📖 Beware of good works

I. There is a difference between wanting/hoping you do not sin and intentionally living your life in a way where you strive to avoid it. And the Bible calls us to do the latter

In Romans 6:12, Paul writes:

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires.”

We can face strong discouragement in our Christian walk if we simply assume that loving Jesus = we automatically sin less.

In reality, we are called to “train ourselves in godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7). Loving Jesus means we love and desire God’s ways, yes, but that desire should lead us to becoming the kind of people who realize how bad sin is and create habits and safeguards in our lives that help us avoid it.

We are told that sin is crouching at our door waiting to devour us (Genesis 4:7), so we should never assume that following Jesus means resisting sin will happen automatically.

God always responds to repentance with grace for those who trust in Jesus (fantastic news!). But don’t be surprised by your inclination toward sin. Instead, actively find ways to kill your sin so that you do not obey its desires.

True life is found in the way of Jesus, and the way of Jesus isn’t followed without intention.

———————-

II. Do not rely on your good works to save you. Doing so only reveals how much they can’t.

Galatians 3:10 tells us:

“For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, ‘Everyone who does not do everything written in the book of the law is cursed.’”

We should do good works, but unless we have never broken God’s law at any point, our works bear witness to the fact that not all of our actions are good. We all have broken God’s law (and will continue to do so at various points!), and so our works show us just how much we need the grace of God.

Verse 11 tells us the righteous will live by faith, because it is trust in the atoning work of Jesus that saves us.

Followers of Jesus desire to do good, but no one is saved by doing good because none of us do good all the time.

Jesus bore the curse of sin on our behalf so that we could experience life. So do good works, not to earn God’s grace, but because in Jesus, you have already received it.

Hershale York on why you should go to church:

”The easiest act of obedience is gathering with the church for Sunday worship. It only requires that you get up, get dressed, and get there.

Yet many Christians today will not do the easiest thing—and wonder why they struggle with the difficult things.”

The primary reason for attending your local Sunday church gathering should be the Lord.

It is not the only purpose of gathering, but giving the Lord the praise he is due is a driving factor.

It is not primarily about what you can learn or what you get out of going. Otherwise, church becomes an individualized experience where it’s about you and not the Lord. And going to church becomes about whether you feel like it or whether it is convenient for you.

Yes, you should join a church where you can learn the Bible, have community, and be built up by attending! But God deserves to be honored, and a weekly rhythm of worship reminds us that God, not us, should be the center of our lives.

A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell

The story of the incredible life of Virginia Hall, the American World War II spy for Britain, and then America, in France during the war.

The title is absolutely spot on. Virginia, a woman who had her lower left leg amputated after a gruesome accident, was constantly overlooked, and even when she became a surprisingly effective and impactful spy, she would continue to run into issues and be overlooked by her superiors throughout her entire career.

The book was a slow read in many parts for me because it was almost too detailed. It was hard to keep track of all the names, as well as some of the places and operations that were referred back to. Some of that is unavoidable, but it felt too far in the weeds at times.

And so while the life of Virginia Hall and what she did were absolutely incredible, and if you're into history and/or WWII, this story is worth reading, the book itself wasn't the best read.

Even still, the author does justice to the largely unknown story of Virginia Hall for many of us, and what she endured, overcame, and accomplished was truly remarkable. She is well deserving of more people learning her story.

7/10

This week on Thinking Biblically, I discuss the question: Is Cussing Actually A Sin?

APPLE PODCASTS // SPOTIFY // AMAZON

P.S. The honest way to start your emails…