Of Trust and Faith

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday, the 28th of August, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.]

For the longest time, people thought that the Apostle Paul authored the Letter to the Hebrews.  I’ve even seen older print versions of our Bible that title the book, “The Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews”.  And while there are many resemblances to the style of what we know for sure to be Paul’s writings, there are also many dissimilarities in both style and theology.  For instance, Paul usually appeals to his own apostolic authority in his letters, but the author of Hebrews references that of others who were eye-witnesses of Jesus’ ministry.  At this point, I think it safest to say that only God knows for sure who actually authored this letter.

The intended readers are pretty obvious, though, being those Jews who had come to believe in Jesus as the Messiah.  And the overall theme of the letter is also pretty clear: the superiority of Jesus Christ and of Christianity.  The author sets forth the argument proving that Jesus is superior both in His person and in His priesthood.  And because of that superiority, we should have no problem putting all our trust in the Lord.  Our faith is based on this, that Christ Jesus is superior in His person and as our great High Priest.

The passage I’d like to look at this morning speaks of our faith using stories that the Hebrew converts would have been very familiar with.  And we today know those stories, too.

Please listen and follow along to what our unknown author wrote in his letter to the early Hebrew believers in Jesus, from chapter 11 verse 29 through chapter 12 verse 2, and I’ll be reading from The Living Bible version this morning…

11:29 The people of Israel trusted God and went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians chasing them tried it, they all were drowned.

30 It was faith that brought the walls of Jericho tumbling down after the people of Israel had walked around them seven days as God had commanded them. 31 By faith — because she believed in God and his power — Rahab the harlot did not die with all the others in her city when they refused to obey God, for she gave a friendly welcome to the spies.

32 Well, how much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah and David and Samuel and all the other prophets. 33 These people all trusted God and as a result won battles, overthrew kingdoms, ruled their people well, and received what God had promised them; they were kept from harm in a den of lions 34 and in a fiery furnace. Some, through their faith, escaped death by the sword. Some were made strong again after they had been weak or sick. Others were given great power in battle; they made whole armies turn and run away. 35 And some women, through faith, received their loved ones back again from death. But others trusted God and were beaten to death, preferring to die rather than turn from God and be free — trusting that they would rise to a better life afterwards.

36 Some were laughed at and their backs cut open with whips, and others were chained in dungeons. 37-38 Some died by stoning and some by being sawed in two; others were promised freedom if they would renounce their faith, then were killed with the sword. Some went about in skins of sheep and goats, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in dens and caves. They were hungry and sick and ill-treated — too good for this world. 39 And these men of faith, though they trusted God and won His approval, none of them received all that God had promised them; 40 for God wanted them to wait and share the even better rewards that were prepared for us.

12:1 Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us.

2 Keep your eyes on Jesus, our leader and instructor. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy He knew would be His afterwards; and now He sits in the place of honor by the throne of God.

--Hebrews 11:29-12:2 (TLB)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for giving us so many examples of how faith is rewarded.  It is by our faith that we are saved – sometimes in this life but definitely in the next when we will be spared eternal punishment and instead will be with You forever in paradise.  Thank You, gracious God, for giving us the faith to believe, the faith to keep striving in this life.  Forgive us, please Father, when we fail to exercise our faith.  Forgive us when we hesitate to share our faith with others who may be in dire need of understanding what faith can do for them.  Please help us reach out to those in need of being saved.  Remind us that we are all fallen and in need of a Savior.  And Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who carry out his evil works.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Show us how our faith builds and strengthens our trust.  Encourage us as we place all our trust in You.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Sadly, we also don’t know the author of this little poem about trust, but it goes like this:

Trust Him when dark doubts assail thee,

Trust Him when thy strength is small,

Trust Him when to simply trust Him

Seems the hardest thing of all.

Trust Him, He is ever faithful,

Trust Him, for His will is best,

Trust Him, for the heart of Jesus

Is the only place of rest.

That speaks volumes, doesn’t it?  When we start having doubts, when our strength fails us, when doing so seems like the hardest thing we could do… that is the time to put all our trust in Jesus.  He is ever faithful, always doing what He says He will do.  And He truly is our only place of rest, especially in this world filled with turmoil and unrest.

Trust fully in Jesus.  We won’t be disappointed or abandoned.

Our passage spoke a lot about faith, but just what is faith, from a Biblical viewpoint?  Our author explained this a little earlier in this letter, as he opened the chapter that I began reading from.  In chapter 11 and verse 1 of this Letter to the Hebrews, our author writes…

11 What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.

--Hebrews 11:1 (TLB)

The certainty that what we hope for, what we long for, is there up ahead, even though we can’t see it.  A slightly different version calls faith the evidence of things unseen.  I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “blind faith” somewhere along the line.  Faith is blind.  We can’t see tomorrow, but we are certain – absolutely certain – Jesus will return some bright tomorrow and call His church home.

This is faith.  And through faith we gain so much.  Faith allows us to trust in the one in Whom we have faith, Who gives us faith.  And faith gives us strength when things seem hopeless.

Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth in the 1st chapter of his 2nd letter to the Corinthians, verses 8 through 10…

8 I think you ought to know, dear brothers, about the hard time we went through in Asia. We were really crushed and overwhelmed, and feared we would never live through it. 9 We felt we were doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us, for He can even raise the dead. 10 And He did help us and saved us from a terrible death; yes, and we expect Him to do it again and again.

--2 Corinthians 1:8-10 (TLB)

Paul and his companions thought their time was up, that they were doomed and about to die.  So through their faith, they put everything in God’s hands.  They put all their trust in God and He saved them.  God saved them in this life, and we know He spared them everlasting punishment in the next.

If we trust in God, trust in Jesus, our faith will be rewarded.  Wise King Solomon understood this, for in Proverbs chapter 3, verses 4 through 6, he tells us…

4-5 If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. 6 In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.

--Proverbs 3:4-6 (TLB)

In this day and age, I think we might only find favor with godly, righteous men when we put all our trust in the Lord.  The world thinks we’re crazy for believing in God and Jesus, or even in heaven and hell.  They only put faith in themselves and other people, in things they can see, things that can be proved.  We know their faith is misplaced.  We see them being led down the wrong path.  When we put all out trust in God and put Him first, He will lead us in the way we should go, and reward us for our faith.

Our faith is a gift from God.  It’s up to us whether to take advantage of that gift or not.  If we use our faith, exercise it by doing what God would have us do, we will see how easy it really is to put all our trust in the Lord, and we will be rewarded for our efforts.  We will be rewarded for our faith.  Our reward may or may not come in this life, but definitely in the next.

I like to think we receive rewards in this life, too, for I and I believe many of you have been in a situation like Paul and his traveling companions, when all seemed lost and death loomed near.  And then God reached out and snatched us from the very jaws of doom and saved us.

God is good.  Jesus saves.  Have faith, and trust in the Lord.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our blessed redeemer.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for giving us the faith to believe even in what we cannot see.  Our faith allows us to put all our trust in You, for You are ever faithful.  Thank You, Father, for so wonderful and precious a gift.  Father, too often we let our faith grow weak or even go dormant.  Sometimes we fail to act on our faith, exercising it, using it, sharing it with others.  Sometimes we just feel hopeless, yet we still do not give everything over to You.  Forgive us, Father, when our trust waivers.  Forgive us when we begin to fear the unknown instead of trusting You to get us through anything.  Please, loving Father, help us be as courageous and trusting as Paul in our journey through this life.  Keep reminding us that we are in Your hands, and that our future is secure.  And Father, please help us remain strong, faithful, and true through all that we face in this age.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You are ever faithful.  Everything You ever said would happen did, so we can put all our trust and faith in You and Your word.  You are the Son of God; You are God.  In You we glory.  Please, Lord, continue to guide us in the path we must walk.  Please help us remember and understand the examples You gave us by how You lived Your own life.  Forgive us when stray off that straight and narrow path.  Remind us that our only way to the Father is through You, through our belief in You and our acceptance of You as our Lord.  And Jesus, please heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

The Four Horsemen

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday, the 21st of August, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.]

The Apostle John was an old man, imprisoned on the island of Patmos for preaching the Gospel and for his testimony about Jesus.  One particular day – our Bible says it was the Lord’s day – John was in prayer, in the Spirit, when he heard a voice coming from behind him, a voice like the sound of thunder.  “Write in a book what you see”, the voice commanded, “and send it to the seven churches that are in Asia.”

Now we know from the Apostle Paul’s writings that letters and communications sent to one church were passed around and read by many.  And we know that these were also saved for us today.

This book, then, is the revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave to show the servants of Jesus what must shortly take place.  We simply call it the Book of Revelation, for in it, the end of the age is revealed.

The opening chapters of the book put forth the authority under which it was written, and that authority was Jesus Himself.  And He addresses each of those seven churches in turn, letting them know where they have pleased Him, and where they have failed.

And then Jesus Himself appears, taking a more active role in the revelation.  He is seen by John as the Spotless Lamb, sacrificed for the redemption of mankind.  And He is seen as the only one worthy to open the seals that hold the fate of mankind.

Please listen and follow along to what the Apostle John was shown and what he recorded in the 6th chapter of this Book of Revelation, verses 1 through 8, and I’ll be reading this from the New English Translation of our Holy Bible…

1 I looked on when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a thunderous voice, “Come!” 2 So I looked, and here came a white horse! The one who rode it had a bow, and he was given a crown, and as a conqueror he rode out to conquer.

3 Then when the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!” 4 And another horse, fiery red, came out, and the one who rode it was granted permission to take peace from the earth, so that people would butcher one another, and he was given a huge sword.

5 Then when the Lamb opened the third seal I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” So I looked, and here came a black horse! The one who rode it had a balance scale in his hand. 6 Then I heard something like a voice from among the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat will cost a day’s pay and three quarts of barley will cost a day’s pay. But do not damage the olive oil and the wine!”

7 Then when the Lamb opened the fourth seal I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come!” 8 So I looked and here came a pale green horse! The name of the one who rode it was Death, and Hades followed right behind. They were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill its population with the sword, famine, and disease, and by the wild animals of the earth.

--Revelation 6:1-8 (NET)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for revealing to us what we can expect to see as our world begins its decline.  You truly blessed us in that our Bible has been kept and saved for us for all these centuries.  Thank You, gracious God, for making sure that we and our children and their children have Your word, Your instructions, and Your warnings to live by.  Forgive us, please Father, when we fail to spend more time in Your word.  Forgive us when we hesitate to believe all that we read.  Please help us understand how important our Bible is to us.  Remind us that it contains examples and instructions we need to follow, as well as signs that show us what to expect next.  And Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who do his bidding, trying to divide us and tear apart Your family of believers.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Help us be better prepared for what is to come.  Help us keep our faith strong and vibrant in the days ahead.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Redeemer.   Amen.

Pollster George Gallup, in his book Religion in America, wrote that, "The belief that Jesus Christ will return to earth someday is held by 62 percent of all Americans."

That book was published in 1987 - 35 years ago.  I wonder what the numbers would be today.  My guess is that a lesser percentage hold to that belief.  But even 35 years ago, nearly four out of every ten Americans did not believe in the second coming of Jesus.  And if they did not believe in His return, then they certainly didn’t believe He would judge everyone who ever lived.

Well, family, Jesus is coming back, and He will judge us all for what we have done, and not done, in our life.  Those who don’t believe it, who won’t believe it, will be horribly disappointed to learn the truth.

We’ve all heard of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.  They are prominent figures even in the secular world, even among those who won’t believe anything else in the Bible.  They signify the end times, the coming of the end of the world, the destruction of all we know, the beginning of the end.  We believers know their arrival to be a sign of our Lord’s return to set things right.

Jesus opened the first seal and a white horse appeared.  It’s rider carried a bow and was given the crown of a conqueror and he rode out to conquer.  For most of the church’s history, this rider was thought to be Jesus Himself, conquering death and spreading the Gospel across the land.  But for the last few hundred years, many have come to believe this is the Antichrist, let loose in the world to conquer as many lost souls as he can.  And many believe the rider simply signifies war in general, that has plagued mankind for all his history and for all the death and destruction it brings.  When we look at the destructive nature of the other three horsemen, this rider being the Antichrist, or simply war itself, is far more likely.  This is a conqueror of mankind, the very symbol of military conquest, the first destructive force let loose upon the world.

The second seal is opened and a fiery red horse is revealed.  Its rider is given a large sword and granted permission to take all peace from the world.  Imagine a world without peace, with people literally butchering one another, violence everywhere, nowhere to be safe, nowhere to find peace.  Sounds a little like some of our larger cities today.

The third seal is opened and a black horse comes in, its rider carrying a balance scale to measure out meager resources.  This is famine, where food shortages will drive up the cost of everything we need to survive.  Have you checked prices in the grocery store lately?

The Lamb opens the fourth seal and a pale green horse appears.  Death rides upon this horse, and Hades, the resting place of the dead, follows close behind, ready to snatch up the dead.  This is the only rider given a name, and the only rider carrying nothing in his hands.  Death needs no weapon, for he is given authority to kill a fourth of the earth – man and beast – through any means he wishes, even using the wild animals of the earth.

Death and destruction, famine and disease, all let loose upon the earth.

There have been many, many times over the last two thousand years when people have looked at the current events and the signs and proclaimed that the end is near.  And each time they’ve been wrong.  The Apostle John himself noted that the events he reported would happen shortly.  Of course, “shortly” to God could easily be thousands and thousands of years to man.  So the end still may come soon.

And I can’t help but feel that it will be sooner, rather than later.  Can’t we see some of these horses riding across our world today?  War, famine, disease, violence and mayhem running rampant through our streets.  The cost of everything we need to survive going up and up, getting closer to out of reach of many.  Has Jesus already opened the first four seals?

You may want me to answer that question with a resounding, “No”, but instead I have to say, “Maybe”.  Maybe we are now in the times that were shown to John, as God prepares to send His Son back to the earth.  It is true that we are not to know the day or the hour when Christ will return, but our Bible is our best source of information in all things, especially as regards Jesus.  Listen to the warning Jesus Himself gives, as saved for us by the Apostle Matthew in the 24th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 1 through 8…

1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.” 

--Matthew 24:1-8 (NKJV)

Nation has risen against nation, kingdom against kingdom, all throughout human history and again now, today, with the threat of the whole world possibly being engulfed into war.  Food shortages, deadly diseases, and natural disasters plague mankind and the whole earth.  And these are only the beginning of sorrows.  There are more seals to be opened, more bowls to be poured out, more calamity to befall mankind.

But remember that Jesus says not to let any of this trouble us.  For all these things must come to pass!  All these horrors must occur.  All these lives must be lost.  For this is the will of God and His righteous plan must be worked through to its finish.

We who believe should be encouraged by the signs of the times, not fearful.  We who believe that Jesus will return to the earth should see what is going on around us as a signal that our Lord’s second coming may be rapidly approaching.

Yes, He will judge us all, the good and the bad.  But we who believe and have accepted Jesus as Lord will be spared eternal damnation.  We will be allowed to live forever in paradise with our Lord and Master, with our God.  The troubles and woes we experience today will vanish once Jesus calls His church home.

So let the four horsemen ride.  It only means that our Lord’s return is approaching.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for again for all You have given us in our Bible.  This is our user’s manual, our guidebook, passed down through the generations, preserved for thousands of years so that we can read and benefit from it today.  Thank You, Father, for this wonderful blessing.  Father, too often we just don’t spend enough time studying our Bible.  Sometimes we have trouble understanding what You are trying to tell us in a given passage.  Sometimes we just don’t like what we read because it points out our failings.  Forgive us, Father, when we ignore the warnings You left for us.  Forgive us when hesitate to share what we know of Your teachings with others.  Please, loving Father, help us be more obedient.  Keep reminding us that we are Your children, under Your care and Your instruction.  And Father, please help us remain strong, faithful, and true through all that we face in this age.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You are the Spotless Lamb, sacrificed upon the cross for the atonement of our sin.  Of all the kingdom of God, only You are worthy to open the seals of mankind’s fate.  Only You are worthy to judge the world.  Please, Lord, may we be worthy of Your love and sacrifice.  Please help us weather the storms of these difficult times we live in, patiently awaiting Your return.  Forgive us when our faith falters, when all the craziness of the world starts to eat away at our armor.  Remind us that all we are experiencing must happen for God’s plan to be fulfilled.  And Lord Jesus, please heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

The Law of the Land

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday, the 14th of August, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Please note that there was no service on August 7th due to illness in the church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.]

The earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus effectively began with His baptism in the River Jordan by John, who we call the Baptist.  From the river, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, there to be tempted for forty days and forty nights by Satan, and to resist all temptation.  Next we are told that Jesus called His first four disciples – four fishermen: brothers Andrew and Simon and brothers James and John – promising to make them fishers of men.

And then Jesus went throughout all the land, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and illness among the people.  Everywhere He went, crowds quickly gathered and followed Him.  At one point, He led them all up onto a mountainside.  There, with His disciples at His feet and the multitude before Him, Jesus began to teach them all.

Please listen and follow along to a short passage of our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, as recorded for us by the Apostle Matthew in the 5th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 17 through 20, and I’ll be reading this from the Contemporary English Version of our Holy Bible…

17 "Don't suppose I came to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I did not come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning. 18  Heaven and earth may disappear. But I promise you not even a period or comma will ever disappear from the Law. Everything written in it must happen.

19 "If you reject even the least important command in the Law and teach others to do the same, you will be the least important person in the kingdom of heaven. But if you obey and teach others its commands, you will have an important place in the kingdom. 20 You must obey God's commands better than the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law obey them. If you don't, I promise you will never get into the kingdom of heaven."

--Matthew 5:17-20 (CEV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for giving us Your law.  By this we can clearly know when we are doing something that displeases You, we can discern when we are being disobedient, we can recognize when we sin.  And then, because we were never really capable of fully obeying Your law, You sent Your own Son to fulfill Your law, that through Him and His blood sacrifice we might be atoned of our sin and disobedience.  Thank You, gracious God, for giving us another chance.  Forgive us, please Father, when we still struggle to do what is right in Your eyes.  Forgive us when we think Your law no longer applies to us now that we have been washed clean by the blood of Jesus.  Please help us remember what Jesus said regarding Your law.  Remind us of how important it is for us to obey Your commands, even as we believe unto Your Son for our salvation.  And Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who do his bidding, trying to divide us one from another.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Imprint Your law into our minds and upon our hearts that we may never again fail You in our disobedience.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Redeemer.   Amen.

Dr. Phil Williams of the Dallas Theological Seminary once noted that, "The law is the light that reveals how dirty the room is, not the broom that sweeps it clean."  That’s a pretty good word picture, I think.  The law is a light that shines into the corners to show us where we need to clean things up a bit, not the tool used for cleaning.

We have laws to show us what is good and acceptable behavior.  A well-ordered society depends upon adherence to the laws of the land.  If we break the law, there are consequences.  Basically, we have laws so that we can try to live together peacefully.  It doesn’t always work that way, because not everyone abides by the law all the time.  And in some small or large way, we all pay the price when anyone breaks the law.

Of course, every now and then, it seems like there is someone who is just untouchable, who can get away with doing pretty much anything they want and there are no consequences for them.  Well, I can promise you that while they may be able to sneak their way around man’s laws, they’ll never be able to fool God.  Listen to what the Apostle Paul had to say about this, in the 2nd chapter of his letter to the church in Rome, verses 12 through 16…

12 Those people who don't know about God's Law will still be punished for what they do wrong. And the Law will be used to judge everyone who knows what it says. 13 God accepts those who obey His Law, but not those who simply hear it.

14 Some people naturally obey the Law's commands, even though they don't have the Law. 15 This proves that the conscience is like a law written in the human heart. And it will show whether we are forgiven or condemned, 16 when God appoints Jesus Christ to judge everyone's secret thoughts, just as my message says.

--Romans 2:12-16 (CEV)

Everyone will be judged according to God’s law, whether they are aware of it or not.  You’ve probably heard the expression, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.”  Well, ignorance of God’s law does not excuse anyone from obeying it.

But the great thing is that some people just naturally obey God’s law even if they don’t know it.  His law is already written into our hearts by His Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus as Lord.  Our conscience is the voice of the law speaking directly to us, warning us when we do wrong.  With Christ Jesus as our Lord, we are forgiven.  Without Him, we are condemned.

And this last is clearly evident as Jesus concludes His Sermon in chapter 7 of Matthew’s Gospel account, in verses 21 through 23 when our Lord says…

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’"

--Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV)

“Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness, for I never knew you.”

How harsh and terrible an indictment is that, coming from the lips of the One who could save you from eternal pain and punishment?  “Get away from me.  You had every chance in this world to obey the law, and yet you purposely chose to disobey it, to ignore it, to do just the opposite and engage in a life of breaking God’s law.  You are judged ‘Guilty’.”

Every organization ever formed by man has its own set of laws, even the nuclear family.  The kingdom of God has laws just like any other land, like any nation on earth.  In this case, though, God gave us the law so we would know when we sin, when our actions, our words, our deeds are not righteous, not pleasing in His sight.

What does it mean to reject His Law, but to reject that we are sinners, to ignore that we sin in the eyes of God?  Are we even capable of keeping God’s law in its fullness?  No, otherwise there would have been no need for Jesus to sacrifice Himself to redeem us.

But if nothing else, God is forgiving and understanding.  Listen to the reassuring words Paul gave the Romans in the 3rd chapter of his letter to their church family, in verses 19 through 22…

19 So the judgment of God lies very heavily upon the Jews, for they are responsible to keep God’s laws instead of doing all these evil things; not one of them has any excuse; in fact, all the world stands hushed and guilty before Almighty God.

20 Now do you see it? No one can ever be made right in God’s sight by doing what the law commands. For the more we know of God’s laws, the clearer it becomes that we aren’t obeying them; His laws serve only to make us see that we are sinners.

21-22 But now God has shown us a different way to heaven — not by “being good enough” and trying to keep His laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago). Now God says He will accept and acquit us — declare us “not guilty” — if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like.

--Romans 3:19-22 (TLB)

Jesus came to fulfill the law, to give it its full meaning, not to abolish it or change it in any way.  To "fulfill" means to carry out; to perform or do, as a duty; to obey or follow; to satisfy, as requirements or obligations; to develop the full potential of.  Jesus satisfied all the requirements of God’s law on our behalf, as a duty to God.

Some day He will return to this earth to judge us all.  He will be looking to see if God’s law has been written on our heart.  He will know if we have done our level best to obey God’s commands, or if we have ignored them and engaged in lawlessness.

Breaking God’s law will bring dire consequences.  Let’s do our best to obey it.  For this is the law of His land.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for giving us a simple and clear set of rules to live by.  You did not want to see us condemned by our inability to keep Your law, so You sent Your Son Jesus to meet the obligations of the law for us.  Thank You, Father, for loving us enough to give us another chance.  Father, too often we tend to ignore the parts of Your law that are too difficult for us, or that we just don’t want to try to keep.  Sometimes we knowingly, arrogantly disobey You.  Forgive us, Father, when we forget that we are sinners, redeemed only by Your love and grace and the precious blood of Jesus.  Forgive us when we get all wrapped up in ourselves and our own little world and ignore Your command to love others as we love ourselves.  Please, loving Father, help us be more obedient.  Keep reminding us that we are not our own, but are always at Your mercy.  And Father, please help us remain strong, faithful, and true through all that we face in this age.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You came to fulfill God’s law, to do what we are not capable of doing.  In You, in our belief in You, our acceptance of You as Lord, we find fulfillment in God.  Please, Lord, remain at our side, hold our hand, and guide us through the treacherous waters of this life.  Please help us see and recognize when our behavior is not pleasing to God.  Forgive us when we stray from the straight path You set for us.  Remind us that we too will be judged when our time on this earth is over.  And Lord Jesus, please heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Listen to the Voice

 

[The following is a manuscript of my very short devotional delivered on Sunday, the 31st of July, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was our 5th Sunday service of music and singing.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.]

In the 4th chapter of his book of Deuteronomy, Moses is warning the children of Israel about a time in the near future when they will be sinning grievously against the Lord.  Because of their arrogance and disobedience, they will suffer God’s wrath.  And then they will turn back to Him, seeking forgiveness.

Please listen to what Moses says in verses 29 through 31, from the New American Standard Bible…

29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. 30 When you are in distress and all these things happen to you, in the latter days you will return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice. 31 For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not abandon you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.

--Deuteronomy 4:29-31 (NASB)

As I look around the world today, and even here in our local community, I can’t help but feel that we are beginning to suffer the same fate as those Israelis Moses was trying to warn.  We have become arrogant, we humans.  We are very disobedient of God’s commands.  And I’m sure our sin grieves Him.  He did not send His Son to free us just so we could fall back into slavery to sin!

We need to return to the Lord, we here in these United States.  We can’t truly be that shining city on the hill, the beacon of hope to all the world, until we turn back to God.  To do so, we just need to seek Him again, search for Him with all our heart and all our soul.  We need to listen to His voice, and He will guide us through the storm and back to safety.  Just listen to His voice, and obey His word.

Let us pray…  Father God, speak to us now that we may hear Your still, small voice.  Speak to us and guide us in the path we must walk.  Father, we are here to worship You.  May the words and songs from our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer.  All this we pray in the blessed name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.