“The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.” – Ezekiel 37:1-2

Does this Labor Day find you feeling a bit like that pile of dry bones? Worn out, exhausted, numb, struggling to get up and get moving?

Hopefully not! But if you are feeling a bit dry or lacking in mental, emotional, or spiritual vitality keep reading Ezekiel 37. God restores and revives those dry bones by having Ezekiel speak God’s Word over them and pray for God’s Spirit to renew them. Understand that God can revive and restore you by the very same means. The Word of God and the Spirit of God nourishes, nurtures, refreshes, restores, and revitalizes God’s people when we’re felling weary, broken, and completely dried out.

God’s Spirit breathes life into God’s people, even when we think there’s no hope. If Jesus is your Lord, then God’s Holy Spirit lives in you and He can bring you a season of refreshment like no other. The most likely way God’s Spirit will do that is through a deeper encounter with God’s Word. So, if you aren’t already in Scripture every day, reading or listening to whole sections for yourself, get started. Get a plan and start reading or listening to God’s Word. Meditate on what you read or hear. Understand and apply God’s Word to you aching, sore, wounded, and shattered places.

If you think you’re too weary to read the Bible, pray, and spend time with God, then you’re actually too weary NOT to do those things! Seek God in His Word. Let His love, grace, and mercy heal you in Christ Jesus. Let His Spirit fill you until you’re no longer feeling like a pile of dry bones! #FollowJesus

“But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” – 1 Corinthians 8:9

If you are in Christ, then you have tremendous freedom! You’re saved by grace, sanctified by grace, united with Christ, and sealed by the Holy Spirit. Your salvation isn’t dependent on meticulous following of countless rules and laws. You are free in more ways than you probably realized. However, the way you exercise your freedom must always be submitted to the Lordship and glory of Jesus Christ, just like everything else in your life.

What does that mean? It means that in Christ, you’re free to lay down your spiritual rights and freedoms for the good of other believers. The exercise of your freedom – whether it’s about what you eat, what you drink, what you wear, where you go, what you read, listen to, or watch – must be self-limited for the good of less mature believers around you. Exercising freedom in a way that intentionally shocks, provokes, confuses, or divides other believers isn’t evidence of your theological maturity, it’s sinful.

The reality is that things which are biblically permissible can also be sins for those who can’t control themselves with those things. They can be sins for those utterly convinced they are sins. In such situations, the Christ-like use of your freedom isn’t to indulge whatever it is in front of that person. The Christ-like use of your freedom isn’t to argue them into submission with the truth of their freedom in a way that damages their fragile, as-yet-undeveloped faith. The Christ-like use of your freedom is to exercise your Spirit-given self-control in their presence. So, take care and #FollowJesús

“Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken. The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice.” – Ezekiel 22:27-29

God delivered this word to ancient Judah, of course. He condemned the corrupt, greedy, self-serving political class. He condemned the lying religious class and numerous false prophets eager to cover for their sins. He also condemned the everyday sinfulness, meanness, cruelty, greed, and abuses of people unconcerned for the poor, the needy, the vulnerable, and the foreigners living among them.

It was certainly a powerful message to Judah, delivered to explain their looming disaster. But can anyone, of any political persuasion, honestly say that this shoe doesn’t fit today? Does anyone think God’s opinion is any different about these matters today than it was 2600 years ago?

We NEED Jesus and we need to be CHANGED by Jesus! Jesus came to rescue us from our sins and also to teach us how to live in His holiness and character. His Spirit has been given to every believer to bring forth love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In other words, the opposite of everything driving our culture today.

Transformation begins with each of us individually. It must affect what we support, what we oppose, what we endorse, what we call for, what we speak against, and what we vote for. Let Jesus transform you heart, mind, words, and actions. Then seek to transform those around you out of the overflow of that transformation. #FollowJesus

“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!” – 1 Corinthians 6:15

For followers of Jesus, sexual immorality (in all its many forms) is seriously bad business! This truth isn’t particularly popular in our modern culture that loudly and proudly claims every person is completely defined by sex and sexuality. However, that’s simply not true for any person who has been made new by Jesus Christ.

The moment someone puts their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, they become a completely new creation! They aren’t the old being they once were that was defined by sins, appetites, desires, and lusts. Now, they are a child of God. Now, the Spirit of God lives inside them, which makes them a living, breathing temple of the Holy Spirit. Now, they are in ongoing union with Jesus Christ. Their life and freedom has been purchased with His blood that was shed on the cross. A true Christian belongs to Christ.

That is why those who follow Jesus are commanded to FLEE from sexual immorality. To run away from whatever tempts us, no matter how inconvenient or embarrassing. Because we have been made holy in Christ and are commanded to live like it. Because we are in union with Christ and should not stain that union with ongoing sinful behavior. What you were and did before Christ saved you from your sins is utterly irrelevant. The past is no more. But the way you live your present and future life in Christ is important to your ongoing growth into the likeness of Christ.

Unfortunately, Christians often get distracted on this subject by focusing on the ongoing sexual immorality of people who aren’t yet in Christ. Paul was clear – those who are still in sin are going to sin. Lament that but don’t be surprised about it. The Bible’s overarching concerns in this area are for the evangelism of those who aren’t yet in Christ and the holiness of those who now claim the name of Jesus. Don’t switch the order of those two things! Reach the lost. Teach the saved. And never get so focused on the sins of unbelievers that you forget to grow in your own holiness.

You are inextricably bound to Christ. He is in you and with you at all times. Live like it! #FollowJesus

“Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life.” – Ezekiel 18:27

God is certainly perfectly just. He will punish the wicked. However, God’s essential nature is also fundamentally gracious and merciful. That means His great desire is to see each and every unrighteous person repent of his or her sins and seek forgiveness in faith. That is why God’s eternal Son, Jesus, went to the cross in our place.

Jesus stepped out of eternal glory and into our world, taking on a human body and nature to live a perfect life without any sin. Then He gave up that life on a cross, suffering and dying to pay the just penalty for all our sins. Jesus laid down His life to fulfill God’s perfect justice. Having done so, Jesus died, He was buried, and on the third day, He physically rose from the dead.

The result of all that is that anyone who repents of his or her sins in faith, entrusting their life to Jesus as Lord receives God’s abundant mercy and grace. All sins are forgiven. All guilt is erased. All shame is washed away. This is critically important because we’ve all sinned. We’ve all fallen short of God’s glory and standard for our lives. We’ve all chafed at, and rebelled against, God’s authority, design, and will for our lives. In ourselves, we’re all wicked.

But when we turn away from that wickedness, confessing our sins and calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are saved. Not because we deserve it but because God is merciful and gracious by nature. He longs to show grace to even this most vile, shameful, and sinful people. If you haven’t embraced that grace, don’t wait any longer. Cry out to Jesus right now and be saved. If you’re already enjoying God’s grace, pray specifically for people you know who aren’t. It is not too late for them to turn away from sin and turn toward God. #FollowJesus