uses them. Since they are appointed and used by God, we are to respect their position. We are to pray for them. Where we can, in good conscience, we are to follow their direction and the laws of the land. To be sure, God is our first ruler. Where His law would be transgressed, we are to resist, but by and large we are to respect and honor our rulers.

While we may believe that to be a radical request, Paul, the author of Romans, is writing these words while living under Roman rule. Rule that was ruthless and, at times, antithetical to and persecutor of Christianity. As Christians in the USA we experience much more freedom than those in Roman society. While many would like to erode those freedoms, we are still to trust the Lord, His wisdom, and His Word. We are to be subject to the ruling authorities for they have been instituted by God.