Exhortation with Biblical Truths for the year ahead (Jan 2022)

Spending some time in these scriptures has made me realize some awesome and convicting biblical truths. The God of the Bible (of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) requires obedience and holiness by those that call Him Lord. Many of us call Him Lord yet we do not do what He tells us to. Through His word, it is made plain that He is God, saves by grace, and requires those who love Him and call on Him to walk as they ought to. *In love, obedience, and holiness.

Look at King Saul in 1 Samuel 15:1-23. He hears from God’s prophet Samuel and is told to destroy Amalek and his people and everything they possess for how they treated Israel as a people when they came out of Egypt. He refuses to heed the word of God and takes much spoil from the battle. What might seem a great victory to man was sheer disobedience to a Holy God and His commands. Look at the result below ……

1 Samuel 15:22-23

So Samuel said: “Has the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.”

In the book of Titus, we have an amazing explanation of the gospel and the known biblical fact that our works toward salvation are worthless. He is the Author of Salvation. He is Holy, Righteous, Loving, Just, and Gracious. Jesus Christ through His sacrifice at Calvary justifies those who come to Him in faith, not because of what we have done, but because of what He the Lord has done. Paul explains that true salvation results in a regenerated and renewed spirit* where the Holy Spirit Himself fills the believer and sets Him apart unto God. Note Paul says that these truths are to be affirmed constantly and those who believe and continue to do so will have the desire to work for God because they love Him and know the necessity and importance of salvation only found in the One true God which has appeared unto all men. Our love for Christ must be good and evident to all men, profitable as the bible says. Look at the scripture below …..

Titus 3:4-8

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

It is obedience to the commands of God through His word (and not the disobedience of Saul) where true light through the illumination of the Holy Spirit gives understanding to the word of God and makes it possible to know minute by minute the grace of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Wow what a salvation!!!! David writes …….The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

Psalm 119:130

May these scriptures provoke us to live eternity conscience. Let’s please God in all we do! May we obey Him and seek to be in relationship with Him through the  mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ and the advocacy of the Holy Spirit

Be ye filled with the Holy Spirit – Ephesians 5:18

Shalom and Happy New Year !!!