Toward Those Who Fear Him

[Christsfreeservant]

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,​

Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.​

9 He will not always strive with us,​

Nor will He keep His anger forever.​

10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,​

Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.​

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,​

So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.​

12 As far as the east is from the west,​

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.​

13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,​

So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.​

14 For He Himself knows our frame;​

He is mindful that we are but dust.​

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15 As for man, his days are like grass;​

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.​

16 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,​

And its place acknowledges it no longer.​

17 But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,​

And His righteousness to children’s children,​

18 To those who keep His covenant​

And remember His precepts to do them.” (Psalm 103:8-18 NASB1995)​

The promises given here parallel over to the New Covenant promises, with the same stipulations. They are not for everyone who says they believe in Jesus, who profess his name with their lips, but then who continue to live as they did before in deliberate and habitual sin against God, and not in walks of obedience to the Lord (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23). But the promises are for all who fear the Lord and who keep his commands.

For those who fear God are those who revere, respect, honor, believe, and obey him, who take God and his word seriously, to heart, and who believe in what his word teaches, which includes the promises of God, both of rewards for obedience, and judgment and hell for disobedience. And so they are those whose lives are surrendered to the Lord to do his will, who are walking in obedience to his commands in holy living, and no longer as slaves to sin.

So, by faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, not of the will nor of the flesh of humans, but which comes from God, and is persuaded of God, and is gifted to us by God, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Thus sin must no longer be our practice, but obedience to our Lord is what we do.

And this is not a claim of absolute sinless perfection once we place our faith in the Lord Jesus (1 John 2:1-2), but it is a promise to us that our sins are forgiven, and now heaven is our eternal destiny if we are those who fear God, who listen to our shepherd, Jesus Christ, who walk in his ways and in his truth and righteousness, and who do as he commands, in practice, for this is the will of God for our lives (Romans 6:1-23; John 10:27-30).

But if we fall back into living in sin, making sin our practice, and not obedience to God, and that is where we remain, living for sin and for self and for self-pleasure, and not for God, the Bible makes it clear that we will die in our sins and we will not have eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips profess. And that is why there are so many warnings to the church in the Scriptures against falling back into sin, and of its consequences.

Nonetheless, there is a massive number of professers of faith in Jesus Christ who are convinced that their professions of faith in the Lord are going to secure them forgiveness of all sins, and heaven as their eternal destiny, but regardless of how they live their lives on this earth. And one day they are going to stand before the Lord and he is going to say, “I never knew you! Depart from me you workers of lawlessness,” you who would not obey God.

So don’t read this Psalm out of context and convince yourselves that you will not be judged by God but you will be let into his heaven based on lip service only. And don’t write off the teachings in this Psalm because this is Old Testament, for the same principles are taught us in the New Testament, under the New Covenant. If sin is what we practice, and not obedience to God, then we are not saved, and we don’t have eternal life with God.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

Toward Those Who Fear Him
An Original Work / May 29, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love