Soli Deo gloria ("Glory to God alone")
All glory is due to God alone, since salvation is accomplished solely through his will and action—not only the gift of the all-sufficient atonement of Jesus on the cross but also the gift of faith in that atonement, created in the heart of the believer by the Holy Spirit. The reformers believed that human beings—even saints canonized by the Roman Catholic Church, the popes, and the ecclesiastical hierarchy—are not worthy of the glory that was accorded them.
The above information is from Wikipedia and is a short explanation of one of the five “Solas” of the Reformation.
As I have been pondering in my heart for some time the issue of the Communion of Saints as held by the Anglo-Catholic Church which I attend, I have come to realize where the uneasy feeling within me has come from. The Roman Catholic Church and the High Anglo-Catholic Churches hold to a belief that a saint canonized by the church is capable of intervening for humans who are yet alive on the earth. By their superior holiness they were allowed into heaven and now sit as an intercessor for the Christians on the earth and some miracles can be attributed to their intercession (how this can be proven I know not).
I have a strong belief that Reformed theology and the theology of John Calvin is the best summary of the Christian faith and best explains the seemingly confusing and unexplainable issues concerning God and our Christian faith. Coming from a Reformed point of view, the above statement from the Wikipedia article solves the issue that has been beating me around for a while. If God is completely sovereign concerning the use of all creation for His purpose and the salvation of that creation (and I firmly believe He is) and if He does indeed work through covenants that are irrevocable, (which He does) then those people who are ushered into God’s presence after death can make no claim that their personal holiness allowed them into heaven, but can only give all glory to God for His salvation, for taking away their reproach by His grace and mercy and by the shed blood of His only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a matter of theology. If one’s theology allows that a man or woman is saved by their extreme holiness then it is allowable that that person is able to take some credit for his salvation, be held up as a model of extreme holiness and intercede for the living on the earth. However, if one believes that a man is not saved by works but by grace through faith and the sovereignty of God and by His choice and election then there is no cause to puff up the memory of that deceased person, elevating them to the status of a mediator and a higher level of saint then the other redeemed living still on the earth. Yes, we should look to godly men and women as examples of holiness and imitate their lives, as Paul tells his followers to imitate him even as he imitates Christ. But notice that Christ is the one we ultimately imitate, for He is perfection. But no man or woman can take credit for their salvation because God is sovereign in His choice as to whom He will save. God is to be worshipped and glorified; Christ Jesus is our mediator and example of life; the Holy Spirit is our intercessor. God Almighty is to be praised and thanked for our salvation. We are saved by the grace of our Father, not by works, so that NO MAN may boast.
Now, live according to the life you have been called to. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Worship God
"...I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God." -Revelation 22:8, 9
Even the angel, which was probably magnificent, wanted no veneration but told the apostle to worship God. What was his form of worship? What act led to the angel telling him to worship God? He fell down before him. I suppose he may have prostrating, maybe even kneeling. Veneration becomes worship. WORSHIP GOD ALONE! Jahovah is Supreme God. YHWH is LORD of the Universe. JESUS CHRIST IS GOD INCARNATE! The HOLY SPIRIT is the paraclete, the comforter from God, which is God. He is worthy of praise and honor, and no one else. Almighty God in heaven, YOU are worthy of all praise! All else pail in comparison and fade away at the sight of you.
Even the angel, which was probably magnificent, wanted no veneration but told the apostle to worship God. What was his form of worship? What act led to the angel telling him to worship God? He fell down before him. I suppose he may have prostrating, maybe even kneeling. Veneration becomes worship. WORSHIP GOD ALONE! Jahovah is Supreme God. YHWH is LORD of the Universe. JESUS CHRIST IS GOD INCARNATE! The HOLY SPIRIT is the paraclete, the comforter from God, which is God. He is worthy of praise and honor, and no one else. Almighty God in heaven, YOU are worthy of all praise! All else pail in comparison and fade away at the sight of you.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I would have never thought this, because I have such a love for the New Testament; the gospels, epistles, catholic letters to the churches, etc. However, the book of Deuteronomy is full of God's will for His chosen people. I find the book to be a love letter from the Lord to His people telling them that He wishes them well and will grant them wellness and a good life if they obey His commandments. Jesus quoted from the book of Deuteronomy explicitly when He was tempted by Satan. When I read Deuteronomy it ties together much of the rest of the Bible, and gives clear understanding to me when I read the Psalms, how they proclaim, "Lord, how I have loved thy Law", and the many other references made in Psalms concerning the love of the Law and the word of God.
One of the verses that got my attention today is verse 29 in chapter five. "O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!" The first part of chapter five is the recounting of the Law of God, the Ten Commandments. The ten commandments are spoken of as the Covenant of God in this chapter. After recounting them, the Lord says what is written in verse 29. The Lord, still to this day, wishes for us to keep His commandments. I find nowhere in the Bible the taking away or revoking of the precious Law of God as summarized in the Ten Commandments. As a matter of fact, I see Jesus, on more than one occasion, telling people to keep the Law of God. Luke 10:25-28 reads, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He (Jesus) said unto him, What is written in the Law: how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do and thou shalt live." Jesus did not attempt to tell this man to recite the sinners prayer with Him; He didn't tell the man that he could never live up to the Law, so he might as well not try, but simply place his faith in Him (though we should do this); He didn't tell him that there is a purpose for this man's life and that his purpose could only be known by following God, then he would find peace and happiness. Jesus, being God in the flesh, told the man the same thing He told His people in the Old Testament; "Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess." Yes, the Law is in place to show us that we are sin laden. As John Wesley said, "The Law continually drives me to Christ, and Christ to the Law." The law makes us aware of our sins against God's perfection and will for us, our lives, and our children's lives. The law should make us cling to Christ, ask for forgiveness, and turn away from our sins and live lives pleasing to God our Father, who has held back His wrath and has offered us a way of escape through Jesus Christ. To know the will of God, this is not hard. Read His commandments:
1.) I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
2.) Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
3.) Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
4.) Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
5.) Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
6.) Thou shalt not kill.
7.) Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
8.) Neither shalt thou steal.
9.) Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.
10.) Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Read these slowly and evaluate yourself to see where you stand in light of the Law of God. If you have broken the Commandments (and you have) ask for God's forgiveness, repent of your sins (turn away and stop doing it) and follow God's Law in happiness, knowing that you are making the Lord happy and ensuring a good future for your children, producing a righteous generation for the Lord. Don't neglect to teach your children to love the Lord and follow Him all the days of their lives. Remember what Jesus said to the man who he healed of paralysis, "Behold, thou art made whole: Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." So, for you dear reader, be healed of your sin by the grace of Christ through repentance and commit yourself to following Him and His ways, and sin no more. But if you fall, know that the Lord is merciful and will forgive you of all unrighteousness when you confess and repent. Amen.
One of the verses that got my attention today is verse 29 in chapter five. "O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!" The first part of chapter five is the recounting of the Law of God, the Ten Commandments. The ten commandments are spoken of as the Covenant of God in this chapter. After recounting them, the Lord says what is written in verse 29. The Lord, still to this day, wishes for us to keep His commandments. I find nowhere in the Bible the taking away or revoking of the precious Law of God as summarized in the Ten Commandments. As a matter of fact, I see Jesus, on more than one occasion, telling people to keep the Law of God. Luke 10:25-28 reads, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He (Jesus) said unto him, What is written in the Law: how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do and thou shalt live." Jesus did not attempt to tell this man to recite the sinners prayer with Him; He didn't tell the man that he could never live up to the Law, so he might as well not try, but simply place his faith in Him (though we should do this); He didn't tell him that there is a purpose for this man's life and that his purpose could only be known by following God, then he would find peace and happiness. Jesus, being God in the flesh, told the man the same thing He told His people in the Old Testament; "Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess." Yes, the Law is in place to show us that we are sin laden. As John Wesley said, "The Law continually drives me to Christ, and Christ to the Law." The law makes us aware of our sins against God's perfection and will for us, our lives, and our children's lives. The law should make us cling to Christ, ask for forgiveness, and turn away from our sins and live lives pleasing to God our Father, who has held back His wrath and has offered us a way of escape through Jesus Christ. To know the will of God, this is not hard. Read His commandments:
1.) I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
2.) Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
3.) Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
4.) Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
5.) Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
6.) Thou shalt not kill.
7.) Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
8.) Neither shalt thou steal.
9.) Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.
10.) Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Read these slowly and evaluate yourself to see where you stand in light of the Law of God. If you have broken the Commandments (and you have) ask for God's forgiveness, repent of your sins (turn away and stop doing it) and follow God's Law in happiness, knowing that you are making the Lord happy and ensuring a good future for your children, producing a righteous generation for the Lord. Don't neglect to teach your children to love the Lord and follow Him all the days of their lives. Remember what Jesus said to the man who he healed of paralysis, "Behold, thou art made whole: Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." So, for you dear reader, be healed of your sin by the grace of Christ through repentance and commit yourself to following Him and His ways, and sin no more. But if you fall, know that the Lord is merciful and will forgive you of all unrighteousness when you confess and repent. Amen.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Walking With God
1 Thessalonians 2:12, “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto His Kingdom and glory.”
What is it to walk worthy of the God who hath called us unto His Kingdom and glory? We are to examine ourselves to find whether or not we have been walking, or living, worthy of our glorious God who has called us unto Himself, His kingdom and his glory. This is also a cause for giving praise and thanksgiving as we remember that our God has stooped down to us and has shown us grace and mercy allowing us to be partakers of His kingdom and glory.
What great love the Father has for His children, for those He has redeemed by the precious blood of His dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. What a great price He paid for us unworthy sinners, a price so great that He Himself had to pay for it by offering up His Son to take away OUR sins, our guilt and our filth; a price we could not pay by any amount of works or obedience. If it weren’t for this gift, this payment for sins, this sacrifice to save us from everlasting hell, there would be no hope for us, for there is no other way to the Father but by His Son Jesus Christ. He was blameless, we are worthy of blame; He was sinless, we are laden with sins; He never spoke a word out of place, I can’t put two words together without saying something I regret sometimes; He had perfect obedience to the Father, we cannot obey perfectly for one day. Yes, Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, as St. John the Baptist says. He did what we could not do, and He took away the sins we could not cast off, that is if you are re-born, a child of the Father.
If you are aware of the price that God the Father paid by sending His only begotten son to this earth, to die a violent and torturous death, all for our sakes, out of love for lost sinners, and then to rise again to prove that He was and is God in the flesh and that His promise of eternal life is true, what sort of life should we live?
1. Day-to-day we battle with living in this sinful world, with being human beings, stained with the stain of sin and a damaged, nature inclined to do evil. We are continually faced with trials and temptations, and, unfortunately, many of us give in to them. So many of us become complacent to the World of God, relying completely on God’s mercy (or rather, His inability to see us, or His quickness to forget what we have done). God is not like us. God is NOT like us! He is always able to see us and He never forgets, until sin is washed away by Christ. He is a perfect and Holy God, and He requires much from His people, for those who have claimed the kingdom of His Son. For such a large gift, and a free gift at that, we must walk worthy of our God who has indeed called us, for we would not seek after and call Him.
Psalm 1 reads, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council of the ungodly...” There are two choices presented; to walk worthy of God or walk in the council of the ungodly. God always shows us that there are two ways; the way of the wicked and the way of the righteous. The man that walketh not in the council of the ungodly is one who is walking with God, walking worthy of our God who called us. To be walking in the council of the ungodly means to be living by the advice of the unsaved, the un-redeemed. This is the man who lives for his own desires, who seeks after material wealth, who is looking out for number one (himself). In order to further his pursuit of glorifying himself, he consults those who have done the same and have succeeded in their pursuits. Maybe he reads periodicals written for the man (or woman) who wants to get it all, attain everything, be super sexy, have the perfect body; to summarize-to live a self-centered and sin-filled life. In order to live a sin-filled and self-centered life, he or she turns to the advice of those who have been walking in the council of the ungodly. Why should he seek the advice of a mature Christian or a minister? Righteousness is not what he seeks, but unrighteousness. We read from verse 2 of Psalm 1 what the righteous desire, what they seek after, what their delight is; “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.” This is pleasing to the Lord. The man who desires to know and learn God’s law, His holy word, is a man who has submitted to the Lord, who has found the truth and has loved what he has found. The man who desires God’s law is one who is walking worthy of the Lord. He is framing his life according to God’s word. He may not be perfect, and sin may still cling to his flesh with voracity, but he despises it and works diligently to shape his life according to the word. God blesses this man; “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Why will he flourish like a tree planted by water? Because he has been planted by the living water, the water of life, flowing from the wisdom of the eternal Father. The fruit he brings forth is the fruit of the Spirit and the fruit of righteousness. His leaf will not wither; he will not shrink back or become dried up in his quest for righteousness because the Lord will continually restore him, no matter what the world, the flesh and the devil may toss at him. He is able to withstand the stormy sea, the dry desert, and the temptations of the devil. He will prosper, spiritually and materially, obtaining the things necessary for life, because he has been walking worthy of the Lord who called us, who has ordained good works for us. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. That is a promise from Jesus Christ Himself. The Lord gives to those who seek after Him all they need to live, and more. God’s promise is sure for those who walk worthy of Him. Colossians 1:10 reads, “that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” This verse points out that walking worthy of the Lord is pleasing to Him. This pleases our heavenly Father, to see His children doing what they ought to do. This is not a matter of gathering up enough good works to climb to heaven on. This is a matter of children obeying their Father. When children disobey their Father they are disciplined. Those whom the Lord chastens He loves. Those whom He loves He chastens. He does this for our own good. This proves that we are His children and that we can be pleasing to Him. Those who do not please Him are not His children. This verse also points out that we are to be fruitful in every good work. Those grateful to their Father for saving them will increase in the works of their Father, doing the works He has appointed for them to do. Those who do not the good works appointed by God are not His children and are not pleasing to God. Now, it is true that there are many sincere believers who have repented and placed their trust in Christ who do not do the works they are suppose to do, but they know what they ought to do and it bothers them when they do not do them. This will continue to bother them until they become fruitful in good works. At last they will find peace because they will be doing the will of the Father. Another characteristic of those walking worthy of the Father is that they are increasing in the knowledge of the Lord. I can tell you that after I became a Christian I could not learn enough about the Lord. I received an insatiable appetite for the Word of God. It was the only book in my whole life that I couldn’t get enough of. I’m sure this is because it tells of the works of God to and through His people. It was a living book to me, not a dead historical work that was nice to read but irrelevant to our day. If you don’t have an appetite for the written word of God, I would encourage you to get into the word daily and read it until you attain this hunger for the knowledge of God. Pray for wisdom and God will give it. Pray for a desire to read the Scriptures and you will receive it. Read Psalm 119. The entire Psalm is dedicated to the word of God and His law, and illustrates how much the writer wants to know the word of God.
I want you to ask yourself if you have been walking worthy of the Lord our God who has called us into His kingdom and glory. Have you been self-seeking? Are you more worried about how you look to the opposite sex than you are about how you look in the eyes of our Lord, or do you seek after His kingdom and righteousness? Have you been seeking the advice of the ungodly or do you seek after the council of the Lord, His people and His ministers? Do you delight in the law of the Lord? Do you meditate on it as mentioned in the 1st Psalm? Have you been fruitful in every good work, or have you been slothful in works? Have you sought to increase in the knowledge of the Lord by attending Church, Bible study, reading the Scripture on your own, praying for wisdom?
Dear people, know that all good things are impossible unless the Lord, by the Holy Spirit, empowers us to do good works and the other good things we should do. Pray earnestly that the Spirit would be magnified within you and that God would give you the grace, wisdom and knowledge to do His will and to live as we ought to live. Remember also what is said in Luke 17:10, “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” This is very pleasing to the Lord. Amen.
What is it to walk worthy of the God who hath called us unto His Kingdom and glory? We are to examine ourselves to find whether or not we have been walking, or living, worthy of our glorious God who has called us unto Himself, His kingdom and his glory. This is also a cause for giving praise and thanksgiving as we remember that our God has stooped down to us and has shown us grace and mercy allowing us to be partakers of His kingdom and glory.
What great love the Father has for His children, for those He has redeemed by the precious blood of His dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. What a great price He paid for us unworthy sinners, a price so great that He Himself had to pay for it by offering up His Son to take away OUR sins, our guilt and our filth; a price we could not pay by any amount of works or obedience. If it weren’t for this gift, this payment for sins, this sacrifice to save us from everlasting hell, there would be no hope for us, for there is no other way to the Father but by His Son Jesus Christ. He was blameless, we are worthy of blame; He was sinless, we are laden with sins; He never spoke a word out of place, I can’t put two words together without saying something I regret sometimes; He had perfect obedience to the Father, we cannot obey perfectly for one day. Yes, Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, as St. John the Baptist says. He did what we could not do, and He took away the sins we could not cast off, that is if you are re-born, a child of the Father.
If you are aware of the price that God the Father paid by sending His only begotten son to this earth, to die a violent and torturous death, all for our sakes, out of love for lost sinners, and then to rise again to prove that He was and is God in the flesh and that His promise of eternal life is true, what sort of life should we live?
1. Day-to-day we battle with living in this sinful world, with being human beings, stained with the stain of sin and a damaged, nature inclined to do evil. We are continually faced with trials and temptations, and, unfortunately, many of us give in to them. So many of us become complacent to the World of God, relying completely on God’s mercy (or rather, His inability to see us, or His quickness to forget what we have done). God is not like us. God is NOT like us! He is always able to see us and He never forgets, until sin is washed away by Christ. He is a perfect and Holy God, and He requires much from His people, for those who have claimed the kingdom of His Son. For such a large gift, and a free gift at that, we must walk worthy of our God who has indeed called us, for we would not seek after and call Him.
Psalm 1 reads, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council of the ungodly...” There are two choices presented; to walk worthy of God or walk in the council of the ungodly. God always shows us that there are two ways; the way of the wicked and the way of the righteous. The man that walketh not in the council of the ungodly is one who is walking with God, walking worthy of our God who called us. To be walking in the council of the ungodly means to be living by the advice of the unsaved, the un-redeemed. This is the man who lives for his own desires, who seeks after material wealth, who is looking out for number one (himself). In order to further his pursuit of glorifying himself, he consults those who have done the same and have succeeded in their pursuits. Maybe he reads periodicals written for the man (or woman) who wants to get it all, attain everything, be super sexy, have the perfect body; to summarize-to live a self-centered and sin-filled life. In order to live a sin-filled and self-centered life, he or she turns to the advice of those who have been walking in the council of the ungodly. Why should he seek the advice of a mature Christian or a minister? Righteousness is not what he seeks, but unrighteousness. We read from verse 2 of Psalm 1 what the righteous desire, what they seek after, what their delight is; “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.” This is pleasing to the Lord. The man who desires to know and learn God’s law, His holy word, is a man who has submitted to the Lord, who has found the truth and has loved what he has found. The man who desires God’s law is one who is walking worthy of the Lord. He is framing his life according to God’s word. He may not be perfect, and sin may still cling to his flesh with voracity, but he despises it and works diligently to shape his life according to the word. God blesses this man; “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Why will he flourish like a tree planted by water? Because he has been planted by the living water, the water of life, flowing from the wisdom of the eternal Father. The fruit he brings forth is the fruit of the Spirit and the fruit of righteousness. His leaf will not wither; he will not shrink back or become dried up in his quest for righteousness because the Lord will continually restore him, no matter what the world, the flesh and the devil may toss at him. He is able to withstand the stormy sea, the dry desert, and the temptations of the devil. He will prosper, spiritually and materially, obtaining the things necessary for life, because he has been walking worthy of the Lord who called us, who has ordained good works for us. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. That is a promise from Jesus Christ Himself. The Lord gives to those who seek after Him all they need to live, and more. God’s promise is sure for those who walk worthy of Him. Colossians 1:10 reads, “that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” This verse points out that walking worthy of the Lord is pleasing to Him. This pleases our heavenly Father, to see His children doing what they ought to do. This is not a matter of gathering up enough good works to climb to heaven on. This is a matter of children obeying their Father. When children disobey their Father they are disciplined. Those whom the Lord chastens He loves. Those whom He loves He chastens. He does this for our own good. This proves that we are His children and that we can be pleasing to Him. Those who do not please Him are not His children. This verse also points out that we are to be fruitful in every good work. Those grateful to their Father for saving them will increase in the works of their Father, doing the works He has appointed for them to do. Those who do not the good works appointed by God are not His children and are not pleasing to God. Now, it is true that there are many sincere believers who have repented and placed their trust in Christ who do not do the works they are suppose to do, but they know what they ought to do and it bothers them when they do not do them. This will continue to bother them until they become fruitful in good works. At last they will find peace because they will be doing the will of the Father. Another characteristic of those walking worthy of the Father is that they are increasing in the knowledge of the Lord. I can tell you that after I became a Christian I could not learn enough about the Lord. I received an insatiable appetite for the Word of God. It was the only book in my whole life that I couldn’t get enough of. I’m sure this is because it tells of the works of God to and through His people. It was a living book to me, not a dead historical work that was nice to read but irrelevant to our day. If you don’t have an appetite for the written word of God, I would encourage you to get into the word daily and read it until you attain this hunger for the knowledge of God. Pray for wisdom and God will give it. Pray for a desire to read the Scriptures and you will receive it. Read Psalm 119. The entire Psalm is dedicated to the word of God and His law, and illustrates how much the writer wants to know the word of God.
I want you to ask yourself if you have been walking worthy of the Lord our God who has called us into His kingdom and glory. Have you been self-seeking? Are you more worried about how you look to the opposite sex than you are about how you look in the eyes of our Lord, or do you seek after His kingdom and righteousness? Have you been seeking the advice of the ungodly or do you seek after the council of the Lord, His people and His ministers? Do you delight in the law of the Lord? Do you meditate on it as mentioned in the 1st Psalm? Have you been fruitful in every good work, or have you been slothful in works? Have you sought to increase in the knowledge of the Lord by attending Church, Bible study, reading the Scripture on your own, praying for wisdom?
Dear people, know that all good things are impossible unless the Lord, by the Holy Spirit, empowers us to do good works and the other good things we should do. Pray earnestly that the Spirit would be magnified within you and that God would give you the grace, wisdom and knowledge to do His will and to live as we ought to live. Remember also what is said in Luke 17:10, “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” This is very pleasing to the Lord. Amen.
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