HEY…I’m Back!
After a slight set back the beginning of this year I’m back to my “almost” daily blogvotions! I hope... I know, you are blessed in the Lord!
The Pharisees were men who were VERY dedicated to the study of Scripture. They took a vow before 3 witnesses promising to spend every moment of their lives obeying the 10 Commandments. Not to say that they succeeded, because in most cases they didn’t. But that is at least what they tried to do. We see in scripture that these are the very ones Jesus fought with the most. It was mostly due to the hardness of their hearts. What is funny though is the fact that they spent a majority of their time studying the Scriptures. These men, with such a deep spiritual endeavor, had hearts that were so hard that they gave credit to the devil for what was being done by God. Look at this passage in Matthew:
Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.”
Now, you may be thinking, so what are you saying here? Are you saying to not read the bible, don’t go to church? NO, but what I am saying is this; Just because you’re reading the bible faithfully doesn’t automatically mean you are living according to what is says. You must have a receptive heart or else you do it in vain. You need to go to church with a receptive heart or you could be in danger of producing a hardened one. You see the church is a place where we honor God. It’s a place where the Word of God goes out. And we have a choice as to how we will react to these things.
See, if we are in church because we want to worship and learn more about Christ, then that is great. But if we go to church out of mere obligation, thinking we can sin a little more because we have done our duty, that can be dangerous.
There is a saying that goes something like this; “The same sun that softens the wax hardens the clay”. And sadly, sometimes the most hardened people can be found inside the church. This is because they think, I know it all, I have heard it all. I am so spiritual. The problem is they are getting a hard heart. They are arrogant and resistant to the work the Holy Spirit wants to do in their lives.
So let me encourage you today to do a heart exam. Are you doing what your doing for the right reasons? Do you have a critical spirit? Do you think you know it all? Don’t substitute ANYTHING over an honest & genuine relationship with Jesus.
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
~ Matt
