Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19
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2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19 A Wrong Turn
Here are the parallels in Kings to our section for today:
1 Kings 9:10-28 2 Chron. 8:1-18
1 Kings 10:1-13 2 Chron. 9:1-12
1 Kings 10:14-29; 4:21 2 Chron. 9:13-28; 1:14-17
1 Kings 11:41-43 2 Chron. 9:29-1
1 Kings 12:1-24 2 Chron.10:1-11:4
I’ve written on Rehoboam already here:
I love the part where it says Solomon’s kingdom took the Queen of Sheba’s “breath” away in chap. 9, verse 4. Jerusalem was a witness to the world of Yahweh’s greatness. That is why there was an area for Gentiles in the court of the Temple. Today, the church is supposed to take the Word of the Lord to the world.
After Solomon died, Rehoboam took over. Solomon had overtaxed the people to make his palace and Temple so magnificent. Rehoboam took the advice of his young counselors over the advice of his older counselors. The elders told him to lessen the taxes and people would love him. He did the opposite and the people hated him opening the way for Jeroboam, of mixed heritage, to take over. Tune in tomorrow.
New Testament: Romans 8:9-25
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Romans 8:9-25 Get The “Led” Out
Verse 9 is one of the most important statements in the New Testament. ” . . . if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” If someone believes in Christ, he is indwelt with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives within us and guides in Bible reading, assures of salvation, and generally assists someone to stay in the will of God. However, we are still commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit which means we need to yield to His leading. We must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit on the one hand and know our Bibles on the other hand to stay on course. A.W. Tozer likened the Christian life to the flying of an airplane. A plane needs both wings to fly and a Christian needs to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and know the Scriptures. Both “wings” are needed to “fly.” (Other commands regarding the Spirit are not to quench the Spirit, 1 Thes. 5:19, not to grieve the Holy Spirit, Eph. 4:30, and to walk in the Spirit, Gal. 5:16.)
Paul is continuing with the solution to the problem of our old nature continuing to rear its ugly head. He said in chapter 6 that though he knew he was dead to sin (v. 6) and expect it to be true (v. 11) and even tried to yield his bodily parts to God, he still ran into a roadblock. The roadblock was his old nature that he carried around with him. Here in chapter 8, he is telling us that he found power over his old nature in the Holy Spirit whose power was so great as to raise Jesus from the dead. He is saying that that same power dwells in us.
He says we don’t have to give in to our old selves, “the flesh,” (v. 12) but we are to put our sin to death through the power of the Holy Spirit. We don’t hear about it anymore but the older writers used to talk about “mortification.” In verse 13, “putting to death” is rendered “mortify” in the KJV. The idea of sin repels modern readers and congregants these days so we don’t mention it. Why lose people in church, right?
“Being led” by the Spirit is another concept that is not discussed these days. The Scripture says, ” . . . in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power” (2Tim. 3: 1-5). Most Christians I meet today deny that we are in the end times and don’t consider the topic something to be studied. There is no doubt that people are more concerned about their flat screens, iPads, X-boxes and smart phones than the wonderful topic of “being led” by the Spirit. Back when people were praying for rain for crops and wading through mud to get to church, it was a bit more popular. One of the most exciting things about the Christian life is that He will guide us personally if we have an “ear” to Him.
“Being led” results in the freedom of the Christian life. We have been adopted (v. 15) and our Father is God. Do you treat God as your Father and rely on Him for everything? The Spirit testifies that we are children of God and heirs. We also will suffer in this life but it will result in glory in Heaven. 1John 5: 13 is a Scripture that assures believers that they have salvation and will be going to Heaven (cf. John 5:24). A false religion is anything that steals assurance away from you and says you have to perform works to hope you make it someday. Don’t accept any substitutes!
Although Christians may have to suffer (see blog on Rom. 5:1-3), it will be worth it. Even the creation longs to total redemption. Of course, all true Christians should be longing for the day they receive their new bodies (v. 23). Though now we have the capacity not to sin, in the future in Heaven we will not be able to sin. That is our hope and so we persevere through the suffering (v. 24-25).