Day 12…Romans 8:29

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

Notes from the devotional:

• A major sign of manhood is a man’s word. To be conformed to the image of Christ, our words must conform to God’s Word.
• Five vital truths about God’s Word:
  1. God’s Word is his bond. When God made a promise to Abraham, he swore by himself, because he could swear on nothing greater.
  2. God’s Word is the expression of his nature. Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)
  3. God’s Word is the measure of his character. As the Alpha and Omega, there is no end to God’s character, and thus no end to his Word.
  4. God’s Word is magnified above his name. God’s name is as good as His Word. When we pray in Jesus’ name, we’re using His authority.
  5. God’s Word is the sole source of faith and the absolute rule of conduct. “…there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) 

My notes:

• Number five sticks out at me. This is where our world, our cultures, our families have fallen. The world has convinced us that moral relativism is the new truth – that there is no truth, there is no right or wrong. If you don’t have a solid foundation or frame of reference for the decisions you make in your life, you are constantly going to be backtracking and running in circles as the decisions you make begin to contradict one another depending on the circumstances you are in at the time of the decision!
• I see this play out in my office every day. Kids that think what they are doing is not wrong, parents who have no boundaries on their kids, schools afraid to discipline kids because of fear of retribution from the moral relativistic parents or out of fear of “damaging the child’s self-esteem”…
• I rejoice in the conflicts I have with my sons about these things. They inevitably pick up on or want to do the same things some of their friends are doing, and the conflict comes when Kelly and I stand on your truth and provide Godly boundaries. It is an opportunity to teach our children (though I don’t know how much they are listening).
• Thank you God for drilling in me and helping me understand the infallible truth of your Word!

Personal challenge:

• What Bible passage has helped you become more like Christ?
• Ask God to use His Word to transform your life.

~~from Men of Integrity: A Daily Guide to the Bible and Prayer (1999)~~