Verse of the Day 9/23

Through the Bible - Isaiah 2-3, Galations 4   Good morning, We/ve been reading/studying how Paul has called those on the right (the legalists) and the left (the over-tolerant)  if you will,  to follow the true gospel of Christ that he had taught them.   As I mentioned at the close of yesterday's devotional, this was nothing new.  The people in Isaiah's time were caught up in the same things.   In Isaiah 1 the prophet said the it had come to the point where God "hated" their religious feasts and worship, because they were doing so without following God with their hearts. They were lifting up hands in worship, but they were hands that were covered with blood. He called them to make a binding, legal decision in verse 18 as to who they would follow: Isa 1:18-20  "Come. Sit down. Let's argue this out." This is God's Message: "If your sins are blood-red, they'll be snow-white. If they're red like crimson, they'll be like wool. If you'll willingly obey, you'll feast like kings. But if you're willful and stubborn, you'll die like dogs." That's right. God says so. (from THE MESSAGE:) Paul's call to the Galation believers was the same call that he had given in the book of Romans chapter one which had first been given by the prophet Habakkuk, to live by faith. Today's verse gives us these words from Galations 3.   Gal 3:11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith."   12 Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them."    NKJV John Piper has said that this could very well be translated "the just, by faith shall live". Jesus, quoting from the prophet Isaiah gives us an example of what this would look like in Luke chapter 4:   Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."    NKJV If we are living by faith, we will follow Christ's lead and have more concern for these "weightier matters".  If it is the cry of our heart to follow Jesus this way, our worship and sacrifice will be pleasing in his sight.  But it stems from faith not works of duty.   How are we ministering to the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, the oppressed or blind (physically or spiritually) today?   In Christ, Mike   Gal 3:10-15 10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God's Book of the Law." 11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." 12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, "It is through obeying the law that a person has life." 13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.  NLT