Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-09-11-2018

Today’s Scripture Focus: John 5:1-15

We are focusing on sin recovery principle number six of 12: “We are now ready for God to give us new characters that reflect that of His Son’s.”

Do you believe in creation or evolution? This may seem like a loaded question, but it’s one that all of us must answer to determine where exactly our relationship with God is heading, believe it or not.

If you believe in creation, you believe that God created something from nothing. You believe that in the beginning God’s presence focused on a point in the expanse that was formless and void and began to command all things to appear in their order, and it was so. You believe that as soon as God said, “Let there be light,” there was light! You believe that when God said, “Let the waters be separated and dry land appear,” that it was so. You believe that when God formed Adam from the dust of the earth He had created, He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and Adam began to live immediately. You believe that the invisible things related to God’s essence and character are revealed in nature and that He can direct our minds to Him through His created works if we allow Him. And finally, you believe that God miraculously did all this and more in six literal days, and He rested on the seventh from all that He created and made.

If you believe in evolution, you believe, through many different details, that which we now see on earth was developed over many millions of years by happenstance. You believe that a cataclysm in outer space started the process, and through various events lower life forms developed and adapted to their environments into higher life forms. If you are a theistic evolutionist, you might even include the possibility that an intelligent God was the source of the cataclysm, but that ended His interaction with the earth. You believe that life will continue to evolve over millions of years as we all advance to higher, more adapted, more intelligent creatures.

If you ever hope to have the character of Christ perfectly imprinted upon your life, you must pick a side and that side must be creationism. That would mean that you believe that when God speaks healing words into your formless life like, “Pick up your mat and walk,” that immediately the power in His word will enable you to do so. You believe that no addiction, sin, or emotional impediment has the authority to keep you from obeying God’s Word. You believe that if you rest your faith in Him, you will immediately experience His miraculous power to become victorious over sin in your life.

If you believe in evolution, you believe that you can only become victorious over extended periods of time weaning yourself from evil. You believe that if you have a habit of watching evil TV shows, you can watch fewer and fewer until eventually you will get the victory. You believe that if you have a problem with adultery, you can have fewer and fewer liaisons until eventually you get the courage to stop. And this goes for every sin. You don’t believe that there is power in the very command of God for you to get up from that mat of sinful affliction and walk.

Again, I ask, do you believe in creation or evolution? This may seem like a loaded question, but it’s one that all of us must answer to determine where exactly our relationship with God is heading. Ask the Lord to give you the faith you need to believe in His power to make you victorious today. Ask Him to help you respond to His every healing command immediately and you will be made whole. Your character will then reflect the character of Christ.—L....