Scripture

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.

~Philippians 2:3, CSB

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Every sin can be forgiven if we humble ourselves and confess our sin to the LORD.

~Jim Cymbala

Jesus said in Mark 3:28-29, “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” Mark three begins with the story of Jesus healing the man with a withered hand and He healed him in the synagogue on the sabbath. The Pharisees were livid. They got up and left the service immediately. They found another location and had a secret meeting with the Herodians plotting the death of Jesus. The only thing we know about the Herodians was that they opposed Jesus and worked with the Pharisees to discredit and destroy His ministry. There are several interesting things about the story and one is that Jesus got angry. He was angry at the lack of compassion and the hardness of heart of the Jewish religious leaders. They are angry with Jesus because He healed on the sabbath. Jesus is angry with them because they had no compassion on the hurting man and did not care whether he was healed or not. They had no regard for the hurting man. Their own personal interest was their only concern. How can people be so cold?

Jim Cymbala makes an interesting point that I had never thought about: the Bible never says God resist sinners. It does not say that God resist adulterers, thieves or even murders. It says, “GOD resists the proud,” and it says it more than once {I Peter 5:5, James 4:6, Job 22:29}. The Pharisees were extremely proud. Their sin of pride was much more offensive than the sins they condemned in others. Pride is stench in the nostrils of God. He hates or abhors pride {Proverbs 6:16-19}. I struggle with a lot of things and putting the interest of other before my interest is a daily battle. I not so much talking about the temptation to do something bad; the temptation may be to stay in my building all day long and read, which is not bad in and of itself, but it can be selfish. Verse four of Philippians two needs to be read with verse three, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others. What a huge difference it would make if we were obedient to this scripture.

I can’t leave a can of worms open: I don’t think any of you have committed the unpardonable sin that Jesus mentioned above; if you had, you wouldn’t be reading this blog. However Jesus said this as a warning to the Pharisees who were treading on thin ice. They were attributing the work of Jesus to the devil. They accused Jesus of getting His supernatural power from Satan. “No wonder He can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.” Ultimately the unpardonable sin is to reject Christ or the deity of Jesus which is what they did and there is no forgiveness for this. Thank God we can be forgiven for acting pridefully and putting ourselves before others.

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Ann Vest is holding on. Anthony’s grandson is better and may get to come home. Brent and Melanie got bad news in Houston. Melanie does not qualify for the new treatment. David Mote also got discouraging news. Not a good day for those battling cancer.

June will be taking me for my first cataract surgery later this morning. I cannot eat until the procedure is finished. I don’t think I will be able to do much today but should be back tomorrow. Can’t eat after midnight so I stayed up and eat my last snack just before midnight.

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John Newton Poem–I Asked The LORD

I asked the Lord that I might grow,
In faith, and love, and every grace;
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek, more earnestly, His face.

‘Twas He who taught me thus to pray
And He, I trust, has answered prayer!
But it has been in such a way,
As almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favoured hour,
At once He’d answer my request;
And by His love’s constraining pow’r,
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry pow’rs of hell
Assault my soul in every part.

Yea more, with His own hand
He seemed intent to aggravate my woe;
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

Lord, why is this, I trembling cried,
Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?
“‘Tis in this way,” the Lord replied,
“I answer prayer for grace and faith.”

“These inward trials I employ,
From self, and pride, to set thee free;
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”