The Plumbline

I said to myself, “I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me.”  But as I stood there in silence—not even speaking of good things—the turmoil within me grew worse. (Psalm 39:1-2 NLT) Watch what you do - hold your tongue - because one moment of indecision or distracted attention can end up in a load of misery and guilt. The more we attempt to watch our tongue, the more sensitive we may become to what is being said around us by those who are definitely not as conscious of their words. In fact, we may want to confront them for their words - whether they be harsh or judgmental, lies or just purposeful misguided trickery. Stand in silence way too long and it is as though you condone what is being said, the misleading lies standing as truth in your eyes, too. There are moments when we should stay silent and those in which it is time to stand up and speak the truth in wisdom. We need Jesus' help to know which is which. Tu...

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Romans 3:20-24 NLT) As believers in Christ, we must forsake the desire to 'make ourselves right' by any other means than faith in the finished work of Jesus at the cross. We are always going to think we could just 'be a little better' because that is human nature. We can never be 'more better' than we are in Christ Jesus! We are our 'best' in him - nothing we do or say can change us quite in the same way as trusting in him can do within us. We are made right with Christ Jesus - that means we might not see all the change he has done in us, but...