Fingers Crossed

Fingers Crossed
Words of Faith 12-26-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Mark 7
[9] And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! [10] For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' [11] But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), [12] then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. [13] Thus you nullify the Word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that."

There was more of that religious "cultural stuff" that had clouded things. Jesus nailed the religious leaders again, but we must understand a few things.
In the time of Jesus, everyone knew they were supposed to care for mom and dad. This was a duty and an honor. This was non-negotiable. It was, after all, built into the Law! But some sought a way around it, a loophole that could be used to duck the responsibility to care for mom and dad.
There was a "tradition of men" in Judaism by which a person could dedicate a particular portion of money to God even though they did not actually deliver that money to the Temple. It might be considered sort of like a "pledge" that some people make to the church for the budget or building fund. This money was still in the possession of the one making the pledge, but when they were asked why they were not using it to help their aged parents, they would reply that it was "Corban" or "pledged to God."
Okay. But in reality, the rules said that people could pledge money as "Corban" to God, but then later, they could recant this dedication and keep the money that should have been used to care for their parents. And all the while, this money was earning interest. The money was committed to God and out of reach as far as caring for their parents, but they could "cross their fingers" and regain it later. Pretty slick, huh?
Aren't we humans smart? If there is a way around the law of God, we will find it, or at least we will think we have found it. Saddest of all is that the fifth command is the one with a promise! Honoring your parents leads to blessing and life in the land. The result of obedience would have been a long life in the favor of God! All God wanted to do was to bless His people, not burden them!
The truth is that God always knows our hearts. He knows when we make a "pledge" if we intend to fulfill it or if we are just blowing religious smoke. God knows when we rationalize. He sees our hearts through and through. God sees the "pledges" we make with our "fingers crossed" while knowing the commitments we will not keep.
God knows the truth. He knows the truth regarding the couple who compromises sexually because they are "probably going to get married." God knows the truth regarding folks who attend church so they can look better in a divorce settlement or before an adoption review. God knows the truth even when the preacher or the case worker does not. God has no ear for our rationalizations and justifications. Sin by any other name is still sin. Call it "Corban" if you want, cross your fingers all you like, and play mental games if you will, but God knows.
What we really need is confession and repentance. Confession means "to agree." When we confess, we agree with God that our sin is sin. Plain and simple. No arguing over having misunderstood. No mincing the meaning of words. "My action was sin. My thoughts were sin. My motive was sin. My intention was to sin. So please forgive me." That is confession. Repentance is the next step-- turn away from the sin. "I am grieved by my action and the hurt it has created between me and You, so I am turning around. Really."
The Word says: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:8‑9).
Many will come before God and wonder why their sin was not forgiven, and God will have to say something like this: "You never agreed with me that it was sin– so I was not able to apply my forgiveness." Until we come clean, there is no confession, and we do not avail ourselves of God's forgiveness.
You see, as long as we call it "Corban" instead of "breaking the fifth commandment," we have failed to confess. As long as we call it "living together" instead of "fornication," there is no forgiveness. As long as we call it "not being able to keep our pledge" instead of "lying," no grace is applied. As long as we call it "my little tendency to shop" instead of covetousness, we have not yet agreed with God on the facts of the case. As long as we call it "my difficult financial circumstance" rather than "my stubborn refusal to obey God in the area of finances," we are disobedient and should say so.
As long as we excuse ourselves, look for the loophole, and cross our fingers behind our backs, we are not yet in the place where God can heal us.

O God, help me get rid of the gentle names I have created for my sin. I am sick of my rationalizations and self-justifications but not as sick as You must be. I cannot make myself right; only You can. I agree with You about the problem of sin in my life. No more Corban. Give me the grace to lead an obedient life. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.