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Solomon’s Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple 4
by Mark A. Becker
King Solomon’s Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple is recorded for us in 2 Chronicles 6:1-42 and 1 Kings 8:12-53. Though the majority of our study will be taken from 2 Chronicles 6, we will add in a few passages from 1 Kings 8 in an attempt to offer a more complete assessment of Solomon’s prayer. Our study will wind down with the Lord’s response to Solomon’s Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple and the Biblical and historical conclusion that perhaps even the best of creative writers could never conjure up.
Solomon’s Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple studies:
Solomon’s Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple 1
Solomon’s Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple 2
Solomon’s Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple 3
Solomon’s Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple 4
Underlined Scripture passages are my own emphasis.
Solomon Encourages the Nation of Israel
King Solomon made an end to his prayer and supplications and begins to bless the Lord God and the congregation of Israel.
“And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.
“And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.
“The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us: That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.
“And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord, be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require: That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.
“Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.” – 1 Kings 8:54-61
“Incline my heart unto thy testimonies...” – Psalm 119:36
“I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me…” – Isaiah 45:5
“Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I… The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” – Isaiah 52:6, 10
God had promised many of His servants never to leave or forsake them – as Solomon requested of God on behalf of Israel - and the Lord Jesus Christ, though the writer of Hebrews, reminds His bride of that same special promise…
“Let your conversation [conduct] be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” – Hebrews 13:5
Solomon’s father, David, many years earlier, did the same by honoring the Lord God with sacrifices and blessing the congregation of Israel when he brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:18).
Moses, in his farewell speech to Israel before they entered the Promised Land, gave a similar encouragement to God’s people by saying…
“Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him… Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.” – Deuteronomy 4:35, 39
God’s desire was to be united with His chosen people in holiness and righteousness.
“Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.” – Deuteronomy 18:13
However, God’s blessings on His people are entirely contingent upon His people staying close to the Lord and His Word. If they do, God will never ever leave or forsake them, blessing them without measure. If they do not, even if for a time, He gives them to their own devices that will inevitably lead to the nation’s destruction and dispersion apart from repentance. Though these dire conditions have been unequally painful and stressful for His chosen people, historically, God never ultimately left or forsook them entirely, staying true to His covenantal promises with the patriarchs of Israel as He has faithfully demonstrated time and time again.
“For the Lord will not cast off for ever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.” – Lamentations 3:31-33
God is faithful even when we are not; He cannot deny Himself.
“It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” – 2 Timothy 2:11-13
So completes Solomon’s Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple.
It seems that through his own studies of the Scriptures, the divinely given wisdom he received, and/or perhaps through consultation with the Priests, King Solomon appears to have based his entire prayer and supplication to the Lord around God’s Words as given through Moses in Deuteronomy 28. Truly this was a wise decision on the King’s part, given these curses would eventually befall the chosen people of God that would occur in her prophetic future for rejecting and rebelling against the God of Israel. Israel’s descendants, when the time would come, would need to know what to do and how to navigate their future exiles and captivities because of theirs and their father’s sins and rebellion. The children of Israel’s heartfelt prayers and repentance to the God of their fathers, in the lands of their captivities and towards the Lord’s Holy Temple in Jerusalem, would pave the way for their eventual restorations spiritually and physically in being reconciled to God with His regathering her back to her Promised Land.
The cycle of rebellion, captivity, repentance, and restoration would happen not only once or twice in Israel’s future, but a third and final dispersion will occur during the dreadful Day of the Lord that will pave the way for Israel’s national acceptance of their once-rejected Messiah when they finally come to the end of themselves during the Great Tribulation. The chosen people of God will finally recognize and receive whole-heartedly Messiah Yeshua for who He is with eager anticipation as they await the returning King of kings and Lord of lords to rescue them from exile and slavery. Yeshua will also take back the Promised Land and the Holy City of Jerusalem from His and Israel’s enemies, reunite the people with their God-given land, and commence the prophesied Messianic Millennial Kingdom as promised to Israel so often in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Upon completion of Solomon’s Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple, the Lord accepts the prayers of Solomon and the sacrifices of the people, and the King encourages the nation of Israel, as outlined in 1 Kings 8 and 2 Chronicles 7.
God Accepts King Solomon’s Prayers, Petitions, Supplications, and Sacrifices at the Dedication of the Temple
“Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house.” – 2 Chronicles 7:1-2
Prior to Solomon’s Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple, God’s glory cloud filled the Temple.
“It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.” – 2 Chronicles 5:13-14
A similar phenomenon occurred when Israel dedicated the Tabernacle:
“And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people.
“And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.” – Leviticus 9:23-24
Here, God shows His full acceptance of Solomon’s Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple by filling the Temple once again with His glory as fire came down out of heaven and consumed the people’s sacrifices and offerings!
“And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.” – 2 Chronicles 7:3
Just as the Levites led musical worship at the beginning of the dedication of the Temple and proclaimed, “For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever” (2 Chronicles 5:13), “… all the children of Israel… worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever” when they saw God’s fire coming down from heaven to devour the burnt offering and sacrifices while His glory filled the Temple once again!
““Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”” – Psalm 106:1 (Psalm 107:1, 118:1, and 136:1)
“Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord.” – 2 Chronicles 7:4
Naturally, Israel and King Solomon would continue to offer sacrifices and offerings before the Lord on this very special occasion.
“And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
“And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of musick of the LORD, which David the king had made to praise the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.
“Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat.
“Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt. And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.
“And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the LORD had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.” – 2 Chronicles 7:5-10
Israel’s sacrifices, offerings, and great feast was reminiscent of his father, David, when King David brought the Ark to Jerusalem…
“And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
“And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.
“And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.” – 2 Samuel 6:17-19
Nevertheless, King Solomon’s sacrificial offerings rendered unto the Lord God of Israel and Israel’s great feast in celebrating Solomon’s Temple was truly something special to behold!
Following these amazing events…
The Lord Appears to Solomon with a Promise and a Warning
“And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.
“If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
“Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
“And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments; Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.
“But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.
“And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and unto this house? And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.” – 2 Chronicles 7:12-22
This was essentially a repeat of what God told Solomon the first time He came to him in 1 Kings 9:4-9.
God’s offers of blessings and curses for obedience and rebellion are prominent in the Torah (as we have seen), in the whole of the Tanakh (Old Testament), and also in the Brit Chadashah (New Testament). This fundamental principle of blessings and warning of curses for all human beings in their relationship to the Creator God of Israel is the central issue of each person’s life and destiny, as there are truly only two options: Love and follow God, His Word, and His commandments with your whole being and you will be blessed beyond measure with eternal life when sincerely coming to Messiah Yeshua in saving faith by God’s grace; rebel against the Lord, His Word, and His commandments that are ultimately fulfilled in Messiah Yeshua, rejecting His free-gift offer of salvation through Him and His sacrifice for your sins, and experience an eternal life of suffering in hell and the Lake of Fire, separated from your Creator forever.
This is the choice that is presented to all human beings that are created in the image of God. Choose wisely!
Solomon’s Calamitous Fall
Disastrously, for a man who started off so well, Solomon’s heart was swayed by the multitude of his wives to abandon the God of his father, David, in favor of the pantheistic pagan false gods his foreign wives worshiped.
“But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
“And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
“And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.
“Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
“And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.” – 1 Kings 11:1-10
God, through Moses, warned the Israelites concerning having a king over them in the future and what those kings must not do. One of those commandments -among a host of others - that King Solomon refused to obey, just as his father David had (though David was always faithful to God), was the following:
“Neither shall he [the king] multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away…” – Deuteronomy 17:17
Solomon not only disobeyed the commandment not to multiply wives, he also flagrantly disobeyed God’s commandment for the Israelites not to marry outside of their own people.
“Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.” – Deuteronomy 7:3-4
“And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim: And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.” – Judges 2:11-13
Just as the children of Israel had continually done, and what they did throughout their history until the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests, Solomon also did in his old age at the instigation of his foreign wives --- he served other gods.
God had personally warned Solomon of the consequences of his disobedience to God’s commandments and rebellion against the Word of the Lord.
“But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people: And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and to this house?
“And they shall answer, Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the Lord brought upon them all this evil.” – 1 Kings 9:6-9
Why Did King Solomon Only Have One Son?
Fascinatingly, as far as the record goes, Solomon only had one son, Rehoboam whose mother was Naamah, an Ammonites, and most likely the first love of his youth, the Shulamite – his sister, his spouse - in the Song of Solomon or Song of Songs. So, why, if Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, are only Rehoboam and two daughters, Taphath and Basmath (1 Kings 4:11, 15), mentioned as his offspring in Scripture? Conceivably, Solomon had other children that just are not recorded in the Bible.
However, it is also possible that, because of Solomon’s God-given wisdom, he copulated with his wives and concubines only during those times in their monthly cycles when they would not conceive, knowing that if he had more sons they would certainly vie for the throne which Solomon desired to give only to Rehoboam, the son of his first love. After all, Solomon himself had difficulty attaining the throne that was promised to him and his mother, Bathsheba, by King David with the intrigues of his own brethren from other mothers.
Alternatively, perhaps, God in His divine foreknowledge closed the wombs of Solomon’s wives and concubines so that Rehoboam would be the only son of Solomon that would carry on the Davidic line that would eventually lead to Messiah, as promised by God. God knew that more children from the foreign wives and concubines of Solomon would create even more calamity for the people of Israel, compounding the tragic consequences that the foreign women caused in Israel as they influenced the King to abandon the God of Israel in favor of his wives’ and concubines’ false pagan gods.
The Ultimate Consequences of King Solomon’s Rebellion
After the dividing of the unified kingdom in the days of King Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, and because of Israel’s unfaithfulness, rebellion, and their outright abandoning of the Lord God, the 10-tribe northern kingdom of Israel was carried away captive in approximately 722 BC by the merciless Assyrians (2 Kings 17:5-23).
The southern kingdom of Judah would follow in Israel’s rebellious footsteps with their bloodshed and abandonment of the Lord God when they were conquered, destroyed, and exiled by the cruel Babylonians in approximately 586 BC (2 Kings 24:15, Jeremiah 7:28-31, Ezekiel chapter 8, 2 Kings 25:8-10). Yes, there were a few revivals throughout Judah’s regal history, but they were superficial in nature and short-lived. God’s judgment, therefore, must come.
Tragically, Israel’s and Judah’s rebellions against the Lord are clearly connected to King Solomon’s treacherous “spiritual compromise” on a monumental scale at the height of Israel’s unified kingdom later in his reign.
Conclusion
King Solomon seemingly had it all. God promised Solomon not only to give him the wisdom he desired from the Lord to rule God’s people wisely, but would also be blessed with those things he did not ask for.
“And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing [wisdom and an understanding heart to judge Israel].
“And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
“And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.” – 1 Kings 3:10-13
King Solomon is even credited with writing Scripture – Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, and most, if not all, of the book of Proverbs – and his glorious kingdom and legendary wisdom were famously voiced and proclaimed throughout the entire known world.
“And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.
“And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.
“And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.
“And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.” – 1 Kings 4:29-34
Yet Solomon lacked one thing: a total commitment to the Lord, to “love the Lord thy God with all [his] heart, and with all [his] soul, and with all [his] mind, and with all [his] strength” (Mark 12:30), putting God first and foremost in his life continually, as his father David did.
Could Solomon have hardened his heart so much that God had no choice but to remove his God-given wisdom that he finally had no opportunity to come back to the Lord he once professed, exposing himself as a False Convert? Or might the concluding verses of the cynical book of Ecclesiastes, written most likely in Solomon’s very old age, give hint that he did have true repentance for the sins he committed later in his life, coming back to the Lord with his whole heart and soul before his death?
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” – Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
A key word in the following phrase of 1 Kings 11:1-10 that we noted above is the word “perfect” in, “his [Solomon’s] heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.” The Hebrew word for “perfect” is 8003 שָׁלֵם “šālēm,” which means complete, safe, unharmed, peaceful, at peace, peace of mind, perfect, whole, full, complete (of keeping covenant relationship), finished.
Strong’s, I believe rightly, suggests this word in this context should be understood as a mind at peace with, in a covenant of peace, in friendship with, hence, complete, perfect. That is, since Solomon’s heart was turned away from God unto the false pagan gods of his many foreign wives, his heart was not in full covenantal peace with the Lord, lacking complete spiritual peace and a perfect heart with God.
In King David’s speech before Israel, when he officially handed the kingdom over to Solomon, this same word is used when David turned to Solomon and said,
“And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind…” – 1 Chronicles 28:9
King Solomon also used this word to encourage Israel following his prayer at the dedication of the Temple as we saw at the beginning of this article in 1 Kings 8:61.
This same word is again used with a negative connotation, as with Solomon, regarding Abijam [Abijah], son of Rehoboam, son of Solomon…
“And he [Abijam] walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.” – 1 Kings 15:3
Consequently, “…[Solomon’s] heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father” and “…[he] went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.” How far Solomon’s lack of a complete and perfect heart towards the Lord went and how long it lasted, no one but God would know. Yet, as Scripture declares, Solomon “went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites” and did “build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon,” taking “spiritual compromise” to an unheard of and unprecedented level.
How could a man, so endowed with the wisdom of God, giving such a powerful prayer at the dedication of the Temple, fall so hard at such a ripe old age?
Many have wondered if Solomon is in heaven or not; though I suppose it might be imprudent to speculate one way or another, for no one truly knows but God. We will just have to wait and see if Solomon is in heaven or not. Observationally, however, it would appear to be quite unique if Solomon was not in heaven, as I suspect that Solomon would be the only Holy Spirit inspired writer of Scripture not to have made it into the Lord’s Salvation Kingdom.
Solomon’s downfall in his old age is a life lesson we all should take into serious consideration. Any human being that is put upon a “throne” and/or a pedestal in service to the Lord, needs to be wary and diligent not to fall: for the fall of Solomon (and so many others before and after him), was stunningly dreadful and devastating not only to himself but to God’s people whom he worthily endeavored to rule with the wisdom God had given him.
The fall of prominent self-professing Christians who failed spectacularly, I perceive is without number. How many times have we seen someone begin so promising in their apparent zeal and service to God, only to come crashing down; many of whom ended up rejecting their once professed faith, thereby showing themselves to have never been saved to begin with. Does Solomon fit this horrific description with an eternal fate apart from God by being a False Convert himself? Again, no one can tell for sure. This is one of those many situations where we have to let God be God.
Let it never be said of any of us, beloved Saints, that we did not serve God with a perfect heart. God forbid that any of us should be added to the count of those who have fallen away from the Lord Jesus Christ whom we once professed to believe in, showing ourselves to be False Converts. Perish the thought!
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” – Romans 8:9
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” – 2 Corinthians 13:5
“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” – 2 Peter 1:10-11
For God’s Saints who truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ – being born again with the indwelling Holy Spirit - we should strive at all times to be full of grace and mercy with unending fervent faith and persistent prayer; endowed with an uncompromising and determined love and service in thankfulness to our Lord for all He has done for us; and habitually allowing Christ’s light to shine through us all in harmony with His Spirit with sincere hearts and active love, concern, and service for others. In these God-honoring attributes, the man and woman of God is complete.
With Paul, each Saint of God should earnestly desire to truthfully decare towards the end of their life that…
“… I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” – 2 Timothy 4:7-8
Now that is an ending worth meditating upon!
May we all keep Answering the Call of The Great Commission, and giving an answer to every man and woman who so desperately needs Jesus and asks us, “Why Am I Here and What Is It All About?”
Love, grace, mercy, and shalom in Messiah Yeshua, and Maranatha!
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