Counting On

Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. (NLT) -Galatians 5:2
Are you looking to circumcision to keep you right with God? Truly, this is a reflection of your heart if you are depending on something other than Christ to justify you. If you depend on those actions, then it takes away the meaning of Christ’s death. God is more concerned about your heart and your pursuit of Him. Remember that the only thing God asks of you is your faith. Is there anything in your life that you are trying to do, in order to win God’s love?
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DON’T USE PROFANITY

“Whatever is in the heart overflows into speech.” Lk 6:45 TLB

When you resort to profanity it proves the truth of God’s Word: “No man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God…and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God” (Jas 3:8-9 NKJV). Profane language is unbecoming to a redeemed child of God. So why do we do it? First: We lack the adequate vocabulary to express ourselves and feel we must swear in order for our words to have impact. Second: We resort to profanity to release our frustration with the situation. Either way, we’ve developed an ungodly pattern of expressing our displeasure, and we need to restrain ourselves. Jesus said: “A good person produces good deeds from a good heart. And an evil [person] produces evil deeds from his hidden wickedness. Whatever is in the heart overflows into speech.” Acknowledging that profanity resides in your heart will help you reject the idea that a curse word just “slipped” out of your mouth. The fact is it slipped out of your heart! If you’re “profanity-prone,” spend more time with God and ask Him to purify your heart and your mouth! Words are just verbal thoughts. So ask Him to help you practice mental discipline by “casting down” profane thoughts, and instead using words that bring life to your innermost being and to the lives of others (See 2Co 10:5). James writes, “Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so” (Jas 3:10 NKJV)

2 Corinthians 7:6 God, that comforteth those that are cast down.

And who comforteth like Him? Go to some poor, melancholy, distressed child of God; tell him sweet promises, and whisper in his ear choice words of comfort; he is like the deaf adder, he listens not to the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely. He is drinking gall and wormwood, and comfort him as you may, it will be only a note or two of mournful resignation that you will get from him; you will bring forth no psalms of praise, no hallelujahs, no joyful sonnets. But let God come to His child, let Him lift up his countenance, and the mourner’s eyes glisten with hope. Do you not hear him sing-

 

“‘Tis paradise, if thou art here;

If thou depart, ’tis hell?”

 

You could not have cheered him: but the Lord has done it; “He is the God of all comfort.” There is no balm in Gilead, but there is balm in God. There is no physician among the creatures, but the Creator is Jehovah-rophi. It is marvellous how one sweet word of God will make whole songs for Christians. One word of God is like a piece of gold, and the Christian is the goldbeater, and can hammer that promise out for whole weeks. So, then, poor Christian, thou needest not sit down in despair. Go to the Comforter, and ask Him to give thee consolation. Thou art a poor dry well. You have heard it said, that when a pump is dry, you must pour water down it first of all, and then you will get water, and so, Christian, when thou art dry, go to God, ask Him to shed abroad His joy in thy heart, and then thy joy shall be full. Do not go to earthly acquaintances, for you will find them Job’s comforters after all; but go first and foremost to thy “God, that comforteth those that are cast down,” and you will soon say, “In the multitude of my