For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. Romans 3:23-25

On the grounds of Oklahoma's state capitol sits a stone plaque which contains the Ten Commandments. The plaque is a gift from State Rep. Mike Ritze and various conservative Christian groups who believe God's Commandments have helped shape America.

While the plaque is simple in its presentation, the reaction to it is not.

* Those who gave the plaque say it properly represents American history and life.

* The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit demanding its removal, and

* a few weeks ago an individual expressed his displeasure with the plaque by deliberately driving his car into it fast enough to break it into pieces.

* Finally, on the fringe, the Satanic Temple said it would sue if it were not given the same amount of space as the Commandments have, so it could put up a seven-foot statue of a goat-headed demon.

As near as I can tell, those first three reactions pretty much describe historical humanity's responses to the Lord's Laws. Over the centuries there have been those who

* have valued those Commandments and tried to live their lives according to those heaven-given rules. In that group would be the world's Christians who, while freed from the Law, follow the Law as an expression of thanksgiving and gratitude to the Savior who has redeemed them.

* Then there are those who maintain the Commandments are not divinely given nor should they be held up as an absolute guide for people's lives. Folks in this group would be various politically correct teachers and philosophers.

* Then there are those who do their very best to destroy these Commandments and remove them from everybody's conscience, heart and mind. In this category we might list groups like ISIS and assorted Islamic and communist governments.

All of those reactions show how strongly the world objects to the idea of acknowledging God's authority and recognizing its sin. Almost all lead to the world's rejection of the Savior.

Indeed, only those who have been brought to faith by the Holy Spirit are able to admit their helplessness in the face of many wrongdoings. Only those who have confessed their sin are able to profess their need for the Savior and give thanks for the salvation He has won.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks that in the Person of Jesus Christ the price for my sins has been paid for and I am forgiven. Grant that the world may also be given a faith which sees its helpless condition and need for the Redeemer. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Jeremiah 41-42    Hebrews 11:1-19

To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"