Bible, Blasphemy, God's Will, Scripture, Sin

BLASPHEMY

ROMANS 2:24

“For “THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,” just as it is written.”

Blasphemy is a harsh term, isn’t it? I know many Christians who worry about committing that sin. Let me tell you something. If you are worried about that, chances are you will never fall prey to it. Blasphemy is more than just a one-time thing or one word spoken. It’s a heart attitude.

Paul possibly refers back to two Old Testament passages. Ezekiel 36:23 reads, “‘And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘when I show Myself holy among you in their sight.’” The idea of being profaned was blasphemy to God. And in Isaiah 52:5 it says, “‘And now what do I have here?’ declares the LORD. ‘For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock,’ declares the LORD. ‘And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed.’”

APPLICATION

The Topical Lexicon gives a really good description of blasphemy. “In Scripture the sin of blasphemy is speech that dishonors, slanders, or demeans the divine character, titles, or works of God. The Old Testament treats it with the utmost gravity (Leviticus 24:10-16), establishing the foundation upon which New Testament writers build their understanding. By the first century, Jewish tradition viewed any direct insult to the divine name, the misattribution of God’s works, or the presumptive claiming of divine prerogatives as blasphemous.”

Blasphemy isn’t just spitting in God’s eye. It’s the flagrant disavowing attitude toward Him. It’s thinking and saying He is not God and has no power in your life. This same attitude was found in Lucifer before he rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven. Now, he continually blasphemes and tries to entrap us into doing the same.

But Carl, I don’t want to blaspheme. As I said, if you truly have the desire to not blaspheme, chances are you will never do that. How do you prevent blasphemous thoughts from entering your head? The same way you prevent any sin from creeping in – you spend time in His Word, meditating on and memorizing it. Fill your thoughts with so much Scripture that there is no room for evil thoughts. Don’t get fooled by the evil one. Stay connected to Jesus in every word and deed.

Father, guard my heart and protect my spirit as I seek to live a life that honors and glorifies You.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Disobedience, Law, Obedience, Scripture, Sin

LAWBREAKER

ROMANS 2:23

“You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God?” 

There are some laws we say we will never break. I will never be a murderer. I will never be a drunk driver. I will never…you fill in the blank. But there are other laws that I “fudge” on. How about the speed limit? I know the marker says 70 mph, but the officer won’t care if I go 80 mph. What’s the law say? 70, not 80. So, whether the officer cares or not doesn’t matter. The law is the law.

Paul continues his questions to the Jews in today’s verse and basically accuses them of breaking the very law they boast about. Remember, Paul knew the law. He knew a lot of law breakers. He himself broke the law by not keeping every single law perfectly. He knew it was impossible to keep. He, I believe, is pointing them to this futility and towards freedom that is theirs in Christ, if they so choose.

APPLICATION

He states it clearly by saying they were dishonoring God. The Greek word for “dishonor” is atimazó. InLuke 20:11 Jesus uses this word to describe how the vineyard’s owner’s son was treated. “‘And he proceeded to send another slave; but they beat him also and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.’” The phrase “treated him shamefully” is atimazó.

When we are disobedient and do not follow the clear commands of Scripture, we are being just as dishonoring to God. We treat Him shamefully by our behavior. Romans 6:16 is a good verse that relates to this decision we must make. “Do you not know that the one to whom you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of that same one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?” We have that choice – obedience to sin or obedience to God. One results in death, the other in righteousness.

As you face your myriad of decisions this week, make sure those decisions agree with God’s Word. I believe that every decision we make can be filtered through the Word. We should ask ourselves if this decision will honor or dishonor our Lord. That is the most important factor in our decision making. Be an obedient child of the King.

Lord, help me today to make choices that bring You honor. I want to point others to You.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Adultery, Bible, Devotion, Heart, Idols, Scripture, Stealing

WHERE’S YOUR HEART?

ROMANS 2:22

“You who say that one is not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who loathe idols, do you rob temples?”

Our hearts can be wicked things. We sacrifice what is good and holy for things that give us fleeting pleasures. When I read today’s verse in which Paul gives a couple of more questions to the Jews, it hit me that these were both heart issues. No one commits adultery if their heart is true to their spouse. No one is going to steal from God if their heart is devoted to Him. Let’s examine our hearts today and see where we stand.

Paul laid out a pretty flagrant sin when he mentioned adultery. I am sure Paul knew Pharisee with whom he had served who were adulterers. After all, women were seen as subservient and beneath men in their culture. Why not dishonor your wife by sleeping with another woman? And he probably also knew Pharisees who skimmed some of the temple funds or other items that were meant to go to God’s work. These were both “ouch” moments.

APPLICATION

In Matthew 6:20-21 Jesus tells us, “‘20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’” Where is your heart today? You may not be committing adultery or stealing from the church, but is your heart true to our Father Who has given you all things?

We are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind (Matthew 22:36-38). If we do that, our hearts shall be directed toward purity and holiness. Those are foreign concepts today. I was in an Uber this weekend in the Dominican Republic. When my friends and I got in the car, the music was blaring. Did the driver turn it down? Nope! And the music (if you call it that) was all about women and treating them inappropriately. I actually told my friends when we got to our Airbnb that I felt I needed to go in and purify my ears.

Now I didn’t know that driver, but I can tell you that you cannot listen to that kind of music and walk holy before your God. Your heart will be divided. You will be pulled toward adulterous and idolatrous thoughts. I even felt myself being drawn to the beat of the music in that short car ride. Keep your hearts pure and devoted. God will give you the victories you need.

O Father, purify my heart and keep me focused on Your heart.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Christ, Scripture, Stealing, Teaching, Testimony

GOT TO WALK THE WALK

ROMANS 2:21

“you, therefore, who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one is not to steal, do you steal?”

When I first started my role as VP for Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes in Chattanooga, we got a call from a trucking company asking us if we wanted half a trailer load of fabric softener that had been turned down by a local retailer. I said we would be glad to receive that. Wouldn’t you know it, when it arrived in the semi, it was pouring rain. I couldn’t ask my staff to unload all that softener if I wasn’t willing to help. So, I quickly changed clothes and climbed up in that trailer to help unload. My staff were impressed that I, the VP, would do that. I had to do what I was asking them to do.

Paul begins a series of five rhetorical questions in today’s verse. The first two are here. He asks if they are teaching themselves what they are teaching. Then he asks if they preach against stealing, are they stealing. Most commentators agree that Paul wasn’t accusing them of these things but merely asking these questions to drive home his point. They had to practice what they preached. People were watching!

APPLICATION

When I read this verse and the two following, I immediately thought of Philippians 2:14-15 which say, “14 Do all things without complaining or arguments; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,” As followers of Christ, we have to be above reproach. We represent a holy God and therefore must be holy ourselves.

In Paul’s role description for elders in Titus 1, he tells us this. “6 namely, if any man is beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of indecent behavior or rebellion. 7 For the overseer must be beyond reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not overindulging in wine, not a bully, not greedy for money,” It is unfortunate that too many of our church leaders don’t practice what they preach. We have to do better!

Why is this important? Like I said earlier, people are watching. The world is looking for followers of Christ to mess up so they can expose our “hypocrisy.” They don’t understand that we aren’t perfect, just forgiven. However, that does not excuse us from living our lives as an example for others. Today, choose to be obedient to Christ in all things. You never know who is watching.

O Lord, help me exemplify Christ in all things.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Commands, Law, Scripture, Teaching, Training

HOW DO WE TEACH OTHERS?

ROMANS 2:20

“a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, possessing in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth—”

Often when we try to teach others a new skill, they will not cooperate. I can remember being taught some basic woodworking skills by my dad. My dad was a master carpenter. He could look at something and then build it. He taught my brother and I some of these skills, but we wanted to jump ahead and start sawing and nailing. Oh no! That was not the way. My dad was deliberate and painstakingly tedious to us boys. But I still recall some (not all) of those skills he patiently taught us.

Paul addresses the Jews’ responsibility as corrector and teacher since they had the law. Since they had the knowledge, they were supposed to share it, right? The problem was they didn’t. They only barked out laws for others to follow without actually teaching them why these commandments were important. Knowing the why behind the what was important to understand. The same applies to us as we instruct others in following Jesus.

APPLICATION

Paideutés is the Greek word translated as “corrector” in today’s verse. It “appears twice in the New Testament: Romans 2:20 and Hebrews 12:9. In both places the word stands at the intersection of training, correction, and responsible authority—whether misused by self-confident religious leaders or rightly exercised by loving fathers and, supremely, by God Himself. (Topical Lexicon) In Hebrews 12:9 we see this, “Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them;” The word “discipline” is paideutés where it is referring to more about training. It’s not a punitive thing. It’s an instructive idea.

The word “teacher” is didáskalos. It’s “a teacher, an instructor acknowledged for their mastery in their field of learning; in Scripture, a Bible teacher, competent in theology.” (HELPS Word studies) In contrast to paideutés, this word is used 59 times in the New Testament. It’s the common word used to describe someone who has the knowledge to teach and passes it along.

What knowledge and skill do you possess which the Lord has taught you? Shouldn’t you be showing others? All around us are fellow followers of the Lord who struggle with their walk because no one has taken the time to correct and teach them. I will be in the Dominican Republic this weekend doing just that through our ministry to men. Why don’t you look around your church and see who could use your expertise in walking the walk?

Father, thank You for allowing me to share what You have shown me through Your Word.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Darkness, Enlighten, Light, Scripture, Shining

BE THE LIGHT

ROMANS 2:19

“and are confident that you yourself are a guide to people who are blind, a light to those in darkness,”

Did you know that darkness cannot quench light? Even the smallest light can pierce the darkness. Ever been camping on a cloudy night with no stars or moon? It gets pretty dark. But light just one lantern or start a small fire and watching the darkness flee. We have a calling to be light in the darkness, to drive away the encroaching darkness, to dispel any absence of light. Today’s verse is a challenge to us.

This is the third verse of Paul’s address to the Jews which began with an “if” back in verse 17. In today’s verse he challenges the Jews to be “a guide” and “a light.” It was unfortunate that these Jews were walking blind in the darkness themselves (we’ll see that addressed in verses 21-23). The word for “guide” is hodégos and is only used four other times in the New Testament. Three of those times it is used by Jesus when He refers to the Pharisees as “blind guides” (Matthew 15:14; 23:16, 24). It makes you wonder if perhaps Paul heard Him say this.

APPLICATION

But let’s focus on the word “light.” That’s the Greek word phós. Of the 73 times that word is used in the New Testament, John uses it 33 times in his gospel, 1 John and Revelation. Do you think light was important for John? I do. He walked with The Light for three years. He saw The Light transformed before his very eyes. He saw The Light seemingly quenched at the crucifixion only to burst forth in brilliance once again at the resurrection. Light was important to him.

In John 1:4-5 we read, “4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. 5 And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.” I really like verse 9 in this first chapter of John. “This was the true Light that, coming into the world, enlightens every person.” Did you see that? The true Light enlightens us. We have His light within us!

So, why don’t we shine more brightly? Because we have allowed the world and our own sins to darken the lense of our soul. We are afraid to shine brightly. We are ashamed of the Light. Brothers and sisters, cast off any dimming element in your life today and allow the light of Jesus to shine brightly in a dark world. Then watch the darkness flee.

Light of the world, You shine down into darkness, Open my eyes, let me see.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Eternity, Excellence, Important, Scripture, Worldly

THE THINGS THAT MATTER

ROMANS 2:18

“and know His will and distinguish the things that matter, being instructed from the Law,”

We chase after so many things in our lives that really don’t matter a hill of beans. We emphasize stuff that won’t last. We spend money and time on hobbies or sports that are fleeting. The only things that really matter are family and God. When will we learn that? I confess I have done that way too much, but as I get older, the things of this world have less and less attraction.

As Paul continues his comments towards the Jews, he uses a word in today’s verse that drew my attention. Ta diapheró is translated as “the things that matter.” Literally, the Greek reads “the things being superior.” Diapheró comes from dia (through) and phérō (carry). HELPS Word studies says diapheró means, “(‘distinguishing what differs’) underlines the key difference in meaning involved, i.e. separating (distinguishing from) the one element in a comparison (its value) from another.” Let’s look at some other verses where this word is used to get a clearer picture.

APPLICATION

Jesus uses this word in Matthew 6:26. “‘Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?’” The phrase “more important” is diapheró. Jesus knows what is important, what is superior. It’s you. After all, He gave His life to redeem you back to the Father.

Paul writes in Philippians 1:10 and uses the word again. “so that you may discover the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ;” Here it is translated as excellent. We need to be able to distinguish between not only what is good and bad but also between what is good and what is excellent in the Lord’s eyes. He expects us to do what is excellent. Why would we do anything less for Him?

Stop spending so much time doing things that are mundane and average. Strive to do the things that matter most to God. Give up some tv time and dive into the Word. I am so guilty of that during this time of the year when college football is on. But I do want to please my Father in heaven and focus on the eternal and not the temporal. Will you join me?

Father, forgive me of wasting my time on the average things of life and not the excellent things in Your eyes. 

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Boasting, Law, Pride, Religion, Scripture

A SCOLDING

ROMANS 2:17

“But if you call yourself a Jew and rely upon the Law and boast in God,”

You may have heard the expression “taken to the woodshed.” If you are a little older, you know what that means. The woodshed wasn’t just a place to store wood. It was also a place where a parent would paddle or spank their child for misbehavior. No one wanted to go to the woodshed because they knew they would experience a painful event. However, correction is needed if someone is misbehaving, right?

In today’s verse, Paul begins a diatribe against the Jews for their “misbehavior.” What was that? Spiritual pride and arrogance. As we go over these next several verses, you will see Paul point out how they thought just because they were Jews, they were good with God. Paul effectually scolds them and sets them in their place. Let’s begin this deep dive into these next verses.

APPLICATION

Matthew Henry says, “Spiritual pride is the most dangerous of all kinds of pride.” Boy, this was true of the Jew. (It still is in some respect.) Just because they were Jewish by blood, they were sure they were a shoo-in for heaven. After all, they were God’s chosen people, right? Look at all the things God had done for them through their generations. Some manuscripts have a little different beginning to this verse which would have made the Jew sit up and take notice. Some have ide instead of ei de. The difference is ide would be translated “Behold” whereas ei de would read “If now.” Most believe the second rendering is correct. Either way, the Jews were being told to listen up.

The first matter of scolding Paul brings up is the reliance on the law as their sole reason for salvation. Paul knew, as a former Pharisee, that no one was able to keep the law perfectly. It just wasn’t possible. But these Jews claimed since they were the possessor of the law, they could boast in their religion. They believed in God; therefore they were okay.

May I remind you that even the demons believe and tremble. James tells us that in James 2:19. “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.” Belief by itself will not bring salvation. It’s also about obedience and following His commands. Yes, believe with all your heart but also follow closely as He guides. That will prove your allegiance to and reliance upon Jesus as the sole source of your salvation.

O Lord, thank You for giving me Jesus to follow. In His steps I will go.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Confession, God's Will, Judgment, Scripture, Secrets

SECRETS

ROMANS 2:16

“on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of mankind through Christ Jesus.”

It is said that the true character of a man is revealed by what he does in secret when no one is watching. How true! We read almost every day where some influential leader in the Christian world has his/her hidden life revealed, exposing secret affairs or embezzlement of funds. When will we all learn that there is nothing that will not be revealed sooner or later? It will all come out in the end.

Paul tells us in verse 16 that mankind’s secrets will be judged by God according to their response to Jesus. The Greek word for “secrets” is kruptos which means something that is hidden. It is used @20 times in the New Testament. I bet Paul had seen some secrets of Pharisees when he was one. I am sure he saw how they told the people to do one thing while they were doing another. Secrets may seem protected, but we know God sees all.

APPLICATION

In the parable of the lamp in Luke 8, Jesus says in verse 17, “‘For nothing is concealed that will not become evident, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.’” Hmmm, you would think with those words spoken by Jesus, everybody within hearing distance would have straightened up. But they didn’t. Secrets have a way of holding us captive. The longer we keep them, the deeper we retreat into them. Sooner or later, we have trouble distinguishing what is real and what is not.

We are told in Ecclesiastes 12:14, “For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” Every secret deed done that goes against God’s Word will be not only exposed, but it will also be judged by God. What secret things are you hiding right now that you know God does not approve of? Confess those as sin and if need be, expose them to someone you can trust who can walk with you in this.

Paul gives us some more advice on this subject in 1 Corinthians 4:5. “Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of human hearts; and then praise will come to each person from God.” Don’t sit in judgment. That’s not your place. That’s God’s. He will expose all one day. Just make sure your secret things are dealt with before then. That way you can face your Savior with nothing that needs confessing. No secrets!

Thank You, Lord, for knowing my heart. I know there is nothing that is not known to You.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Disobedience, Heart, Obedience, Right, Scripture, WRONGS

HOW’S YOUR HEART

ROMANS 2:15

“in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,”

We learn as a child the difference between right and wrong. As I watch my 13 month old grandson learn this, it’s amazing how quickly he learns. He is crawling and almost walking everywhere now. That means things that were not in his grasp before have become accessible. We have decided to not remove every item off the lower shelves but instead teach what he can and cannot touch. He is already recognizing that. It’s like he instinctively knows to obey what we teach him.

Today’s verse is a perfect example of the truth that all mankind have been given the ability to know right from wrong, to know evil from good. Paul says, “the Law written in their hearts,…” Look how Barnes explains this word “hearts.” “The word ‘hearts’ here denotes the mind itself, as it does also frequently in the Sacred Scriptures; not the heart, as the seat of the affections. It does not mean that they loved or even approved of the Law, but that they had knowledge of it; and that that knowledge was deeply engraved on their minds.” You see, the Gentiles knew what was right and what was wrong.

APPLICATION

I love how the Topical Lexicon summarizes its discussion on the Greek word for “hearts.” It says, “Kardia gathers the whole interior life—thinking, feeling, choosing—into a single term that Scripture repeatedly declares must be transformed by grace. God searches it, the gospel renews it, the Spirit indwells it, and the believer is called to guard it until Christ is fully formed within.”

In John 14:1 Jesus says these simple words, “‘Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.’” God does not want our hearts to be troubled. He does not want us struggling to know how to recognize evil from good or right from wrong. Contrary to the world’s view, there are not different shades of right. God makes it clear in His Word what is right and what is wrong. And when we do what is right, we have peace with God and man.

So, how’s your heart today? Are you troubled and confused? Stop relying on your own intellect or reasoning. Paul said in today’s verse that the Gentiles had their conscience and thoughts working overtime to show them the truth, but many of them rejected that in favor of doing what they though was right. Don’t fall into that trap! As Jesus said, “believe also in Me.” Believe Him and let Him show you how to live.

Lord, I will follow Your lead, even when I think I know a better way because I know in the end, You are the better way.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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