Obedience to Grace-In His Word 1-16-2021
We people tend to get nervous when we see or hear the word 'obedience' but Grace brings us peace and joy. Funny how that is. Both can come easily if we just trust God with all of our heart and lean not in our own understanding...
God began life walking with His people, but they were
disobedient. He gave them grace, and allowed them to continue then by the time
Noah was getting up in age He had had enough of all the unruly, disobedient,
self-satisfying people who did not take the time, or make the time to worship
Him, repent of their sins, and take the offering of life. First, He gave them 120 years, then he gave
them 7 days again at the end to repent, get right with God and accept the
cruise on the Ark with Noah and his family.
Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and
daughters were born to them. The sons of
God saw the beautiful women[a] and took any they wanted as their wives. Then
the Lord said, “My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for
they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no
more than 120 years.” Genesis 6:1-3
So, Noah did everything as the Lord commanded him. Noah was 600 years old when the flood covered
the earth. He went on board the boat to escape the flood—he and his wife and
his sons and their wives. With them were all the various kinds of animals—those
approved for eating and for sacrifice and those that were not—along with all
the birds and the small animals that scurry along the ground. They entered the
boat in pairs, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah. After seven
days, the waters of the flood came and covered the earth. Genesis 7:5-10
Consider next Moses. He obediently brought the people out of
Egypt and while he was taking to God the people began to riot! Well, not the
same as todays riots, but they were upset and worried because they thought they
would have a home to live in already, but they were left to rest in a somewhat desert
place for a time while Moses got direction from God Himself. He would eventually
call them a ‘stubborn and stiff-necked people’ and banish them to the
wilderness for 40 years for their impatience and disobedient self-satisfying
behavior. Yet it still took them that long to weed out those people who behaved
in such foolishness.
And the Lord said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from;
hence, for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted
themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded
them; they have made them a molten image. Furthermore, the Lord spoke unto me,
saying, I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people: Let
me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven:
and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they. Deuteronomy
9:12-14
He could have destroyed them all just then, but our God did
not. He had compassion on those who did do the right thing consistently through
time.
Throughout history we can read both in the Word of God and
the textbooks that man has been selfish and did not deserve the grace of God,
and yet He keeps giving it. He keeps forgiving us our debts…do we forgive our
debtors? Do we even come close to forgiving others as they forgive us, or as
God has forgiven us? Or are we like the man Jesus spoke of who was forgiven his
debt then went out after the person who owed him and had him tossed into prison?
Okay, I am getting real today, I know
this. This morning while reading I was reminded of these things; there but the
faith of God go I. I could have been the self-satisfying, self-seeking person
who wanted to please only myself, but God showed me a better way.
I had to ask myself, would I have gotten in the Ark? Would I
have realized that God was going to do what He said he would? I hope so! I hope
today that my thoughts, are close to His thoughts. I hope today that my ears
can hear, and my eyes can see what the Spirit is telling us, the Church. I hope
that I give others the grace that God as given me and forgive those who fail
me, and harm me, and are rude to me. I know I try, but I can only hope that God
will reveal my frailties that I may pray, that I may go out and make things
right, and that I may seek Him with all my heart.
As we examine our hearts, as the pastor says before communion,
we need to search, and ask God to search us to see if there is any wicked and sinful
way in us and ask Him to forgive us and help us to make it right. Then we will
see that we can stand in His presence. In Jesus name…Examine yourselves to
see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus
Christ is among you if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. As you
test yourselves, I hope you will recognize that we have not failed the test of
apostolic authority. 2 Corinthians 13:4-6
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my
anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along
the path of everlasting life. Psalm 139:22-24
What can we do today to ensure our heart is right with God?
Trust Jesus to bring it to light via the Holy Spirit.
What can we do today to be sure we are obedient to Him? Seek Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength! Put Him before yourself. Put His will before my will. Follow after Him in all that I do today. And accept His grace as it has been given via Jesus.
Read the Word, live the Word. Honor God with all that we do,
obey what He says, and love one another in all of this. In Jesus we can do all
things for He gives us the strength to do so!
Heavenly Father, help us today to stand strong in Your
Spirit and to be forgiving, love one another, and treat others a we would love
to be treated by them. Show us the path to follow and hold our hands as you
lead us onward, in Jesus’ name, amen.