"But God"...Love

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)…” (Ephesians 2:4-5)

At the beginning of this two-verse passage, Paul penned, “but God.” He leads readers and hearers to recognize and understand several things in this chapter. Most writers do not write one sentence, then move to another topic. They write so that what they penned before and after a sentence helps give context and understanding to the one sentence considered. In considering this study, we examine verses four and five. Readers and hearers of Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church should strive to understand Ephesians 2:4-5 in context with the other chapters in this letter and the other verses of chapter two. Studying these two words alone does not bring forward the total meaning of the text. Only one two-word sentence in the Bible does not need context to have meaning. John the disciple wrote the famous two-word sentence in John 11:35; it records, “Jesus wept.” This sentence gains context in the surrounding verses. Yet, as a stand-alone sentence, it gives great understanding about Jesus, too. Consider now what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2 by studying verses four and five, along with the surrounding verses.

First, the two words that begin this passage, “but God,” highlight the need to examine Ephesians 2:1-3. Second, verses one through three tell people what they are. For Christians, the three verses tell them what they. These three verses reminded each group of people that they were morally and spiritually dead because of their wrongdoings—their sins. Because people crave for, think about, and act upon things of the flesh, they grow farther away from God. This prevents their relationship with God. In light of these reasons, Paul penned, "but God."

Third, the two small words, “but God,” lead people to consider their present and future. It tells them God intervened in their lives by sending His Son, Jesus, to live and then die a sinless death. God did everything necessary to save people from their sins. People can do nothing to remove themselves from their fleshly ways of thinking and acting, but God can and did.

Fourth, “but God” leads into the action God performed that people cannot do. Paul wrote, “but God…made us alive.” Yes, God made people alive at creation. For Christians, He remade them. God resuscitated them with His divine power, so they are not dead; they are spiritually reborn. God making the believers in Jesus alive renews His and their relationship by removing their wrongdoings (sins), a list next to each person’s name.

Each person deserves judgment because each person sins. Sin separates a person from Holy God. Holiness and unholiness cannot occupy the same place, like light and dark cannot. God's actions bring believers back to life. His action gives a righteous relationship with Him for whoever believes in Jesus, His Son, as their Savior. His death paid the judgment price for each person’s sins.

“But God” tells readers and hearers of Ephesians 2:4-5 about more than what God did for them. It tells them what He is doing and will do for and in them. “But God” tells each reader and listener of God’s promise and gives them their basis for hope. Yes, God saved each Christian by His Son’s death when they trusted in Jesus. Christians need God beyond that one time. We live in a world where Satan and his demons exert power over individuals. We still need saving from the temptations and trials we face daily. God gives Christians His power through His Holy Spirit, who dwells in them from the time of their new birth. He gave them the power to make the right choices. God gives Christians the strength to endure trials as He walks with them through those challenging times. “But God” leads Christians to the promise God gives each of His children; He said he would never leave or forsake His them (Deuteronomy 31:6 and Hebrews 13:5).

That leads us to the future view of “but God.” God did not create people, then leave them to flounder in life, then die. He did not make Christians alive again, only to walk with them on the day of their rebirth. God existed, exists, and will always exist. He is eternal. “But God” tells us of God always being with us. How? By the rebirth (being made alive through faith in Jesus) God gives righteousness in His book of life. God making believers alive gives them life forever with Him. Nothing ever can impede a Christian’s relationship with God. God gives Christians eternal forgiveness, eternal new bodies after their mortal death, and an eternal togetherness/relationship with Him in His kingdom. Believers in Jesus receive eternal life with God: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

“But God” reveals God is working for us and in us, then, now, and forever. God’s activity in a Christian’s life started then and continues into the “not yet.” For this reason, Christians have hope.

More than anything, “but now” opens our eyes and reminds Christians of God’s motivation—His love and desire for a close and personal relationship with each person. Feeling God's love to the fullest, people can rejoice, praise, and thank God for this reason. The feeling you get when you hug a dearly loved one is the feeling believers can have always and during every part of their lives. Paul wrote in verses four and five, “because of His great love with which He loved us…God made us alive even when we were dead in our sins.”

Understand this: God LOVES YOU with the overflowing, unending, super-abundance of His love! “But God, because of His overflowing, timeless, super-abundant love made you alive.” Nothing can separate you from His love, ever. John stated, “For God loved you so much that He sent His only Son that when you believe in Jesus, you will not perish forever separated from God, but you will have eternal life with Him in heaven” (John 3:16).

“But God” tells Christians that He saved and remade them, is with them, and will always be with them on earth and in heaven. God wants an eternal relationship with each person and did everything needed for it to happen.

Ultimately, “but God” tells and reminds each person about God’s overflowing, everlasting, super-abundant love for each person. God daily leads each Christian. God’s leading results in peace because of being in a deep love relationship with God. It leads believers to do the “good works” of God on earth, too.

Paul dictated to his scribe a final lesson in this chapter. He stated that each Christian’s saving relationship with God leads to God building believers together into a holy dwelling place. This dwelling place is in Jesus Christ for God in the Holy Spirit (verse 22). God intended Christians to grow in their relationship with Him and be built with each believer into the body of Christ…

ALL BECAUSE OF GOD’S LOVE.

God’s love was with us and worked for our good in the past, is with us now as we believe in Jesus, and will always be with Christians into eternity.

 

Behold!

 

 Before studying what any book of the Bible says, readers/hearers should look at the background of that book. Each author writes at a set point in time that coincides with certain circumstances affecting the people to whom he wrote. The author can arrange what he writes to discuss specific issues his intended readers/hearers face. Let’s consider these things about the Gospel of Mark. 

Introduction

The dating of the Gospel of Mark is highly debated. Some Bible scholars consider John Mark wrote this Gospel in the late 50s AD because Peter was in Rome during that time. Other scholars theorize Mark wrote his Gospel in the 60s because they presume Luke used Mark’s Gospel as a key source for The Acts of the Apostles. At the end of Acts, Luke wrote about Paul being in prison, hence, these scholars consider Mark wrote his Gospel before 62AD. Historic records by church fathers record Mark’s Gospel being written after Peter’s death in 64AD, during the reign of Nero. They conjecture Mark wrote his Gospel in the mid-60s, which lines up with Nero’s persecution of Christians. The consensus of Bible scholars agrees that the Gospel of Mark dates to the late 50s and early 60s.

Who wrote the Gospel of Mark? From about 125AD, important Christian scholars considered John Mark the original author of the Gospel of Mark. Eusebius wrote in 325AD that Papias, a Greek bishop in Hierapolis (modern Turkey) who lived 60-130AD, recorded that Mark was Peter’s writer and wrote all he remembered Peter teaching and preaching about the Lord. Other church fathers, like Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Clement of Alexandria, agreed with Papias. This John Mark was the cousin of Barnabas. He journeyed with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey but turned back and went to Jerusalem. Paul considered him unreliable and refused to take him on the second missionary journey. He and Barnabas disagreed about Mark, so Barnabas and Mark journeyed together while Paul went with Silas. (See Acts 15:3-16:10.) To summarize, John Mark, Barnabas’ cousin, wrote what Peter taught and preached about Jesus.

To understand the author better, one must consider what the author faced in his surroundings as he wrote. That requires knowing where the writer was physically. The best information about this comes from Peter’s own letter in 1 Peter 5:13. He wrote to the Christian churches in Rome and sent greetings from Mark at the end of his letter. Peter was with Mark, whom he called his “son.” In 1 Peter 5:13, Peter wrote about being in Babylon with Mark. He used the name Babylon as an allegory by which he meant Rome. The book of Revelation allegorically used the city of Babylon to represent Rome in Revelation 14:8, 17:18 and 18:2 & 10. Papias considered the name “Babylon” represented Rome, too, along with Clement of Alexandria. From this we recognize John Mark wrote while in Rome and most likely during the time of Nero’s persecution of Christians. He himself faced persecution because of standing for his faith in Jesus.

We understand John Mark wrote this Gospel from Peter’s teachings and sermons in the late 50s or early 60s while he and other Christians in Rome faced persecution from Nero. To whom did he write? From reading Mark’s Gospel, we realize Mark wrote it to Roman Christians, ones who came not from the Jewish faith. He wrote to people who lived and experienced the same persecutions he did while Nero reigned. How do we arrive at this? Mark explained Jewish customs to the readers/hearers of his gospel, for example, in Mark 7:3-4, where he explained the Jewish custom of cleansing before eating. Bible scholars have noted Mark used Latin turns-of-phrase that a Roman audience would understand. Based on these, we can understand Mark wrote to a Roman Christian audience.

Knowing Mark wrote to Roman Christians living under the persecution of Nero helps readers and hearers perceive the purpose of Mark’s Gospel. Mark wrote his Gospel to show the divinity of Jesus and the cost of discipleship. He affirmed this by writing about Jesus’ miracle-working power, the salvation He brought, the suffering and death He endured, and His servanthood. Mark’s telling of Jesus’ miracles shows who He is, the divine, almighty, forgiving Son of God. Only the Son of God could heal, forgive, redeem, restore, and encourage and empower His followers to spread the gospel message. Mark sought to encourage the Roman Christians. Jesus’ willingness to suffer and die gives an example to His followers the road they must walk with humility while they evangelize, suffer, and, maybe, die. (See Mark 8:34.) Mark wrote his Gospel to encourage the Roman Christians and to undergird them as they faced Nero’s persecution. He reminded them of who they followed and that He is almighty. They can rely on Jesus to be their strength and their refuge.

Mark 1:1-3

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, just as it is written in Isaiah the prophet.

“Behold, I am sending My messenger before you, who will prepare your way:

the voice of one calling out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight!’” (Mark 1:1-3 [NASB])

 Mark began writing this gospel by telling his readers/hearers of the promise from God that He commanded Isaiah and Malachi in the Old Testament to tell the Israelites. Later in his gospel, he wrote God fulfilled this promise when Jesus was born as a human on earth. Mark taught/reminded the Roman Christians about the prophecy and prepared them to understand Jesus’ commission of them. Jesus’ commission of believers continues the fulfillment of the prophecy, that of calling out in the wilderness of the world in which they live. This brings an understanding of what Bible scholars call “now and not yet.” Each person who professes faith in Jesus is saved from their sins at that point, “now.” That Christian continues to be saved from sins and death until he/she enters God’s presence in heaven. When Christians enter heaven, he or she will be perfected by Jesus.

 After his dynamic first verse, Mark taught Jewish history to the Roman (Gentile) Christians, a history of which they might not have known. These Christians might have heard of Isaiah and Malachi. Jews had lived many years in Rome by the time of Mark’s writing. Possibly, the Roman Christians remembered their Jewish neighbors talking and grumbling that these Gentiles could not have trusted in the Messiah. Their Messiah had not come yet. They were taught the Messiah was supposed to be just for the Israelites, based on Jewish tradition. By these overheard grumblings and conversations, the Roman Christians may have become acquainted with Isaiah and Malachi from their fellow Jewish residents of Rome. Because Mark wanted to be sure these Christians knew them, he recited the prophecy of Yahweh God that He required Isaiah and Malachi to tell the Israelites. Isaiah recorded the original text in Isaiah 40:3-4 and Malachi wrote them in Malachi 3:1.

 Mark chose his words for his audience and for the circumstances in which they and he lived. He wrote, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Mark clearly stated the topic of the gospel and its importance. He said this writing was the gospel of Jesus the Christ, the Messiah from God. With these words, the readers/hearers may/should have pondered the question of when the gospel began. Did the gospel occur only when Jesus began ministering, or did it include the day of his birth, too? What about when John leaped within his mother’s, Elizabeth’s, womb when Mary, Jesus’ mother, visited her? Since Mark quotes two Old Testament prophets, did the gospel begin at that point? The good news from God began from creation. From when God created humanity and gave them freewill, He realized they would choose to go in ways opposite of His own plans for them, plans for their good and not to harm them (Jeremiah 29:11). This turning away from God is rebellion and is called sin. Peter attested to God’s plan for salvation from the beginning of creation in 1 Peter 1:17-21. He wrote about Christ, who was foretold “before the foundation of the world,” the sinless sacrifice for sinful humanity. Paul agreed with Peter when he wrote Ephesians 1:3-4,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.

God planned for each person to be saved from their sins and death. He chose, “before the foundation of the world,” each person who believes in Jesus to be holy and blameless in His sight. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus, in humanity’s mind, occurred when Jesus’ ministry began. But the truth is the gospel began before Yahweh God formed humanity and breathed life into him or her. This, too, is a “now and not yet” scenario. God planned the gospel before He created humanity. God-chosen Israelites (prophets) foretold His good news before it burst onto humanity’s timeline. John was the first New Testament messenger of this gospel. (A messenger is a person or angel sent out for a purpose.) Soon after John’s proclaiming began, Jesus burst into the timeline with His revelation on earth of “God with us.” For those who accept the gospel message, the gospel continues into the future on humanity’s timeline with themselves as messengers. The telling about the gospel did not end when the Romans hung Jesus on the cross and killed Him. It did not end when Jesus rose from death and ascended to heaven. God’s promise of a Messiah is not completed for each person (perfected/fulfilled) until His kingdom comes in its fullness. Mark began the writing of his gospel with “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Starting this way carries more weight than only being a quote from man over 2000 years ago. It carries it back in time to carry the proclamation of the good news forward until the whole world hears. 

Application and Conclusion

This prophecy did not arrive and end with its telling by John the Baptist in the New Testament and its fulfillment through Jesus’ arrival in history. Christians should consider what “the beginning of the gospel” means for him or her today, like Mark led the Roman Christians to remember and consider for themselves. The gospel is good news and good news should be shared. This good news is the ultimate of good news. It ushered the Messiah, “God with us,” into the world (Matthew 1:23). This spectacular, life-changing, world-moving news of the Messiah must be shared by each believer in Jesus! The prophecy message and fulfillment continue through Jesus’ followers until the kingdom of God comes in its fullness, so all people may come to believe in Jesus as their Savior. This understanding of “now and not yet” of God’s promise and its fulfillment (salvation) should remind Christians today of their responsibility. Each Christian is part of the “not yet” phase in this “now and not yet” of sharing the gospel. Believers have had their initial “now” of coming to faith in Jesus. It’s their turn to continue the sharing of the gospel so that those who are not yet believers can hear and respond to it. Each believer’s perfection by Jesus in heaven brings the completion of their “not yet.” When he or she lives in heaven, Jesus completes (perfects) the process of salvation for him or her. The Christian is perfected in the image of Christ. 

Christians are to be messengers heralding Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of all humanity. By doing this, each person will have the chance to hear and respond to the gospel message. Each believer will say, “Behold!” like the angel (a messenger from God) who called out “Hark!” proclaiming the Christ-child’s birth.

The prophecies from God, as recorded by Mark, proclaimed He would send a messenger before He sends the Messiah to earth to be “God with them.” The purpose for this messenger was to tell people a Messiah (Savior) from God would come to earth, so prepare the way. What must the Israelites have done before the Messiah came? “Prepare the way.” “Prepare the way” means to make ready or to remove the hindrances. The Israelites were to “prepare the way” by preparing their hearts to meet their Savior. The Israelites were fickle, like most people. They obeyed God when they found it helpful to them. They put God on the back burner when they sailed smoothly through life. These people of God only sought Him when life became shaky or frightening. For the Israelites to prepare the way for themselves, they had to renew their relationship with God by repenting of their sins and returning to a vital relationship with Him. What they did not realize is they, too, were to tell people of other nations about the coming Messiah, just as the prophets had. Their lives were supposed to be a light to the nations about Yahweh, so those nations would seek Him with their whole being, too. Preparing the way for the Lord means preparing yourself to receive Him and preparing yourself so that others will see God in your life, then ask and receive Him for themselves. 

Each believer in Jesus should proclaim the gospel regularly, like the prophets and disciples of old did. He or she should prepare the way of the Lord to restore his or her relationship with the Him each day. He or she does this by confessing and repenting of sins and seeking Him daily to guide him or her. By this, each believer becomes a messenger of God to the people in their sphere. Because of this, each person will get to hear the good news about Jesus, the Son of God, who lived as a man though wholly divine, died the death of a criminal though having not sinned, and rose from death to sit on the throne in heaven. Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, any person who trusts in Him will receive pardon from sin and the cleansing of guilt that sin leaves. Each believer will receive eternal life with God in His kingdom in its fullness and will live with the Spirit of Jesus in his or her heart now, another “now and not yet” scenario.

 As we study these verses, we should ask ourselves six questions.

1.  Do you know who Jesus is?

2.  Do you trust the gospel more now that you know Jesus is the Son of God prophesied thousands of years in advance by two prophets?

3. Has the messenger’s proclamation to you affected and caused you to make the way straight by thinking about and acting based on the prophecies, sermons, and teachings regarding Jesus the Messiah by men who lived during His time on earth?

4. Have you heard the prophecy, prepared the way in your heart, mind, body, and spirit, and heard the gospel? Has it stirred your heart with the conviction of its truth?

5. What keeps you from to professing faith in Jesus as your Savior and confessing your sins for forgiveness and cleansing from Him?

6. Are you living the life of a messenger of Jesus and preparing the way so that other people get to listen to and come to know Jesus as their Savior? 

Time does not stop until God’s kingdom comes.

But your time stops when your heart is done.

Don’t wait too long. 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you.

You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 29:11-14a [NASB])

Boldly Approach

 

“Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 (NASB)

To what do we boldly run to own? Is it our mothers or fathers, money, fame, or status? Many things during our lifetimes grab our attention and cause us to walk toward them. Are we ever absolutely sure we should aim for those people and things? We train our minds and bodies with studies, degrees, apprenticeships, and exercises to go for the desired goal we have set our minds to do. One man in and over history lived with just one goal in life; it wasn’t for Himself. His goal was to help other people. Who is this man? Let’s consider what the writer of Hebrews meant when he wrote Hebrews 4:16.

The passage above refers to what the writer earlier stated. In Hebrews 4:1, he spoke of entering His (God’s) rest. This “rest” about which he wrote is a not struggling and straining to reach an earthly prize but resting in the fact a Christian no longer carries the weight of wrongdoings and decisions. Guilt is removed. The writer of Hebrews said believers in Jesus could rest, knowing all that needs to be done has been done. People who accept this work through Jesus’ efforts can experience peace of heart, mind, soul, and body.

How does a person get this rest? The writer explained this in verse two. He wrote, “For indeed we have had good news preached to us.” He goes further to state those who did not have faith in this Gospel did not become united in faith with the Father and with those who trusted in Jesus. What is this writer intending the hearers and readers to understand? People who believe in the One (Jesus) who made a way for them to rest with God in His kingdom. Peace exists for each believer who walks with God, doing His will in His strength. Striving and straining to become the best (perfect) through one’s own efforts is unnecessary and impossible. Sinful people cannot be perfect on their own. So, how do we enter and what are the benefits of attaining this rest with God?

In verse fourteen, the writer of Hebrews said we have a high priest, Jesus, the Son of God, who lives in heaven. He has God the Father’s ear and, for each person who has faith in Him as their Savior from their sin, He will forgive them and give them an inheritance in God’s kingdom. Jesus offered the sacrifice for the sins of each person with His death on the cross. By His sacrifice, He defeated death to return to His kingdom. Jesus offers His own body as the sin sacrifice for the sins of each person who trusts in Him. When a person professes Jesus as their Savior and repents of their sins, that can be with Him in His kingdom. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, each believer is saved at that point from the penalty of their sins. As that believer walks each day with Jesus, He sanctifies him or her. Upon that believer’s entrance to heaven, he or she is perfected, made complete.

God gives this rest. Each person who believes in Jesus no longer must struggle to be the best and then fail. The person saved by Jesus can give up the inner struggle and rest, receiving the promise of eternity with God in His kingdom and living in the knowledge of its future fulfillment. Until the point where a believer enters the kingdom of God upon his or her mortal death, that believer can rest knowing Jesus, through His Spirit, will train, guide, and protect him or her as he or she continues his or her mortal life.

When the writer arrives at verse sixteen, he said, “Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace.” Because a person trusts in Jesus for his or her salvation from sin and death and because his or her hope is found solely in Him, this believer, with conviction, can draw near to God. Christians can understand without doubt that they will be in God’s presence, at His throne, in His kingdom forever. These believers will grasp, as they boldly go to God, they will receive “mercy and grace for help at the time of their need.”

No genuine need exists for which God has not made provision. Christians can rest in the hope and promise that God provides what we need. We Christians can boldly and confidently stand with peace because God loves us. Yet, some of us still try to manufacture our own happiness. We try to meet our own determined needs. At that point, we strive for things that will fade away or rust or rot (Matthew 6:19). We chase the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14 & 2:17) instead of resting in complete peace, knowing God provides whatever we need. What we assume we need or should do does not equal what God knows we need or should do.

Are you seeking after a better job, a grander degree, a bigger house, or to be fulfilled in another way? Do you find it frustrating and tiring trying to “get ahead”? We have a high priest, Jesus Christ, who can sympathize with our weaknesses because He was tempted in all things just as we are. Yet, He did not sin. Jesus did not strive after things of this world, but obeyed the Father to give salvation to each person who believes in Him. So, boldly approach the throne of grace and receive mercy, pardon, kindness, and love at your time of need.

Consider the following words and music of Boldly I Approach Your Throne by Rend Collective.

Boldly I Approach Your Throne

By grace alone somehow I stand
Where even angels fear to tread
Invited by redeeming love
Before the throne of God above
He pulls me close with nail- scarred hands
Into his everlasting arms.

When condemnation grips my heart
And Satan tempts me to despair
I hear the voice that scatters fear
The Great I Am the Lord is here
Oh praise the One who fights for me
And shields my soul eternally

Boldly I approach Your throne
Blameless now I'm running home
By your blood I come
Welcomed as your own
Into the arms of majesty

Behold the bright and risen Son
More beauty than this world has known
I'm face to face with love Himself
His perfect spotless righteousness
A thousand years, a thousand tongues
Are not enough to sing his praise

Boldly I approach Your throne
Blameless now I'm running home
By your blood I come
Welcomed as your own
Into the arms of majesty

Boldly I approach Your throne
Blameless now I'm running home
By your blood I come
Welcomed as your own
Into the arms of majesty.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QDnVD7gu5Y)

The Substitute

 

I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20 (NIV)

Jesus said this in His Sermon on the Mount. He pointed out that the people the Israelites looked up to as righteous were not righteous enough to be with God in His kingdom. This must have concerned them. The hearers of Jesus that day must have wondered how they could be with God in eternity. I am sure Jesus realized what was in the hearts and minds of the people listening to Him that day. He already had the plan in place. God has had the plan in place since time began of how sinful people, people He loves, can be with Him. He knows holiness cannot exist together with sin. That is not a choice, but a fact. Where sin is, no holiness exists, just like where holiness is, no sin can exist. Other writers and speakers give this example. When one enters a completely sealed and dark room, no light exists, but as soon as a person strikes a match, darkness is shattered, and the light pushes it away.

With that idea, we should consider what Jesus offers so people could be with God. The people on the mountain that day realized He had been speaking about God and eternal life with Him. Jesus taught them the Beatitudes, about what is more important than gathering things for yourself in this life. He explained that what is in a person causes the sin and offered His listeners a glimpse at the new covenant. Jesus explained He fulfilled the Law and brought the new covenant based on God’s mercy and grace. Nothing people can do can earn it for them. The first covenant required the Israelites to obey the Ten Commandments, which the religious leaders expanded to 622 regulations. Jesus said He fulfilled those laws in the Sermon on the Mount. With His life and death, Jesus provided what was necessary for redemption from sins forever and for each believer to have eternal life.

This idea that one must be righteous is not new to the New Testament. From God’s laws, the Israelites knew He required twice daily sin sacrifices to atone for their sins, their wrongdoings. These animal sacrifices were never enough for the complete and permanent cleansing of the sins they committed. Nothing a person could do would make the stains from sins and the condemnation because of sins go away permanently. Yet, God declared righteous some people in the Old Testament. If we are familiar with the Old Testament, we remember of a few people from memory, like Elijah, Moses, David, and Abraham. There were others, too, who God stated were righteous. Consider Ezekiel 14:12-23. Four times, in His condemnation of Jerusalem, God compared Noah, Daniel, and Job as having a righteousness that exceeds any person in Jerusalem. He stated explicitly in verses 14, 16, 18, & 20, “Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, their righteousness would save no one but themselves, says the Sovereign LORD.” God declared Noah, Daniel, and Job righteous because of their faith. (Hebrews 11:7, Job 1:1. In the book of Daniel, Daniel told the king the interpretation from God of the dreams God had given the king. By doing this, he was a prophet of God. God called His prophets righteous in Hebrew 11:32, & 39-40) God, with the first covenant with the Israelites agreed upon at Mount Sinai, declared the Israelites His people, His nation. This first covenant was to lead them to Him and let other nations know they are His people, whom He will protect. It provided for their faithlessness to their covenant with Him by explaining what He would do to discipline/punish them. This first covenant to the Israelites, the Mosaic covenant, provided no means of eternal salvation by works or by offering animal, grain, and oil sacrifices. Some of the Israelites intentionally sought and believed God deeply. They changed their lives to follow how He led them. Each of these Israelites allowed God to be the Sovereign LORD of their lives, just as God stated in Ezekiel 14.

God declared several Old Testament people righteous because of their belief in Him that led them to revere, love, and follow Him with their lives. Understand, He did not love just a few people. God loves all people. He seeks to have a personal relationship with each person. God understood the first covenant was not one giving redemption. That’s why He planned from creation to give a second covenant. That second covenant occurred when Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified on the cross and buried, three days after which He rose from death. Jesus conquered sin and death with this Messianic covenant. No other sacrifice does a person need to offer for his or her sins. Belief in Jesus, with the individual’s profession of faith in Him, and a confession and repentance of his or her sins brings the person into a saving, cleansing, eternal relationship with God. Nothing else. No one’s faith can provide salvation for anyone else.

God told Ezekiel to tell the people of Jerusalem that having God-fearing and righteous people in their city would not keep them from God’s righteous judgment and wrath. His wrath came because of their repeated sins against Him, each other, and other nations. They could not rest on the righteousness of others-not priest, prophet, grandparent, parent, or siblings, etc. No one is righteous except through God declaring them so.

When a person believes in Jesus Christ and He washes the sins of that person from his or her record, then God declares the person clean and righteous, just like He declared Noah, Daniel, Job, Abraham, Moses, and others of the Bible righteous. God provided a way for each person to be declared clean and righteous with the sacrificial death of His sinless Son in substitution for each of us. We do not have to die an eternal death of separation from God. By our belief and because of His grace, God will declare a person righteous. Paul said this in Ephesians 2:8, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

None of us knows where another person truly stands in his or her relationship with God, but we each realize where we ourselves stand. Do you have a saving faith in Jesus? Do you believe Jesus is God’s Son, who died the death you deserve because of your sins against God? God will apply the death of Jesus against your sin judgment. He will apply His resurrection from the dead to you so that you will live eternally with Him in His kingdom. Now is your chance to confess your sins to God and repent of them asking Him to give you the direction and strength to avoid temptation and live a righteous life? What keeps you from believing in Him and receiving His grace?

As it is written:

There is no one righteous, not even one;

there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.

All have turned away, they have together become worthless;

there is no one who does good, not even one.

Their throats are open graves;

their tongues practice deceit.

The poison of vipers is on their lips.

Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.

Their feet are swift to shed blood;

ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.

There is no fear of God before their eyes.

²³ For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

(Romans 3:10-18 & 23 [NIV])

Victorious Unfolding

Who perceives his unintentional sins?

Cleanse me from my hidden faults.

Moreover, keep Your servant from willful sins;

do not let them rule over me.

Then I will be innocent

and cleansed from blatant rebellion.

May the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable to You,

LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

 (Psalm 19:12-14 [HCSB])

We've heard and/or read verse fourteen before today. We need to put it into perspective with verses twelve and thirteen. Today, let’s consider these verses together and understand what God wants to teach us.

Remember when you were a teenage or a pre-teen. You had more freedom, but you tested the boundaries to see how much power you had at home and school. One day, you decided to stay at school “to be with your friends” and arrived home later than your parents wanted. On another day, a friend needed help to understand what the teacher taught in class. You stayed at school to help him understand, then lost track of time. This good deed made you later getting home than your parents wanted. Which of these is a blatant sin and which an unintentional sin? Are the repercussions for the late home arrival going to be the same? Probably not, but why?

¹² Who perceives his unintentional sins?

Cleanse me from my hidden faults.

Verse twelve speaks about unintentional sins (accidents, mistakes, errors), not rebellious disobedience. The Psalmist said we do not know our unintentional sins. Often, after the result of our mistake occurs, we realize we sinned. One reason we may have sinned is we didn't realize God speaks against those types of things. Another possibility is we didn't realize the words from our mouth contained unintended harshness. These sins were unintentional and, possibly, unknown to us until God told us in our time with Him. Sometimes God makes us aware of these mistakes and accidents as we read our Bible. Other times, He will make us aware of them as we listen to a sermon or as we pray. Perhaps He will teach about them through a devotional. The important point is that, once shown, we acknowledge them, ask forgiveness from God, then ask for strength to live God’s way so that sin doesn’t happen again. (Note: Since we from that point know that action, word, or thought is a sin, no longer can we say the sin is unintentional.)

¹³ Moreover, keep Your servant from willful sins;

do not let them rule over me.

Then I will be innocent

and cleansed from blatant rebellion.

Verse thirteen speaks of another set of actions, thoughts, and words. These are willful sins. Willful sins are the deliberate breaking of a law, command, or precept. If you have children or remember being a child, you remember a child often tests or pushes the boundaries to see if he or she can get away with something. He or she will check to see how firm the boundary is. These actions, thoughts are words are willful sins. Willful sins fall in the list of moral laws concerned with things like killing, stealing, lying, etc. God explicitly commands in the Ten Commandments, do not kill, do not steal, and do not bear false witness along with several other commands. Another sin that falls into this willful sin category is letting your neighbor starve when you have food in your home. Jesus taught about loving your neighbor as you love yourself in Matthew 22:37-40. Willful sins are rebellion against the moral laws, commands, and precepts of God.

For both types of sin, unintentional and willful, the Psalmist, once made aware of them, imperatively requested God to cleanse him from them and not let them rule/reign over him. The Psalmist recognized he had no power to cleanse himself from sin or to keep himself from sinning. He was powerless. The Psalmist recognized God's holiness and ability to make a person holy. He recognized God’s ability to guide a person's mind, thoughts, and actions. God can do these things because He is omnipotent (all-powerful) and Ruler of all created things, since He is Yahweh God, the One before time and beyond time.

¹⁴ May the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable to You,

LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

With God's cleansing of and rule over him, the Psalmist declared God made him clean/righteous. Being cleansed from sin and made righteous makes a person’s words, thoughts, and meditations acceptable to God. When God cleanses a person and reigns over him or her, the person can be in His presence and raise his or her thoughts, words, and meditations to Him in praise and worship. Only God’s cleansing makes a person clean and able to be in His presence. The Psalmist declared, "Oh Lord, You are my Rock and my Redeemer!" when he realized his cleansing and ability to lead a righteous life came from God.

With God’s rule and strength, He keeps us strong against temptations to sin. He is the One who saves and cleanses us from sin. Because of these, our reaction is to praise and worship Him.

Revisiting your pre-teen self, did you unknowingly break a family rule and experience your parents teaching you why that was not a good thing to do? Probably, they still continued to love, lead, and provide for you. On the other side of the coin, did you intentionally disobey your parents? Did they discipline you? Did your parents continue to love, lead, and provide for you after that? If your answer is yes to each of these, your parents were modeling their parenting after God’s example. If you have read through the Bible, you will encounter examples of when God did not protect or provide for His children, the Israelites, immediately. They had disobeyed Him too many times and needed a stricter discipline. For most of us, having our parents discipline us about a broken rule is all we need to correct our behavior or mistake.

Are you listening to God today?

Today, God is speaking to you. Are you listening to Him? What is He saying to you? God wants to have a love relationship with you. Will you listen as He tells you about your sins? Will you confess your sins to God and ask Him to cleanse you? Will you allow Him to reign in your life as King?

True peace comes with God’s forgiveness and reign in your life.

We each try to delay, block, or deny hearing God when He tells us about our misdeeds, and incorrect words and thoughts. We don't want to face them or Him. Perhaps we refuse to change our lives. Still, what He said won't leave our minds, hearts, and spirits. For peace, I urge you to turn to God in prayer now. Ask Him to make you strong enough to admit your sins and repent. Ask Him to be your Savior and cleanse you. Allow God to reign as King of your life. Experience the growth of your character and your relationship with God as a victorious unfolding.

Your life can be a victorious unfolding with God.

Lord, today, You have shown me a sin, many sins, if I am honest, and I want You to cleanse me from them, please. I have refused to recognize You in the past, but now I give up ruling my life. I give my life to You, Lord. Please take my life and make it what You want and use it for Your purposes. Please, Lord, keep me from being rebellious and hard of heart. Remind me when I stray in that direction, that You are God, and I am not. I am Your's, Lord. You reign supreme. Your love and power never fail. Thank you for cleansing me from my sins and being King over my life. Thank you, Father. Amen.

Chosen, Holy, and Treasured

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9 [NASB])

Consider being on a boat. You ride it through the waves and up and down through the choppy waters of the sea. Next, you encounter a storm while at sea. You consider, “Ah, I am so glad I put the GPS on this boat and the radio.” When you go to your navigation system, it’s not working. Then you go to your radio asking for help. When a person responds to your call, he or she asks where you are, but you cannot tell him or her because your GPS is broken. It’s been damaged by the storm. This is often what our lives are like.

Peter wrote about people who had forgotten their guidance system, the One who had saved them in the past. They stopped relying on their Savior and walked away from Him. This caused fighting, lying, envying, and slandering. (1 Peter 2:1) Peter wrote to remind the dispersed Christians Whose they are and Who made their adoption by God possible. He reminded them of these things and what their purpose should be now they are not just people wandering on this earth alone.

Read 1 Peter 2:9 again. It says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9 [NASB]) Upon first glance, Peter’s statement may make it seem the people are these great things, but the thing to remember is, he said they were these people because of the salvation given by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. This point is key to this passage and the first ten verses in 1 Peter 2. God made them these people; the dispersed Christians in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia did not make themselves into these people Peter noted. By God’s power He saves people from their rebellion and they become His people.

God adopts a believer into His holy people.

Consider what Peter said people who’ve received salvation are now that God adopted them. They are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession with a purpose. What do these mean? First, realize, Peter explained in verses four through eight what each of these titles are by teaching to the dispersed believers Jesus is each of these and God appointed Him to be these things before God created humankind. Jesus is the role model of these descriptors and He is the Giver of these in people. How? When a person comes to believe in Jesus as their Savior, His Holy Spirit dwells in that one and with time and devotion to God, that person grows to be more like Christ daily. That does not mean we are not these descriptors when we first place our faith in Jesus Christ, but that we grow more into these roles daily as we grow into Christlikeness.

“You are a chosen race,” Peter said. Jesus is the Chosen One from the beginning. God chose Him to be the Cornerstone of His church, His people, His race, His nation. He chose Jesus to provide a special service, redemption of humanity from the judgment and condemnation due because of their sins. Jesus is the chosen Messiah, God with us and Savior of the world. Because God knew people would sin, He appointed - He made a way - before He created people with free will, for them to be cleansed and made holy so they could be in His presence so He could have a relationship with them. God planned redemption from before time began and chose His Son to dwell in human form on earth, suffer persecution and crucifixion, and then rise from the dead to redeem and save people from the penalty and condemnation of sin. God chose each person to become a believer, to be saved from sin and death. He, through Jesus, provided the status of “chosen race” to the people group who believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior. When a person believes in Jesus, that person automatically becomes a part of God’s race. They are no longer of the Asian race, African race, Anglo-Saxon race, or whatever; they are part of the “chosen race” of God.

God adopts a believer into His race.

Peter next called these dispersed Christians a “royal priesthood.” For the people of the time, the word “priest” brought connotations of sacrifices that were never enough and required dirtying one’s hands repeatedly with the blood of animals, if you were an Israelite. If a person believed in Molech as a god, then their sacrifices left the blood of people on their hands. Being a priest brought with it a position and status of reverence and fear among people, too. As before, Peter showed these dispersed Christians the prime example and the priest-maker with the life of Jesus in verse five. Peter said Jesus is the holy Priest when he told the dispersed Christians they would be a holy priesthood. The believers in Jesus Christ, for whom God planned and provided redemption before He created humans, became priests in the model of Jesus by God. They no longer had to ask a human priest to give a sacrifice for them because of their sins. Believers have direct access to God to ask for forgiveness of sins, to praise and worship Him, and to intercede or supplicate to God. Jesus is our intermediary now. His was the ultimate, perfect, and last sacrifice ever needed by any person to have eternal salvation from sin. Jesus is the door for us to the Father. John recorded Jesus saying this in John 10:9 when Jesus said, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” [NASB]

God adopts a believer into His priesthood.

Peter told the dispersed Christians that God called them “a holy nation.” Again, this descriptor of a person does not come from that person’s efforts, but as a gift from God, as a part of the person’s salvation through belief in Jesus Christ. God gives that descriptor through the great price of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Without Jesus, believers cannot be a holy nation. Without God purposing it, the plan for His Son to be the Redeemer of all people, would not have occurred. Being a part of the holy nation of God comes because of God through Jesus. Nothing people do makes them holy or part of a holy nation. The Jews had not understood this when Jesus lived. What does it mean to be a holy nation? Peter used part of what Hosea said in Hosea 2:23 in his prophecy about Israel’s restoration. He said, “I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, and I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ and they will say, ‘You are my God!’” [NASB] What makes a person part of God’s holy nation, a people He gathers for Himself and by His name? When a person receives God’s grace and believes in Jesus Christ for salvation, Jesus cleanses the person from all his or her sins and that person becomes holy just as Jesus is holy. Holy means God consecrates and sets apart for His service. In Leviticus 11:44, God told the people to consecrate themselves and be holy. The Israelites and all people cannot make themselves holy and, therefore, cannot consecrate and set themselves apart solely for God’s purposes. Peter referred to this verse in 1 Peter 1:15-16. He said, “But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior, because it is written, ‘You shall be holy for I am holy.’” In 1 Peter 1:3-5, Peter said Who gives them this holiness and ability to defeat sin. He said,

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” [NASB]

God gives believers in Jesus Christ this holiness and makes them into His holy nation as Peter called them in 1 Peter 2:9. Because of His mercy, He causes each believer to be born again into a living hope through Jesus. Each believer will receive their imperishable and undefiled (holy) and unfading inheritance that awaits him or her in heaven. God gives mercy and compassion even when people do not deserve it. God makes people clean and holy. He calls a people His people. God makes believers a chosen race, God’s race. Through the redemption and salvation of each believer given by Jesus, each of these believers is a part of the royal priesthood, God’s own royalty given to them. They walked through the doorway of Jesus that He held open for them to be in God’s presence.

God adopted and called you His own.

What does this mean for us now? God gave us each of these things and adopted and called us His own. By God through Jesus, we are a chosen race, royal priesthood, and holy nation. What is our charge as God’s people, race, and nation?  What is our purpose? The last part of verse nine gives the charge. Peter said to the believers, “So that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” [NASB] Each of us understands proclaiming. We make proclamations daily. This proclamation of which Peter wrote is specific. It speaks of what they were to say about God, and not just say, but declare with conviction. The dispersed Christians were to declare God’s excellencies and His marvelous light. What are these excellencies of God? This word comes from the Greek word arete (pronounced a-ree-tay). It means the eminent endowment or qualities of God – His virtues, morals, goodness, compassion, mercy, love, faithfulness, etc. His excellencies include His grace shared with people who rebelled against Him and deserve no favor from Him yet given to them by Him in the form of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation through the death of His Son, Jesus. These and other attributes that describe God fully make up His marvelous light. God, sinless and holy, is the opposite of evil and darkness. He is marvelous light, just as He is love. These excellencies are the charge Peter declares the dispersed Christians must declare or proclaim. God chose these early Christians and all Christians to be a chosen race because of Him, a royal priesthood because of Him, and a holy nation because of Him – because of Who He is and what He gives. Out of reverence, love, and faithfulness, because of the characteristics of God, which He puts into each believer from His character, we love other people and Him and want them to know of God’s grace given through Jesus Christ for those who will believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Did you get that? Because of God’s love that now abides in each Christian, each believer loves every person-believer and unbeliever-and desires them to know Jesus and grow in their relationship with Him. For this reason, every Christian may, can and should, proclaim God’s excellencies and marvelous light.

God chose you as His possession!

Before we end, let’s consider the next-to-last section of verse nine. Peter said, “But you are … a chosen people for God’s own possession.” Understand clearly. Peter wanted to make sure people, Christians and non-Christians, heard this. God treasures and cherishes His people to the utmost. He chose each person to believe in Jesus and calls each believer as part of His people, race, priesthood, and nation. God considers them His possession, not as a child who does not want to share with another child. He considers each Christian His chosen people and will defend him or her against all principalities, angels, powers, death, etc. Paul stated this in Romans 8:38-39 when he said,

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. [NASB]

Jesus spoke of this, too, in John 10:27-30 when He spoke of His sheep – His disciples. He said,

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one. [NASB]

God jealously loves each believer. He loves each person, even the non-Christian. You can know this because He planned for yours and my redemption and salvation from before He created humanity. God’s love surpasses each person’s sins. He offers His grace. More importantly, Peter implied, God jealously and fiercely loves and protects each of His children, Christians, and will never allow Satan or any other created being to separate them from Him. Almighty, all-knowing, ever-present God loves you so much that He would protect you. God cherishes you. He treasures you. God calls you His possession, not as a possessive toddler, but as almighty God. Whatever created thing thinks it can take you away from Him will know and you can know that nothing can ever separate you from Him. He loves you that much. Literally, God loves you to death!

God cherishes you.

God loves you.

“Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. You had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:10 [NASB]) God loves you that much – with the expanse of His whole being.

You’re in that boat on the lake when a storm arises. Have you diligently kept your navigation tools in working order? Is your GPS functioning and keeping track of your exact location? Are you able to tell the person on the other end of the radio where you are? God doesn’t need a GPS or a radio, but He does want to have a continual, growing relationship with you. God knows exactly where you are and is waiting for you to call Him. Are you in tune with God or have you walked away from Him? I encourage you to return to Him. God will remind you He is there waiting for you to return to Him. He knows you well. If you are a Christian, God called you a part of His chosen race, His royal priesthood, His holy nation. He called you. When once you were not chosen, you are now chosen. When once you had no hope, He provided hope through the priesthood of Jesus. Where once you were lost and sinful, God provided the perfect sacrifice to make you holy. Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, He gave you these and called you His own possession.

If your GPS locator and radio have not worked since you installed them on your boat, consider what happened in your life. Have you chosen to be your own person, make your own way, and not worry (too much) about what happens when you die? God says you don’t have to worry. He sent Jesus to be your Savior. Jesus said, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6 [NASB]) Let God be your GPS. Jesus is the way. Turn on your radio and seek Him. He says you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

God loved you even before you believed in His Son for salvation. He loved you your whole life and does not want you to die an eternal separation from Him because of your sins. God wants to give you new life through the redemption and salvation Jesus bought with His life on the cross. You do not have to suffer eternal separation from God in hell. You do not have to pay for your sins. Jesus paid for your sins and the sins of everyone with His perfect once-only-needed sacrifice, His life.

God loves you with a life-giving love.

God cherishes you and will defend you against everything.

God Treasures You.

What keeps you from turning to God and saying, “Yes, Lord. Here am I, save me?”

“Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13 [NASB])

Lord, I have made a mess of my life. I thought I had it all in hand and was in control, but, Lord, I look at what I’ve done, how I’ve done it, and to whom I’ve done it, and I’m ashamed. Lord, please tell me I have not gone too far away for You to save me. Please, Lord, look upon me with love, Your gracious, merciful, and compassionate love, and forgive me. Save me, Lord, for I cannot! You were faithful when I turned away. You loved when I rebelled. You kept the hurricane away when I caused the storm. I do not deserve You. I do not deserve Your love, mercy, or grace, but I fall on my face and plead for Your leniency. Please, Lord, save me, a lost and unclean person. Make me clean with Your redemption. Make me holy by Your salvation. Choose me, Lord, though I am unworthy to be in Your presence. Thank you, most holy, loving, and gracious Lord. Amen.

The King of Glory

The King of Glory

                                                                       Psalm 24

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness of it, the world and they who dwell in it. For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the currents and rivers. Who shall go up into the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted himself up to falsehood nor sworn deceitfully.” (vs. 1-4 [NASB])

We could top there and just praise, confess, and repent. David takes us through the first two parts of prayer-adoring and confessing. David wanted to be in the Lord’s presence. He wanted to praise God, but recognized his own sinfulness. Yet, that did not get David down. He knew God had the power to make him clean so he could be in the presence of God as He sat on His throne in His temple. David recognized he needed clean hands, hands that had done no sin, and a clean heart, one that had not contemplated evil thoughts that led to evil actions or words. Remember, from the heart comes the evil a man does or the good he does. Jesus said this when he said it is not what a man puts in his body that defiles him, but what comes out of his heart and mouth that makes him unclean (Matthew 15:11). David came to the Lord and said he had confessed and the Lord cleansed him. Have you confessed and allowed God to cleanse you and make you pure so you can be in His presence to worship Him?

David did not stop with just praise, confession and repentance. He gave us something for which to thank God in verse five. He said, “He shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” David understood the greatest reason for him to thank God after his confession and repentance. Once a person genuinely comes before the Lord confessing and repenting, God will clean him or her. With this newly received forgiveness and salvation, the natural response is thanks and praise. David did that here. He said we must thank God for his blessings and the righteousness He gives us through the salvation Jesus provided through His death and resurrection.

With verse six, David explained who would receive this blessing and salvation. He said, “This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O God of Jacob.” [AMP] David used the name Jacob to refer to all the Israelites in the Old Testament. For Christians today, this means all who have believed in Jesus for salvation as the Son of God and have received His forgiveness and mercy. No one will be left out. All people are called to believe in Him and receive salvation, being made righteous-cleansed from our evil thoughts, words, and actions. Any of the people of Jacob can go up the mountain to the temple of Zion, go into God’s great heavenly throne room and stand in His presence adoring, thanking, praising, and confessing to God.

After adoring, confessing, and thanking God, the One who made heaven and earth and all that is in it, the One who makes us clean and pure, the One who gives blessing and righteousness, and will be found by His people, David brought us back to why we should worship the Lord with verses seven through ten. He said, “Lift up your heads, O you gates, and be lifted up, you age-abiding doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is the king of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates, yes lift them up, you age-abiding doors, the King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts. He is the King of glory!”[AMP]  We should worship the King, the Lord Jesus, because He is mighty and victorious in battle. He took on the powers of hell and defeated them for each of us. Open up, you gates of heaven and let your King enter and take His place. He is mighty and strong in battle. Again, David explained who the King, the One we should worship? He is the King of glory, Jehovah, our righteous and all-sufficient Savior.

Just as the angels in heaven bowed down when Christ returned to sit on the right hand of the Father, He calls us to open our doors and let Him into our hearts and lives. Do you know God? Do you recognize Him in creation on earth and in heaven? He is the One who created all things and deserves adoration and praise.

Have you looked into your heart and mind and recognized you are not innocent; you are unrighteous? Jesus died so you can be clean from your sin. Confess and repent now and the Savior, the Lord who died and won the victory over death and sin, will clean and save you.

Are you one who has tasted the victory Christ gives, but have forgotten to seek and praise Him? We are of the house of Jacob and we have oh, so many reasons to thank and praise Him. He is our Savior. He died because of His love for you even while you were a sinner and far away from Him. For this, we should heartedly and with humbleness thank and praise God.

Have you wondered who this Jesus, the Son of God is? Do you need a reminder why you should praise Him? He is the mighty warrior who defeated sin and death. He died and rose again to walk into the throne room of the temple in heaven. He is the King of glory. Jesus is the One to whom the angels and all the heavenly hosts bow down and the One to whom you bowed when you confessed, repented, and accepted Him as your Savior. He is the Lord of hosts and is your Lord.

If you have not believed in Jesus Christ as the Savior, the One who lived a sin-free life and died an innocent death, who rose back to life three days later and then ascended back to heaven, He waits for you to believe in Him, and confess and repent of your sins so He will clean you from your evil thoughts, words, and actions. Jesus loves you and wants you to receive salvation so you can be free of sin and death and live in an eternal relationship with Him, receiving His blessing of eternal life. Will you come before the Lord now opening your heart, adoring God for who He is and what He’s done? Will you believe Jesus Christ is God’s Son, the One sent to be the Savior for all people so you can be cleaned from your sins and receive eternal life? Will you come before Him thanking Him for all He’s done for you and what He will do for you? Will you come before Him praising Him because Jesus, Jesus alone, is the King of glory, mighty in battle, and victorious over sin and death?

Christian, will you come before God adoring Him? Will you come confessing and repenting so God will cleanse you from your sins? Come before Him thanking Him and confessing Him with all the hosts in heaven and on earth. All creation will rise up and praise His holy name.

“All the earth shall bow down to You and sing praises to You. They shall praise Your name in song.” Psalm 66:4 [AMP]

Lord, God almighty, we get caught up in doing life and forget about you. We do, think, and say evil things. Without you we are powerless over sin and death. Jesus, you give us this power because of your innocent death and resurrection. Please forgive us now, we pray. Bring us back into a right relationship with you so we can praise and thank You with our whole being-heart, soul, mind, and strength. You, O Lord, deserve all praise, glory, and honor. Thank you for dying and defeating sin and death for us. Thank you for Your love.