Stand for what is Right

 2 Kings 1:10
“If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!”

The boldness of Elijah the prophet in the face of being outnumbered required faith in One who can beat the odds. The odds were against him in every way, but he stood his ground for what he thought was right. I don’t pretend to know why God allowed 102 men to die because of the foolishness of a wicked king, but it does demonstrate to us that our decisions do have an impact on the lives of others. God came through for Elijah and put in the heart of the 3rd captain to honor the prophet and his God. Elijah boldly did what God wanted him to do, and God honored him and his faith. We often face things in our lives that may scare or frighten us, but we serve a big God and He knows the weakness of those that are against us. Let us stand for right and truth and allow God to work the circumstances in our lives.

What is Sin?

 2 Samuel 12:9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight?

Sin, a total discard to yield to the commandments of the Lord. When did David’s action become sin? At what point did David disobey the commandment of the Lord? Some would say it was when King David stayed home from the battle, or when he went to his roof top and his eyes were fixed on Bathsheba. It might have been when he took that second glance. Jesus said, whosever looks on a women to lust after her has committed adultery in his heart. David’s action did not become sin until his desire overcame his knowledge to do what was right. We face decisions everyday to do what is right. Some of those decisions are clear cut because God has already revealed in His word what is right and what is wrong. There are other choices that we make that are neither right or wrong, but are made with good intentions and current knowledge. We might find out later, that it was not the right choice, it was a mistake, but this is not sin. To him who knows to do right and does it not, to him it is sin. Let us always walk in the light, be led the the Spirit, that we may always do what is right in the sight of God.

Delivered From Sin

Roman 7:24-25 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?…I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

The battle wages within the hearts and minds of man. The desire to do what is right, and the desire to do what is wrong. Good vs evil, love vs hate. This is the true battle of the ages. Born in sin, under the influence of the carnal flesh, we are blinded and hindered to spiritual law of God. We attempt in our humanity to live righteous, but find that we don’t have the power to always do what is right. Whether we are unbelievers or believers the battle is always before us. The answer to this problem is made plain. Who will help us win this battle against sin? Jesus is the answer. In Christ we surrender who we are and accept Him into our lives. Even as believers, we must see that it is only through the power of Christ that we overcome evil. Jesus promise that He would send the Holy Spirit in His fullness and through the Spirit we would be led into all truth and be filled with His divine love.  Love will cast out all fear, love will defeat evil and hate. It is not in the power of our will, but in the power of His love and grace that we overcome evil with good, and hate with love. 

Do What is Right

2 Kings 22:2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

When presented to do what is right, Josiah did what he felt was right. He followed his conscience in a day when God’s word was put on the shelf. True that our conscience can be misplaced by erroneous teaching, but left allow, God puts within each one of us a desire to seek the truth and do what is right. Sin has tainted the nature of our desires, and the carnal nature that we are born with seeks to gratify self in the face of doing what is good and acceptable to God. Paul speaks of this dual battle in the hearts and mind of people. The battle of doing what is right, when the desire to please self is present. As the Word of God came to Josiah in his day, so does the Holy Spirit come to us to lead us into all truth. We can choose to do what is right and take a stand against sin in our own life. Through Christ, we no longer have to live in condemnation, Through His blood we can have full salvation from sin and victory over sin in our lives. The nature of sin can be crucified with Christ and we can live each day with a pure conscience knowing the power of sin no longer has dominion over us, walking in the light of God.