2 Corinthians 4:1-2 What to Renounce

Today's devotion comes from "My Utmost For His Highest". It seems especially appropriate when we consider the struggle for moral in our nation today. Make no mistake about it, what we believe and practice makes a difference, in our own lives and in our society. The trauma our nation is now experiencing is amplified by the importance of those who practice immorality and the give a show of piety and repentance without accountability and genuine repentance. When you and I, as committed Christians, fail to live honestly and righteously by God's standards we lower and damage the nation and contribute to its plunge into the moral sewer.

The other factor is that where there is no moral freedom, there is bondage. Those who are not living in purity (forgiveness and repentance) by God's standards will find them selves caught in lies and deceit and the constant need to "cover-up". We can only live in real freedom by complete honesty before God and living according to His standard.

What to renounce:
Have you "renounced the hidden things of dishonesty"-the things that your sense of honour will not allow to come to the light? You can easily hide them. Is there a thought in your heart about anyone which you would not like to be dragged into the light? Renounce it as soon as it springs up; renounce the whole thing until there is no hidden thing of dishonesty or craftiness about you. Envy, jealousy, strife-these things arise not necessarily from the disposition of sin, but from the make-up of your body which was used for this kind of thing in days gone by (see Romans 6:19and 1 Peter 4:1-2): Maintain a continual watchfulness so that nothing of which you would be ashamed arises in your life. "Not walking in craftiness," that is, resorting to what will carry your point. This is a great snare. You know that God will only let you work in one way, then be careful never to catch people the other way; God's blight will be upon you if you do. Others are doing things which to you would be walking in craftiness, but it may not be so with them; God has given you another standpoint. Never blunt the sense of your Utmost for His Highest. For you to do a certain thing would mean the incoming of craftiness for an end other than the highest, and the blunting of the motive God has given you. Many have gone back because they are afraid of looking at things from God's stand-point. The crisis comes spiritually when a man has to emerge a bit farther on than the creed he has accepted.

"Lord God, we acknowledge our failure to see Your standard as right and proper for us, our family and our nation. Forgive us Lord and cause us to repent, and to renounce the hidden things of dishonesty and all which prevents us from living to your glory."

Amen - let it be so.

Shalom

Bob Goldsby

Bob Goldsby

Devotions TOC
Goldsby Home Page
City Harvest Church Vancouver, WA