1 John 3:2 ESV “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”
Zephaniah 3:17 ESV “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”
When our Lord God dwells among us, we have the assurance of salvation, we have His unconditional love and joy, and our life overflows with songs of worship, thankfulness, and deliverance.
Acts 2:39 ESV “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.””
God’s promises are yes and amen. They never return to the lord without accomplishing their designed purposes. But His promises are for those who are called by God for His purpose. God’s promises are not just exercised in materialistic circumstances. It is our God who saves people. It is He who regenerates the darkened and dead souls. It is God alone who makes His people become partakers of the Kingdombusiness.
Psalm 94:12-14 ESV “Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law, [13] to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked. [14] For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage;”
The term “heritage” refers to a special possession allotted to somebody or a designed piece of property allocated to someone. The Psalmist tells us that we the saved have become the Lord’s own property or heritage. And the Lord Jesus will not give up on us. He will not neglect us.
When God commissions Joshua to lead His people toward the promised land, He encourages him telling “[5] No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. [6] Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. [7] Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. [8] This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. …” Joshua 1:5-8 ESV. All our Lord God wants us to adhere to His commandments and think through the lens of the gospel of Christ, because discipline, courage and confidence come from His law alone. The Psalmist says, “The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.” Psalm 37: 31 ESV Our walk in the Lord Jesus is straight forward and simple because His commandments are in our hearts. When we abide by His words, we do not get stranded in sin.
The more we listen to His instructions, the better we get groomed by the image and likeness of God and the closer we reach Him to understand His will. To correct Saul, Samuel said, [22] ”Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. [23] For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.” … 1 Samuel 15:22-23 ESV Obeying God and His precious promises is discipline. Obeying the Lord’s words and leaving the consequences to Him is a great blessing. And the Lord Jesus Christ did the same on the cross of Calvary (Philippians 2:6-11 ESV).
Let us obey the Lord God. Let us get disciplined. Let us get blessed and be a blessing to our Lord’s kingdom.
Galatians 5:13-14 ESV “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. [14] For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””
The Lord Jesus has freed us to think of His righteousness, love, faith, and eternity. He has freed us to become bonded labourers for the spread of the gospel of truth. If we are really free, we will serve our fellow brothers and sisters in the local church community with godly love. It is a genuine love in pure faith in the promises of God and humility. Our Lord has purchased us by giving his life on the cross of Calvary so that we could enjoy this great freedom of salvation. In John 3:16-18, it is clear that “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. [18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, …” We understand that we don’t get perished and have eternal security in the Lord, because we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And our continuous faith in His name makes us get rid of the eternal condemnation. Thus we are free from the presence of sin and its influence, because we believe in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul says, “[9] For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, [10] who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. …” 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 ESV We are intended for the eternal salvation and freedom from the presence of evil and sin. We are chosen to live in the Lord Jesus Christ for ever: we are to live on earth to praise and worship His name and make His name known to the entire world. And we are elected to worshiphis holy name eternally in our glorious bodies. As a fact of the matter, the worldly controlling desire cannot reign our dominant aspiration for eternal salvation that comes from the Lord Jesus Christ.
What makes us love our neighbours as we love ourselves? It is our salvation which we received from the Lord Jesus Christ. Without salvation of God, it is impossible to love others. It is difficult to serve one another in the local church community.
Let’s pray that the Lord Jesus Christ accept us as his people through eternal salvation. Let himenable us to put our fleshto death in the world. Let him empower us to serve our fellow brothers and sisters in the local church with sincere love and affection.