Tag: keep commandments
Victory in Jesus!
Scripture reading for October 4th: 1st John 5, Psalm 48, Proverbs 12
1st John 5:1-5 “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments. For this is love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For everyone born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world–our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one that believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?”
John has a way of making salvation and new birth very simple and easy to understand. He states simply that everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. To believe means to have faith. Faith is the confident trust that Jesus Christ is God’s Son Who came to earth to save us from our sins as the ‘Messiah’–‘Anointed One’. If we believe that Jesus is the Christ, we love other children of God and we love God. We demonstrate our faith by acting on what God has said, pleasing Him, and turning away from all that God hates. Through faith, by grace, we overcome the world and the god of this world. By faith we love God and obey His commandments with joy because they are not burdensome, but a delight!
Psalm 48:12-14 “Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for the Holy Spirit to live in us and guide us in obeying Your Word and loving You and others each day. Thank You for Your righteousness, that I might be a guide to my neighbor in love of his soul. Use me to tell the next generation that God is my God forever and ever! I claim victory over the world, flesh, and devil through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, my Savior and King!
Proverbs 12:26 “One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”
Overcoming faith and love!
Scripture reading for November 28th: Zechariah 9-11, 1st John 5
1st John 5:2-5 “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
John concludes his letter to encourage the church with a simple test of believer’s love for God and salvation. If we truly love God, we willingly seek to obey His Word. Obedience is not hard or begrudging, but joyful and freely given, coming from faith in God and His holy Word. This willing obedience of faith is the key to victory over the world and the forces of darkness and the antichrist. Simply believing on Jesus Christ as God’s Son gives us confidence of our salvation and God bears witness in our spirit that we possess eternal life and that God is our Father. Faith requires humility and the choice to trust God’s Son for all needs and promises. God want’s us secure in Christ, not in fear of the world or Him.
1st John 5:12-13 “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the Name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for these encouraging truths about the simplicity of salvation. I place my trust fully in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for my salvation and the gift of eternal life. I seek to live each day in obedience to Your holy and true Word, awaiting the fullness of all You have promised. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and give me open doors to share Your great Son with a lost and dying world.
Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Don’t pass judgment!
Scripture reading for July 2nd: Romans 14, Psalm 131, Proverbs 7
Key Scriptures: Romans 14:10-12 “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written,”As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give account of himself to God.”
Paul was instructing the Roman believers in their need for care in passing judgment on fellow believers based on customs or traditions. He cautioned them not to pass judgment, condemning or despising brothers or sisters for breaking some law or rule. Each believer should remember that they must give an account to God for all their own deeds done in the body at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Faith confession: Lord, help me to keep from judging brothers and sisters in the Lord based on traditions or customs. I believe that the finished work of Christ, who totally obeyed His Father, will keep me and them on the day of judgment.
Proverbs 7:1-3 “My son, keep My words and treasure up My commandments with you; keep My commandments and live; keep My teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.”
Knowing God!
Scripture reading for November 20th: Ezekiel 20-23, 1st John 2
Key Scriptures: 1st John 2:3-6 “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. Whoever says “I know Him” but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps His Word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in Him: whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.”
What does it mean to truly “know God?” John, the beloved disciple, says that obedience to His holy Word is the best indication of our knowledge of God and our love for Him. If we say we ‘know’ God, but live in rebellion to His Word, we are a liar and do not have the truth. If we truly ‘know’ God through Jesus Christ, we should walk as Christ walked on this earth: in complete obedience to the Father by depending on the Holy Spirit and God’s grace.
Ezekiel 20:44 “And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for My Name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord God.”
Prayer: Lord, thank You for giving me the revelation of Jesus Christ to know You and Your great love and mercy. Thank You for that mercy instead of dealing with me according to my evil ways. Help me to live fully for You. Amen.
God’s rule: obedience!
Scripture reading for January 25th: Exodus 14-16, Matthew 19
Key Scriptures: Exodus 15:25-26 “There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there He tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in His eyes, and give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your Healer.””
God had delivered His people out of Egypt with a mighty hand, through signs and wonders and plagues and judgments. But His people were not thankful and grumbled against Moses and God. God laid out a rule for them: Obey Me and I will heal you of the plagues and diseases of Egypt. Obedience would bring them into God’s protection and healing grace and the smile of His face. But man in rebellion has trouble with obedience!
Matthew 19:16-17 “And behold, a man came up to Him (Jesus), saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And He said to him, “Why do you ask Me about what is good? There is only One who is Good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”
Prayer: Lord, heal me today of a grumbling nature. Thank you for the perfect obedience of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Empower me today with the Holy Spirit of Christ to hear and obey your commands. Amen.
Thankful for God’s Righteous Judgment!
Scripture reading for July 25th: Ecclesiastes 9-12
Key Scriptures: Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
Solomon concluded his dissertation with a simple statement of truth. Even though life under the sun appeared to be meaningless to the worldly man, there was a God in heaven that deserved reverence and obedience. This God had decreed that He would judge each person based on their deeds and obedience to His commands. There was nothing that would be hidden from His sight.
Thankful for God the Righteous Judge: “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, . .” (John 5:22) “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36-37)
Turning loose is hard!
Scripture reading for March 1st: Mark 10:13-31, Psalms 44:8-26, Proverbs 10:20-21
The world and it’s goods have a powerful pull on us. Having things and money bring security that we can control and can use to provide for our needs. But sometimes our grip on material things keeps us from experiencing the best that God wants to give us as we walk by faith in His provision!
Mark records the story of a man who came running to Jesus and fell on his knees to inquire of Him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good–except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'” (Mark 10:17b-19) Jesus pointed the man to his need to keep God’s commandments. This man felt that he had kept these commandments.
Mark records that Jesus looked at the man and loved him. Out of His love, He told the man one more thing that he lacked. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.” (Mark 10:21-22) Jesus put His finger on the idol in this man’s life. His great wealth was hard to give up. It would mean losing his security and ability to live life as he pleased. He would have to trust God to help him. For him, this proved to be too much to let go.
Jesus went on to comment on this man and others like him. It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom. The disciples were amazed and wondered if anyone could be saved if this was the requirement. Jesus assured them that with God all things were possible! “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for Me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields–and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Mark 10: 29-30) You can’t out-give God! He pays very well– if you follow Jesus!