DIG for Thursday the 13th of July……don’t look back at your sin, move on…..Hebrews 11 v 15

There is a wonderful picture in Hebrews that shows us we should not look back at the things of the past, especially if they are negative.

Abraham came out of one land into something better, a good land that was promised by the Lord.

If he had looked back at his old home he may have been tempted to return, but he did not look back (Hebrews 11 v 15).

If we keep looking back at our sin and the stupid things we used to do we may be tempted to return to them.

However if we focus on Jesus and His finished work there is no room in our mind for the daft things we used to do.

And we know that if we do not think on something we cannot ‘go there’.

You will know that one of the verses I use most in DIG is Proverbs 23 v 7, for as a man thinketh so is he.

If you do not think on or about the sins in your past (or any particular sin) you just cannot do them.

Grace tells us all about Jesus and helps us to stay away from sin, but living under the law reminds us about sin and actually pushes us towards sin.

Grace frees us from sin, the law makes us sin by strengthening sin!

Don’t take my word for it; this is what it says in the Bible (1 Corinthians 15 v 56).

Abraham did not look back at his old home, in the same way we should not look at our old sin or any sin for that matter.

Focussing on sin will ‘help’ us to sin, focussing on Jesus will free us from sin.

Don’t remember the sins you used to do, and try to focus on the Lord; this will help you live a life free from sin.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I live under grace and not under law, and thank you that all my sin has been dealt with by Jesus on the cross”.

Hebrews 11 v 15…..And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned

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DIG for Wednesday the 12th of July…..we must all keep learning…..2 Timothy 2 v 15

Life long learning is a concept that most of us are aware of in the secular and working world; it is also a concept that is very important in our Christian walk.

It is a very dangerous day when we think we know it all, or feel that we know enough about the Word of God.

The Bible I use on a daily basis is rather old, full of underlining and highlighting, however what I marked as I progressed on my walk with the Lord is very interesting.

Three of the verses that I had marked early on as a ‘young believer’ are ones I would not mark now, as my understanding about law and grace, old and new covenants has developed.

The verses are 2 Chronicles 7 v 14, Romans 3 v 23 and 1 John 1 v 9.

These are verses that as a young Christian I tried to live by, and of course failed.

I have learned that as I live under grace and not law, I have unconditional forgiveness, and that 2 Chronicles 7 v 14 is an old covenant principle and therefore not for me to live by.

I have learned that my emphasis should be on what I have been made as a gift of grace through faith in Jesus rather than any sin, so Romans 3 v 22 and Romans 3 v 24 are of more relevance to me today.

I have learned that 1 John 1 v 9 is not for me to take literally as I am a born again believer and this verse was written in context for someone else.

I have learned more and more about grace over the years and am still learning.

We all must keep this attitude of learning, searching the Scriptures for a deeper revelation of truth that is relevant and appropriate for us as we live under grace in the New Covenant.

Our task is to rightly divide the Word, knowing what has to be taken literally and what is not for us today.

We need to know what covenant we live under!

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that because of the finished work of Jesus I now live under the New Covenant and under grace”.

2 Timothy 2 v 15…..Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth