Christian Living
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"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6)
There are many good people in this world, although we hear little about them. Do-gooders do not sell as well as the news of the bad ones. Neither do the good people perform for attention. The good strive hard to be the bright star in the night and shine brightly only for those they have aided. Some of these good people can be found in churches worldwide searching for someone in need of their benevolence. It is dangerous to do good for the recognition of others in their circle. That is their reward that son fades in the shadows of time. Others do good works to earn a greater reward in the Kingdom of Heaven, or even earn their place at the table there, but finding their good works will not buy them a seat. I admire them all but pray they do not fall into the pit for their kindness.
Moses, at eighty years, was charged by the Lord God to go and free the Israelites, who the Egyptians had enslaved for hundreds of years. "Now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." (Genesis 3:9-10). Moses led them in the wilderness for forty years traveling on a two-month journey. Like all people, the Hebrew nation were people with sinful natures, and they could not keep the law God had given them through Moses.
I have heard how Moses struck the rock for water instead of speaking to the rock. I know that God rebuked Moses and told Moses he would not lead his people to the Promised Land. (Numbers 20:8-12) I have heard in the commentary the Lord never intended for Moses to take the people into the Promised Land. The Lord used Joshua, Moses’ servant, the spy who had faith forty years earlier, to say the Promised Land was ready to be taken. The interesting thing about Joshua is he and Jesus share the same name in Hebrew. (Yehoshua) Moses was the lawgiver, and Joshua shared the same name as the Messiah.
Since the beginning of time, no one of humanity has lived a righteous life save Jesus Christ. All have been born into sin by their nature except Adam and Eve. All of humanity has been drawn into a sinful life and is guilty of God’s disobeying law and deserving of death. For the Word says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:2) All know they are not perfect and have not lived a sinless life, and all carry the guilt deserving the wrath of God.
The law fails us as it can only convict us of our shortcoming to the standard of God. When did we think we are good by comparison, and who are we comparing ourselves to? Humanity judges itself against humanity, but God judges humanity against His Son Jesus. No righteous law of God can offer humanity salvation, as none of humanity can keep the law perfectly. Jesus finished the work on the cross. "For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:3-4)
The good people of this world are to be admired, but their goodness is not good enough to save them. "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48) We can’t, and God knows humanity can’t. God the Father loves humanity, and that is why He sent His Son to be righteous for us and to pay the sin debt of all the world. (John 3:16). Yet, many good people carry that debt alone, thinking their good will outweigh their bad and fall short of God’s glory. "For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God." (Romans 10:3)
Nothing we have done will earn us the price of the blood of Jesus’ shed on Calvary for our sins. There is nothing we can do to match the righteous life Jesus lived in our stead. All must seek His Kingdom and His righteousness or face God’s wrath alone. But we have breath, and we have hope, and now is the time to claim it while He blesses us with a heartbeat. "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit." (Titus 3:5)
There is no good we have done or evil in our lives that God will not show us mercy and offer His grace, the sacrifice of His Son Jesus in our place. It is not by our works we are saved but by His grace and only His grace. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8) We live in an evil, darkened world. There will always be trials and tribulations, always persecution for standing on the truth of His Word. His sufficient grace powers our faith in His Word. "And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)
There is purpose in all God does as the Creator, and all He has created has a purpose to accomplish. All of humanity has a God-designed purpose for their existence. Before God breathed His spirit into your body, He planned your life according to His will and purpose. It may not be a walk amongst the clouds, it could be a craw in the mud of dust, but it will work for the good of His will for you. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10)
It is not a work that we can accomplish, and neither is it a work that cannot be achieved with us as His instrument in faith. With humanity, it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible if we surrender to Him sitting on the throne of our hearts. The Lord God is sovereign and can open and shut doors we cannot. He can cause people to have favor upon us, and He will move the mountains if we have faith in His Word. But only when we abide in Him. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me." (John 15:4)
Our greatest opposition is ourselves. We must overcome ourselves before we can overcome the world. We are our greatest trap, as we will not let go and let God rule our lives. God does not force us to submit as he wants a cheerful companion to work with and through. If we do not commit to God as Lord and Savior, we bond to our sin and become slaves to the world. Some twisted thinking sees death as freedom, but freedom without God’s love is the worst of destruction. Abiding in the Lord is peace with God, living in the truth of creation, and freedom. "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31-32)
It is all about a relationship with God the Creator through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus who loves us and desires the will of His Father that none should perish. There is no other path to the Promised Land than Jesus, who paid our sin debt with His blood, lived a life in perfect righteousness and gave it to us, rose from the grave that through Him we can have eternal life, and empowers us with His Spirit. Relationships are built on a conversation by prayer and trusting His Word on faith. "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17) By Faith in Him, we can do all things as He strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13) He can help us accomplish all things according to the Father’s will for our lives as we abide in Him. "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us." (Ephesians 3:20)
Today is the day you have to trust in His Word and live it in faith."The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:8-9)
Thomas N Kirkpatrick
First Baptist Church of Durant March 9, 2022
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