As we begin our journey through the New Testament I would just like to share some things that the Lord laid on my heart as I read. But first I want to share some important principles about reading the Word. The Bible is not just another book. There is not another book that can even come close to comparing to it. Every single detail of the Word inspired by God. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that it was literally "God breathed out". And when God writes something He clearly says what He means and means what He says. Don't try to read something into it, but as much as possible take the plain meaning of what you are reading. When you do this you are most likely to discover the meaning that God intended. I've said this to make an important point for us as we read the Scriptures. Where there is basically one meaning, or interpretation of a passage of Scripture, there may be many applications. In other words, the Bible says what it says, but the Lord may apply a basic truth to my life in a personal way that is specific to my circumstances. When I write in this blog what the Lord showed me in the chapters we read it certainly does not mean that what I say is the only thing that anyone should get out of that section of Scripture. The Lord will apply the Word to your heart in a way that is intended for you personally. As long as it does not violate the meaning of the passage it is equally valid as what the Lord shows me. The Father will work through the Spirit in your heart. This is the main way that God communicates with us today. As you sit down to read, simply ask Him to take what you read today and apply it to your heart. Having said all of this let us jump into Matthew 1-3.
Within this passage we discover the reason that God sent His Son into the world. Matthew 1:21 says that the angel that appeared to Joseph told him to name the Child Jesus, because He would save His people from their sin. God takes sin very seriously. It is sin that separates us from God, preventing us from having a relationship with Him. It is not until that sin is dealt with that we can come into a relationship with Him. How do I deal with the issue of my sin and what God wants to do about it? In this passage two choices are clearly laid out. First, is the choice that was made by King Herod. When he heard that Jesus had come, he saw it as a threat to his position. He knew that both he and Jesus could not be king. So, he sought to destroy Jesus. When the Lord points out a particular sin in my life, how do I respond? Both of us can't be the King of my life. Do I seek to maintain my comfort that I have grown use to? It could very possibly be painful to change. It requires dying to myself (Gal 2:20). This truth is clearly illustrated in marriage. I was one of those people that really wanted to get married, thinking that when I did that virtually all of my problems would be over. I, myself, would then be happy. I didn't have a clue of God's intention for me in marriage. What I discovered was that in order to have a real married relationship I had to die to myself. When there is a problem in my marriage, I have discovered that it is usually an indication of an area of my life that I have not yielded to the Lord and died to my self. And when I thought that I had that down, we had kids and I began to discover a new level of dying to myself. And the more I die to myself the more I become like Jesus.
The second choice that we see is that laid out by John the Baptist in Chapter Three. That choice is repentance. Repentance is when I agree with God about what He says about my sin. When He points my sin out to me, my response should be to confess it (1 John 1:9) , account the old man dead in Christ (Romans 6:11), and by His strength seek to walk in a way that is consistant with my new life in Christ (Matthew 3:8). As John tells us, Jesus will give us the power of the Holy Spirit to live the life that He has called us to.
I look forward to hearing from you what the Lord has shown you, or any questions that you may have about the passage.
Pastor Chris
