Over the past months I have walked us through the things of GOD's Promised all of which have their conclusion and fulfillment in Christ our anointing. That is to say when we as individuals actually become His again as in the beginning. For the next few months I will endeavor to reveal Christ and all that He IS. The world today seeks security and safety each in their own way and by so doing remain in extreme hostility to GOD and Christ. Jesus Himself said, that He alone is Truth, Life and the One and only Way to GOD. He also so much as said to find the Way requires obedience to His life and words. After His execution burial resurrection and ascension He became mans High Priest and Mediator between GOD the Father and man, there is none other. The LORD of the old is LORD of the New and He is Christ, Who fills those of Repentant heart and His revelation is our great Salvation. But be of good strength and courage it is GOD Who is at work. Now for the teaching of Pastor Hoekstra's on Grace. And then with the uses of the ESV translation and the LORD should He given more enlightenment which I will add without hesitation.
"Obedience under the New Covenant of Grace"
"For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace." (Romans 6:14)
"Obedience is a vital issue for every believer. Throughout the scriptures we see that God's desire is for His children to walk in obedience. Moses wrote of this truth. "You shall obey the voice of the LORD your God, and observe His commandments and His statutes which I command you itoday" (Deuteronomy 27:10). Samuel confirmed this truth. "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" (1Samuel 15:22). Likewise, the Apostle Peter declared that God's children are to live "as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts" (1Peter 1:14). The "former lusts" are our worldly appetites for other things no matter their substance or shape of form.
Our lives are to be under the rule (the dominion) of GOD's plan and purposes or other wise put His Will, as revealed in His word. When we are disobedient to God's Will, sin is dominating our lives. The LORD certainly wants us to get out from under the domination of sin and to live obediently. The only path for such liberation is the Grace of GOD. "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law (of first sin and death and then the defunct Laws of Moses, now rendered useless, having of no heavenly value) but under Grace" (Romans 6:14). Man might think that the law could free us from the dominating influence of sin. If we had laws with radical standards and severe consequences, surely man would not go on sinning. Of course, this approach does not work. No standards are as lofty as the holy law of GOD. No consequences are more severe than violating GOD's law. Yet, men still are dominated by sin. Grace is GOD's remedy. Man has taken it upon himself to attempt to regulate by laws mans morality though laws of governments religious institutions higher degrees of learning and the such but all has fails he best intentions as the world to day is seeing openly. Man has by ignorance removed the teeth or pain of his own laws and therefore their is no fear of punishment and with that no respect for law or government. Let alone for GOD from Whom law is established which requires obedience to GOD's sufficiency. Be of good courage it is GOD at work bring about mans need for obedience to Him in all things, great or small.
A reactionary apprehension can develop against GOD's liberating remedy of Grace. Some people think that proclaiming grace as the solution will only encourage people to sin all the more and even wrongly assume that this will unleash more grace. The opposite is actually true. When GOD's children embrace the wonder of what His Grace provides (an effective rescue from sin through our identification with the death and resurrection of Christ), we see the folly of continuing in sin. "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in Newness of Life" (Romans 6:1-4). By GOD's Grace at work, growing in this New Life benefits means growing in obedience." We have already looked into the benefits of GOD's Promises but there is more for those who become conjoined to Him, as in or by a marriage.
Security of the saints some General references to:
Job 11:13-20 If you prepare your heart, you will stretch out your hands toward Him. If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and let not injustice dwell in your tents. Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure and will not fear. You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters that have passed away. And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be like the morning. And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security. You will lie down, and none will make you afraid; many will court your favor. But the eyes of the wicked will fail; all way of escape will be lost to them, and their hope is to breathe their last."
Psalm 91:5-10 "You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent."
Psalm 112:7-9, 10, 125:1-3 and Proverbs 1:20-33 "He (the righteous) is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries. He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor.
The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish!"
Psalm 125:1-3 "Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people, from this time forth and forevermore. For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the lot to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong."
Proverbs 1:20-33 "Wisdom (is the Spirit of Christ in the person of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth) cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at My reproof, behold, I will pour out My Spirit to you; I will make My words known to you. Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out My hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all My counsel and would have none of My reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon Me, but I will not answer; they will seek Me diligently but will not find Me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, would have none of My counsel and despised all My reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to Me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster."
Proverbs 3:13-26, Isaiah 33:13-16 and 43:1-7 "Blessed is the one who finds wisdom (Christ), and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed. The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens; by His knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew. My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught."
Isaiah 33:13-16 "Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and you who are near, acknowledge My might. The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: "Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?" He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil, he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure."
Isaiah 43:1-7 "Now thus says the LORD, He Who created you, O Jacob, He Who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I Will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your GOD, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in My eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I Will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made."
Hebrews 13:1-6 "Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the (Christ the) Body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we can confidently say, "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?"
1Peter 3:13-22 "Who is there to harm you if you are zealous for (Christ that which is) what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the LORD most Holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's plan and purpose, His Will, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to GOD, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which He went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to GOD for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of GOD, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to Him."
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