2016-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Last week, I was led to discuss the idolatry of the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel, and the prophecies of reunification that were to come [JER 25: 11; JER 29: 10; EZK 37: 20-22]. This was the healing of a broken nation. God’s ultimate sovereignty and ability to heal people were also seen in the story of the caduceus (snake on a stick constructed by Moses for healing of the people) [NU 21: 8-9].
God’s ability to heal and to reestablish unity by His love is seen in His recognition that the Covenant of the Law was not enough on its own to bring His people back to Him. All the law could do was to let them know what pleases God and what doesn’t [GAL 3: 19-20, 23-25]. However, it could not bring true justification, salvation, or eternal forgiveness for their sins to mankind. That was only brought by Christ’s Atonement, our genuine repentance, and our faith in Him. Christ is the Mediator until one comes to faith. A mediator never takes sides, but judges without prejudice. Once Christ is accepted, a mediator is no longer needed [RO 4: 3; JN 3: 16; 1 JN 1: 9]. Once a person has come to faith in Christ, he is a participant in a better covenant, the Covenant of Grace. Grace and the place in our lives of doing good deeds are defined in EPH 2: 8-10. The believer’s life changes as he discovers the mystery which had been hidden for so long, that of Christ at work in his soul [COL 1: 26-27, COL 2: 2-3].
This was no accident. The coming of this better covenant, the Covenant of Grace, was prophesied in JER 31: 31-34. We who believe find it hard not to acknowledge the Lord’s sovereignty over our lives, nor can we deny the sweetness and goodness of God’s heart for His believing human creation. He has given us His word, has told us of His ultimate power as Creator, and has pledged never to abandon us [PS 146: 5; IS 46: 10-11; PS 9: 9-10]. We must understand that God’s will plays a key part in the way knowledge we acquire impacts our lives. We plumb the depths of the sea or measure the extent of space, but how far we can do this and what technology at any point in time we discover is limited by God’s will. God is in charge of every aspect of our lives; we can choose to cooperate with Him or reject His direction and intervention. We can make things easier or harder for ourselves. Repeatedly, the Lord has told us that we have been spiritually adopted and are, as believers in Christ, members of His family [RO 8: 14-16, 26-27]. He will treat us like His children, at times disciplining us for our disobedience to Him and at other times encouraging us as we seek Him [PS 103: 13; RO 3: 25-26; JER 29: 11-13]. (If you take the time to look up the Bible citations in this devotion, you will be blessed, as I was).
Once again, it is no accident when our loving Father wrote in MAL 3: 1-4 that “My messenger will come to prepare the way” and “suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple.” These are clear references to John the Baptist and to the Lord Jesus. The similarities in sins denounced in both books suggest that Malachi and Nehemiah were contemporaries. So, it is thought that Malachi was written in 433 BC. If one isn’t clear on the kindness and love God exhibits in His covenant relationship with mankind, he should look carefully at GN 3: 21 where forgiveness is already being shown. “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” Adam and Eve had committed the original sin and were about to be expelled from the Garden of Eden. Where is the love? It’s in the fact that blood had to be shed for animal skins to be available. Blood has to be shed for there to be forgiveness, and the life is in the blood [LV 17: 11; HE 9: 22].
Now, what is the net result of this Covenant of Grace and our faith in the Lord Jesus? How has God’s light pierced the darkness? We who believe have been built into a temple of God [EPH 2: 19-22], no longer aliens but fellow citizens with God. The church is Christ’s [the Lamb’s] bride being prepared for the wedding feast [REV 19: 5-10]. Each of us must ask ourselves, are we cooperating with God in the process of sanctification (His efforts to perfect and purify us)? Do we spend time every day seeking God, acknowledging Who He really is, and being faithfully obedient to Him? Do we really understand the central mystery of our faith—that Christ is in each of us through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the greatest gift of our lives, for it is He Who teaches God’s will and directs us through the morass of trials, losses, disappointments, and challenges. God has given us His word, which is “God-breathed” and useful in teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” [2 TIM 3: 16-17]. Moreover, God makes Himself available to us at all times by listening to all our prayers and answering them [PS 116:1]. Are we in the habit of daily study of His word, and do we seek Him often in prayer, remembering to acknowledge all the blessings He bestows on us and asking Him for His direction [1 THESS 5: 16-18]? Are we courageous, gentle, tactful, sensitive, and willing to exhibit the gifts of the Holy Spirit in all our relationships [GAL 5: 22-23]? Are we tolerant and forgiving [COL 3: 12-15]? These are important questions to ask ourselves, as long as we don’t make this a guilt-provoking exercise.
PRAYER: O Most Heavenly Father, we approach You with freedom and confidence, knowing that You always listen to our prayers. We offer You utmost reverence and awe, acknowledging Your sovereignty over our lives. You are a gracious God, Who loves His human creation and urges us to live righteously. We can’t do that without Your presence and intervention, because our natures are sinful. But with them and our faith in Your Son, Jesus, we can live lives that serve Your purposes and that are righteous. You are our precious Covenant Partner, our God Who is the most important Source of wisdom, discernment, and encouragement we have. Your power is used to do good; it is a blessing to our lives. Your aims our ours; Your enemies are ours. We are eager to do Your will and to help build Your Kingdom. In LK 17: 19-21, we learned that “the Kingdom of God is now” in the hearts of the believers. That is each of us who has accepted Your Son as our personal Savior. We kneel before You today as Your covenant partners and children of Your family to pledge our desire to be faithfully obedient and to do what we can to keep up our end of the Covenant we share, the Covenant of Grace. Through Christ, You have given us power to do battle with the evil one and to chase Him away in Christ’s name. We thank and praise You for that and all the many blessings You have given us. We are ever grateful for Your wise and consistent teaching, for the grace You bestow upon us, and for the opportunity to be co-heirs to Your Kingdom with Your Son and share in His glory [HE 13: 8; RO 8: 17]. We offer this prayer in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I have been directed by the Holy Spirit to write about how Christ is our Reality. Hopefully during the week, each of us has taken the time to deal with the questions asked at the end of this week’s message. They are important to us, to our human covenant partners, and to our divine Covenant Partner. He wants to know the content of our heart attitudes and for us to properly assess where we stand in our covenant relationships. One further question is taken up in 1 PET 3: 15-17, “But in your heart set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. Keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better of it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” Each of us has been asked to share the Gospel with those who have not yet come to faith in it. There may be times of disrespect and/or persecution in response. God’s way for commanding us to respond to such opposition is found in 1 PET 2: 20-21. “But how it is to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.” I can tell you from first-hand experience, it is a wonderful blessing when a person to whom you’ve witnessed tells you he has accepted Christ as his Savior. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2015. All Rights Reserved.
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