In yesterdays post we looked at the Promise of GOD to those who would of free will become Obedient to Him. To day I am going to regress just a bit to cover those who will obey GOD so we cover the whole gamut of Obedience. I will again cover the writing of Pastor Hoekstra and his covering to the New Covenant of Promise, with some editing by me. With the ESV translation as it seems to a much easier reading one.
"Other Descriptions of New Covenant Living"
"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me . . . be filled with the Spirit . . . I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (Luke 9:23; Ephesians 5:18; and John 10:10)
"Living as servants in the New Covenant is not some exclusive, esoteric religious concept, available only to an initiated few. Rather, it is just another way to speak of the life that is to be, and can be, lived by all who have placed their trust and faith in the ascended LORD Christ Jesus. The difference is that the language used is unfamiliar to many millions of people including Christians.
Some familiar terminology that speaks of the same biblical reality would be "Christian discipleship." A disciple is active follower of Jesus Christ. In Luke 9:23, Jesus explained what was involved in following Him as a disciple. "Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me'." In order to follow the LORD, a person must be willing to renounce the self-life, the sin nature, which is produced by one's own sufficiency. Then, that person must agree that such a self-produced life deserves to be judged as it is separated from God and keeps us beggarly and naked in our own bankruptcy before Him. Finally, everything that is needed for godly living must be found by pursuing a growing relationship with the LORD Christ Jesus who is both LORD and Christ.
Some other terminology that describes the essence of New Covenant living would be "the Spirit-filled life." "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit." The LORD calls His people away from earthly influences that can dominate and diminish lives and urges us to live by the fullness of His Spirit. When Christians answer this call, they are willing to live by GOD's powerful, unlimited resources, instead of by man's feeble, finite means. They have chosen to allow GOD to assist them in their spiritual grow which by the way HE is so willing and happy to do. But it not an mediate over night growth for HE is extremely patient with us but HIS perfection and our own maturity will come as we to learn of the LORD.
One other familiar phrase that depicts the same reality as life in the New Covenant is "the abundant life." "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." When Jesus came into this world, His mission was not only to rescue us from the consequences of our sins but also to provide us with "Abundant Life," a spiritually enriched life that only He could produce in us.
New Covenant living — it is the same reality as "Christian discipleship," "the Spirit-filled life," and "the Abundant Life" none of which we can reproduce of our own self-will."
Obedience to GOD our duty our pledge to His and our Fidelity:
Wholeheartedness Required:
Deuteronomy 26:16-19 "This day the LORD your GOD commands you to do these statutes and rules. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared today that the LORD is your GOD, and that you will walk in His ways, and keep His statutes and His commandments and His rules, and will obey His voice. And the LORD has declared today that you are a people for His treasured possession, as He has promised you, and that you are to keep all His commandments, and that He will set you in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that He has made, and that you shall be a people Holy to the LORD your GOD, as He promised."
Deuteronomy 32:44-46 (Moses has just finished his song to the LORD in the above passages being at verse 1 thru 43 read them with intent and purpose as words of this Law) "Moses came and recited all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he and Joshua the son of Nun. And when Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel (here is a nugget of pure gold, "Is are El"), he said to them, "Take to heart all the words by which I am warning (verses 1-43) you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law."
The Price of Sacrifice:
Joshua 1:7-9 The LORD is speaking "Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the Law that Moses My servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your GOD is with you wherever you go."
Better than Sacrifice:
1Samuel 15:20-23 "Saul said to Samuel, "I have obeyed the voice of the LORD. I have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal." To this Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king."
Jeremiah 7:21-26 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the GOD of Israel: "Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: 'Obey My voice, and I Will be your GOD, and you shall be My people (the "Is are El's"). And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.' But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all My servants the prophets to them, day after day. Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers."
Secures Entrance into GOD's Spiritual Kingdom:
Matthew 7:21-23 (Jesus is speaking) "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the Will of My Father Who is in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.'"
Luke 8:19-21 "Then His mother and His brothers came to Him, but they could not reach Him because of the crowd. And He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You." But He answered them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of GOD and do it."
The Imperative Duty of Life:
Acts 5:27-32 "When they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the High Priest questioned them, saying, "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us." To this charge Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, Whom you killed by hanging Him on a tree. GOD exalted Him at His right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, Whom GOD has given to those who obey HIM."
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