Sue J Love
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Friday, June 9, 2017, 4:24 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Jesus, Lead Me.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 24 (ESV).
We are The Lord’s (vv. 1-2)
Our God is absolutely sovereign (in control) over all that he has made. There is nothing which escapes his notice. What he allows, he allows for a purpose. He knows the beginning from the end. Much of what is going on in the world right now was prophesied about over (or nearly) 2,000 years ago. And, there is a reason for it all. It is by God’s design that many of these things should be happening, that they should be taking place, for they serve the ultimate end which God desires, which is the salvation of human souls.
Who Has Clean Hands (vv. 3-6)
Who can come into God’s holy presence? And, be in relationship with God Almighty? He who has clean hands and a pure heart. So, how do we get such clean hands and a pure heart? Through God-given faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and in what he did for us in dying on a cross for our sins so that we could be delivered from slavery to sin and become servants of his righteousness. So, what does this faith look like? It is divinely persuaded as to God’s perfect will for our lives, and it submits to those purposes. The one who has such faith dies with Christ to sin that he might live to Christ and to his righteousness. He no longer lives (in lifestyle) to gratify the sinful cravings of his flesh, but he now walks (conducts his life) according to (in agreement with) the Spirit of God (Ro. 6:1-23; Ro. 8:1-14; Eph. 4:17-24).
Part of walking according to the Spirit, and no longer according to the flesh, has to do with honesty and integrity of heart. This person does not make a practice of lying, tricking, deceiving, using or manipulating others to his advantage, nor does he worship what is false. He does not give his heart, mind and soul, his devotion and passion, or his respect and honor to what is not of God, or to what is clearly antichrist and against the teachings of scripture. Nor does he allow his heart to be given in such a way as this, to the degree that it should be given to God, to anything or anyone other than God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for this would be idolatry or spiritual adultery. God is to be first and foremost in all that we do, think or are.
If we want to be blessed of the Lord and have his righteousness credited to our accounts, then we need to understand that faith in Jesus Christ means death to sin and living to righteousness. Jesus said that if we want to come after him, we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. He said if we hold on to our old lives (of living for sin and self), we will lose them (die in our sins). But, if we lose our lives (die with Christ to sin), we will gain eternal life (Lu. 9:23-25; Ro. 8:1-14). For, Jesus did not die merely that we might escape hell and have the promise of heaven when we die. He died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us (1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15, 21).
God’s grace to us is not a free license to continue in willful sin against God without guilt, and without remorse. His grace, which brings salvation, teaches us to say “NO” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return (Tit. 2:11-14). Yet, many people today are rejecting this teaching, and are preaching feel-good messages intended to tickle itching ears and to give their adherents an “escape clause” from living righteously, by telling them that God requires nothing of them – no repentance, no obedience, no submission, and no surrender to the Lordship of Christ required, they say. So, they have diluted the gospel to a mere acknowledgment of Jesus Christ and a mere acceptance of his forgiveness of their sins, but this is not faith!
If we want to know God, and to be in relationship with him, to have our sins forgiven, and to have the hope of eternal life, then we need to no longer live according to the flesh, but now according to the Spirit, reborn of the Spirit of God, and empowered to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to God. This is what God’s word teaches us: Lu. 9:23-25; Jn. 6:35-66; Jn. 10:27-30; Acts 26:16-18; Ro. 6:1-23; Ro. 8:1-14; 2 Co. 5:15, 21; Gal. 2:20; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 4:17-24; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; & 1 Jn. 2:3-6.
Mighty in Battle (vv. 7-10)
Maybe you have never believed in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of your life, although you have been thinking about it. Or, perhaps, you have a false faith in Jesus, which is no faith at all, because it is based on a lie which has told you that God requires nothing of you for you to have eternal life with God. Or, you may be a true believer in Jesus Christ, but at some point in your Christian walk you drifted away from your pure devotion to Christ, and you allowed the world of sin to creep back into your life. Yet, whatever your situation may be, Jesus is standing at the door, he is knocking, and he is asking to be let into your heart and life, or to be let back into your life.
Yet, know this: Jesus already won the battle over sin for you at the cross. You can do nothing to earn or to deserve your own salvation. We are not saved by our works, but we are saved to good works, which God planned in advance for us to do, that we should walk (in lifestyle) in them (Eph. 2:8-10). Yet, we are his workmanship, so He gives us all we need to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to him. He strengthens and empowers us. We just have to live in his power and strength and no longer give way to the flesh.
He gives us the way out from under temptation, so we can stand up under it. He teaches, counsels, guides and directs us in the way we should go. A walk according to the Spirit is just that – according to and empowered by the Spirit of God, and not of our own flesh or of our own making. He conquered our sin via his death and resurrection. He delivered us out of slavery to sin that we might live righteously before him. We just have to surrender to him and let him work his grace and his righteousness in and through our lives. We just have to say “Yes” to him, and do what he says, all in the power and working of God’s Spirit now living within us. His yoke is easy and his burden is light, because he carries us through to the end.
Jesus, Lead Me / An Original Work / July 22, 2011
Jesus, lead me all the way.
Be my hope and be my stay.
Gently lead me where I should go,
So Your Spirit, I want to know.
Open up my heart to You.
Fill me with Your love and truth.
Make my heart want to obey.
Be my Lord today. Gently lead always.
Jesus, lover of my soul,
Cleanse my heart, and make me whole;
Be transformed in my heart today,
As I turn from my sin and pray.
Make Your will known to my heart.
May I not from You depart.
How I long to hear You now,
As I humbly bow. Jesus, hear me now.
We are The Lord’s (vv. 1-2)
The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
Our God is absolutely sovereign (in control) over all that he has made. There is nothing which escapes his notice. What he allows, he allows for a purpose. He knows the beginning from the end. Much of what is going on in the world right now was prophesied about over (or nearly) 2,000 years ago. And, there is a reason for it all. It is by God’s design that many of these things should be happening, that they should be taking place, for they serve the ultimate end which God desires, which is the salvation of human souls.
Who Has Clean Hands (vv. 3-6)
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the Lord
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the Lord
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
Who can come into God’s holy presence? And, be in relationship with God Almighty? He who has clean hands and a pure heart. So, how do we get such clean hands and a pure heart? Through God-given faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and in what he did for us in dying on a cross for our sins so that we could be delivered from slavery to sin and become servants of his righteousness. So, what does this faith look like? It is divinely persuaded as to God’s perfect will for our lives, and it submits to those purposes. The one who has such faith dies with Christ to sin that he might live to Christ and to his righteousness. He no longer lives (in lifestyle) to gratify the sinful cravings of his flesh, but he now walks (conducts his life) according to (in agreement with) the Spirit of God (Ro. 6:1-23; Ro. 8:1-14; Eph. 4:17-24).
Part of walking according to the Spirit, and no longer according to the flesh, has to do with honesty and integrity of heart. This person does not make a practice of lying, tricking, deceiving, using or manipulating others to his advantage, nor does he worship what is false. He does not give his heart, mind and soul, his devotion and passion, or his respect and honor to what is not of God, or to what is clearly antichrist and against the teachings of scripture. Nor does he allow his heart to be given in such a way as this, to the degree that it should be given to God, to anything or anyone other than God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for this would be idolatry or spiritual adultery. God is to be first and foremost in all that we do, think or are.
If we want to be blessed of the Lord and have his righteousness credited to our accounts, then we need to understand that faith in Jesus Christ means death to sin and living to righteousness. Jesus said that if we want to come after him, we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. He said if we hold on to our old lives (of living for sin and self), we will lose them (die in our sins). But, if we lose our lives (die with Christ to sin), we will gain eternal life (Lu. 9:23-25; Ro. 8:1-14). For, Jesus did not die merely that we might escape hell and have the promise of heaven when we die. He died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us (1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15, 21).
God’s grace to us is not a free license to continue in willful sin against God without guilt, and without remorse. His grace, which brings salvation, teaches us to say “NO” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return (Tit. 2:11-14). Yet, many people today are rejecting this teaching, and are preaching feel-good messages intended to tickle itching ears and to give their adherents an “escape clause” from living righteously, by telling them that God requires nothing of them – no repentance, no obedience, no submission, and no surrender to the Lordship of Christ required, they say. So, they have diluted the gospel to a mere acknowledgment of Jesus Christ and a mere acceptance of his forgiveness of their sins, but this is not faith!
If we want to know God, and to be in relationship with him, to have our sins forgiven, and to have the hope of eternal life, then we need to no longer live according to the flesh, but now according to the Spirit, reborn of the Spirit of God, and empowered to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to God. This is what God’s word teaches us: Lu. 9:23-25; Jn. 6:35-66; Jn. 10:27-30; Acts 26:16-18; Ro. 6:1-23; Ro. 8:1-14; 2 Co. 5:15, 21; Gal. 2:20; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 4:17-24; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; & 1 Jn. 2:3-6.
Mighty in Battle (vv. 7-10)
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory! Selah
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory! Selah
Maybe you have never believed in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of your life, although you have been thinking about it. Or, perhaps, you have a false faith in Jesus, which is no faith at all, because it is based on a lie which has told you that God requires nothing of you for you to have eternal life with God. Or, you may be a true believer in Jesus Christ, but at some point in your Christian walk you drifted away from your pure devotion to Christ, and you allowed the world of sin to creep back into your life. Yet, whatever your situation may be, Jesus is standing at the door, he is knocking, and he is asking to be let into your heart and life, or to be let back into your life.
Yet, know this: Jesus already won the battle over sin for you at the cross. You can do nothing to earn or to deserve your own salvation. We are not saved by our works, but we are saved to good works, which God planned in advance for us to do, that we should walk (in lifestyle) in them (Eph. 2:8-10). Yet, we are his workmanship, so He gives us all we need to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to him. He strengthens and empowers us. We just have to live in his power and strength and no longer give way to the flesh.
He gives us the way out from under temptation, so we can stand up under it. He teaches, counsels, guides and directs us in the way we should go. A walk according to the Spirit is just that – according to and empowered by the Spirit of God, and not of our own flesh or of our own making. He conquered our sin via his death and resurrection. He delivered us out of slavery to sin that we might live righteously before him. We just have to surrender to him and let him work his grace and his righteousness in and through our lives. We just have to say “Yes” to him, and do what he says, all in the power and working of God’s Spirit now living within us. His yoke is easy and his burden is light, because he carries us through to the end.
Jesus, Lead Me / An Original Work / July 22, 2011
Jesus, lead me all the way.
Be my hope and be my stay.
Gently lead me where I should go,
So Your Spirit, I want to know.
Open up my heart to You.
Fill me with Your love and truth.
Make my heart want to obey.
Be my Lord today. Gently lead always.
Jesus, lover of my soul,
Cleanse my heart, and make me whole;
Be transformed in my heart today,
As I turn from my sin and pray.
Make Your will known to my heart.
May I not from You depart.
How I long to hear You now,
As I humbly bow. Jesus, hear me now.
