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Psalms 40:9-10 ESV
Do you know that all of us who have trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives are to be doing what this talks about? So, this isn’t just the job of preachers, pastors, evangelists and missionaries. This isn’t something that only a few are called of God to do while the rest of us take a vacation. We who believe in Jesus Christ with genuine God-persuaded faith in Christ are his disciples. And as his disciples (followers, emulators) we are to be making disciples of Christ of the people of this world.
And as the Lord’s disciples, we are his witnesses, in the power of the Holy Spirit whom we receive within us when we receive Jesus Christ into our lives to be his, to die with him to sin, and to live to him and to his righteousness. For now we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that we may proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness (sin, wickedness) into his marvelous light (Jesus Christ, truth, righteousness, moral purity, honesty, faithfulness and the like).
And the Scriptures teach that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world who are to be shining the light of the gospel of our salvation for all to see and to hear and to believe. And we should chime in with Jesus in declaring that our food is to do the will of God who is sending us out into the world to accomplish his work. And we are to be those who are lifting up our eyes, and who are seeing that the fields are white for harvest, and who are taking the message of the gospel of Christ to the people of this world.
And we, as believers in Jesus Christ, are to be those who are doing the works of God which God prepared in advance that we should walk (in conduct) in them. For we are to be those who are walking in the same manner as Jesus walked when he was on this earth. For we are called of God to follow in his steps. And we are to serve one another as Jesus Christ gave himself up for us to serve us when he lived on the earth. Thus, we are to follow his example in ministering to others as he did.
And what is the message of the gospel which we are to be sharing with the world and with the church? (Or what is falsely being called “church”)? It is the same gospel that Jesus taught, that if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and we follow him in obedience, then we have eternal life in him.
And Jesus taught that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven but the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven. For many will stand before the Lord on the day of judgment professing him as Lord of their lives, proclaiming all the things that they did in his name, and he is going to say, “I never knew you! Depart from me you workers of lawlessness,” because they refused to obey his commands. And they refused to submit to him as Lord (Owner-Master) of their lives.
And Jesus summed up the message of the gospel in what he called the apostle Paul to do when he was still Saul, the persecutor of Christians. He told him that he was sending him to both Jew and Gentile “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” For this is the essence of the gospel message which is repeated over again in the New Testament Scriptures.
[Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 2:9; Matthew 5:13-16; John 4:31-38; Romans 10:14-15; John 14:12; Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:14; 1 John 2:6; 1 Peter 2:21; John 13:13-17; Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; Acts 26:18]
So, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be those who are proclaiming the glad news of deliverance from our slavery (addiction) to sin, and of how, by faith in Jesus Christ, we can also be raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. For Jesus died on that cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness and that we might now live for him and no longer for self. For he shed his blood to redeem us out of our sin so we will now honor God.
[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23]
Seek the Lord
An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Based off Isaiah 55
“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.
“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”
“I have told the glad news of deliverance
in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
as you know, O Lord.
I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
from the great congregation.”
Do you know that all of us who have trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives are to be doing what this talks about? So, this isn’t just the job of preachers, pastors, evangelists and missionaries. This isn’t something that only a few are called of God to do while the rest of us take a vacation. We who believe in Jesus Christ with genuine God-persuaded faith in Christ are his disciples. And as his disciples (followers, emulators) we are to be making disciples of Christ of the people of this world.
And as the Lord’s disciples, we are his witnesses, in the power of the Holy Spirit whom we receive within us when we receive Jesus Christ into our lives to be his, to die with him to sin, and to live to him and to his righteousness. For now we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that we may proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness (sin, wickedness) into his marvelous light (Jesus Christ, truth, righteousness, moral purity, honesty, faithfulness and the like).
And the Scriptures teach that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world who are to be shining the light of the gospel of our salvation for all to see and to hear and to believe. And we should chime in with Jesus in declaring that our food is to do the will of God who is sending us out into the world to accomplish his work. And we are to be those who are lifting up our eyes, and who are seeing that the fields are white for harvest, and who are taking the message of the gospel of Christ to the people of this world.
And we, as believers in Jesus Christ, are to be those who are doing the works of God which God prepared in advance that we should walk (in conduct) in them. For we are to be those who are walking in the same manner as Jesus walked when he was on this earth. For we are called of God to follow in his steps. And we are to serve one another as Jesus Christ gave himself up for us to serve us when he lived on the earth. Thus, we are to follow his example in ministering to others as he did.
And what is the message of the gospel which we are to be sharing with the world and with the church? (Or what is falsely being called “church”)? It is the same gospel that Jesus taught, that if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and we follow him in obedience, then we have eternal life in him.
And Jesus taught that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven but the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven. For many will stand before the Lord on the day of judgment professing him as Lord of their lives, proclaiming all the things that they did in his name, and he is going to say, “I never knew you! Depart from me you workers of lawlessness,” because they refused to obey his commands. And they refused to submit to him as Lord (Owner-Master) of their lives.
And Jesus summed up the message of the gospel in what he called the apostle Paul to do when he was still Saul, the persecutor of Christians. He told him that he was sending him to both Jew and Gentile “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” For this is the essence of the gospel message which is repeated over again in the New Testament Scriptures.
[Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 2:9; Matthew 5:13-16; John 4:31-38; Romans 10:14-15; John 14:12; Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:14; 1 John 2:6; 1 Peter 2:21; John 13:13-17; Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; Acts 26:18]
So, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be those who are proclaiming the glad news of deliverance from our slavery (addiction) to sin, and of how, by faith in Jesus Christ, we can also be raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. For Jesus died on that cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness and that we might now live for him and no longer for self. For he shed his blood to redeem us out of our sin so we will now honor God.
[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23]
Seek the Lord
An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Based off Isaiah 55
“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.
“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”
