Just read about it this morning in the Bible… the sin of HYPOCRISY… Romans 2:17-24. A sin especially of the self-righteous – the proud, arrogant, smug religious person. A sin especially detestable to God. A sin that can only be overcome through humble repentance, God’s cleansing, Spiritual vigilance, and the transformation within that God provides!
How do I know? … Well, I’m a “recovering hypocrite!”
I opened the New Year, 2020, reading Genesis 1-2 in the Bible again! Here are my personal reflections on those wonderful chapters (along with some additional reflective input from my dear son-in-law, Dr. Timothy Dresselhaus)…
My Personal Reflections on Genesis 1 & 2
The world – the universe – as we know it is not infinitely old…
• Out of nothing… everything!
• Out of eternity… time!
• Out of chaos… order!
• Out of darkness… light!
• Out of the invisible… the visible!
• Out of void… matter!
• Out of God, Himself… life!
• Out of dust… humanity!
• Out of solitude… relationship!
How did God do it? His powerful, creative, authoritative word!
“In the beginning… God!!!
“Regardless” – one of those ultra-comprehensive words! Actually a bit scary… but also bold!
Regardless of the circumstances… Regardless of the temptation… Regardless of the trials… Regardless of “who”… Regardless of life… regardless of death… Just regardless!
Job in the Bible was a “regardless” sort of guy! I’m reading his story right now in my Bible reading during my time of “coffee with the Lord.”
Here was God’s assessment of Job as a person to Satan: “Have you considered my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth! He is blameless – a man of complete integrity! He fears [reverences] God and stays away from evil! … He has maintained his integrity even though you tried to get me to harm him without cause!” (From Job 1-2)
Read the entire account – beginning to end, all 42 chapters of it in your Bible – Job exemplified “regardless”!
I had a conversation with a young guy recently who was going through quite a trial – a trial of his own making I might say – but a trial that brought him back to God. We were discussing Job… This is what he said, “I’d like to live the rest of my life with Job’s commitment – with Job’s integrity! I’d like to have a tee-shirt with ‘REGARDLESS’ on it!”
Here’s what the Bible says after Job lost everything… after he suffered incredibly physically… after he was urged “to curse God and die!” …. “In all of this Job did not sin by blaming God… In all of this Job said nothing wrong!” (Job 1-2) And at the end of the story, after all was said and done, Job repented of anything he might have said or done that was wrong, and the Bible says, “The Lord blessed Job … even more than in the beginning!” (Job 42:15 NLT)
I want to be a “regardless” sort of person! … No, better than that – with God’s help I’m determined to be a “regardless” sort of person!
