Now I will call on Pastor Hoekstra's writing and teaching of Grace. And then get into two areas dealing with Salvation, the first is free, the second is sought, making use of the ESV translation. And when the LORD gives more insight I will as usual add it there and then.
"God Working in Us What Pleases Him"
"Now may the God of peace . . . make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:20-21)
"Our attention is focused upon Hebrews 13:20-21. In the two previous devotionals, we saw that the God of Peace makes obedience available to us through the blood of Christ and then equips us to do His Will (plan and purposes). Now we will see that this involves GOD working in us what pleases Him.
Obedience is about pleasing GOD, doing "what is well pleasing in His sight." This is why Christ died for us. "He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him Who died for them and rose again" (2Corinthians 5:15). Living to please self is the ultimate disobedience to GOD. As God's children, we want to live for His approval. "Walk as children of light . . . proving what is acceptable to the LORD" (Ephesians 5:8-10).
The means ordained for us to actually live pleasing in His sight is GOD at work in us: "the GOD of peace . . . working in you what is well pleasing in His sight." We cannot properly live obedient, pleasing lives for GOD, unless we look to the LORD to be working within us. If we are to be faithful representatives of the LORD here on earth, we need Him working through us. "Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though GOD were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to GOD" (2Corinthians 5:20). This is how the early church effectively pleased the LORD in their service. "For He Who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles" (Galatians 2:8).
Ultimately, pleasing GOD by doing His Will is an internal matter of the heart. "That He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our GOD and Father at the coming of our LORD Jesus Christ with all His saints" (1Thessalonians 3:13). When our LORD returns, He wants to find obedient children. He wants His followers to be "blameless in holiness before our GOD and Father." This is only possible as we allow our GOD to do a spiritually stabilizing work deep within us: "That He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness."
Not surprisingly, all of this working of GOD within us is done "through Jesus Christ." It is all based upon Who Jesus is, all that He has done for us, and all that He alone can accomplish as He lives in us!"
Free Salvation,
Isaiah 55:1-5, 6-8 "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to Me; hear, that your soul may live; and I Will make with you an Everlasting Covenant, My steadfast, sure love for David. Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your GOD, and of the Holy One of Israel, for He has glorified you.
"Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion on him, and to our GOD, for HE Will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD."
Romans 3:21-26 "Now the Righteousness of GOD has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the Righteousness of GOD through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short (in satan's sin) of the glory of GOD, and are justified by His Grace as a Gift, through the redemption that is through Christ Jesus, Whom GOD put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show GOD's Righteousness, because in His divine forbearance HE had passed over former sins. It was to show His Righteousness at the present time, so that HE might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."
Revelation 22:17 "The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price."
Salvation Sought,
1Chronicles 16:7-36 "That day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the LORD by Asaph and his brothers. Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that He has done, His miracles and the judgments He uttered, O offspring of Israel His servant, children of Jacob, His chosen ones! He is the LORD our GOD; His judgments are in all the earth. Remember His covenant forever, the word that He commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that He made with Abraham, His sworn promise to Isaac, which He confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan, as your portion for an inheritance." When you were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it, wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, He allowed no one to oppress them; He rebuked kings on their account, saying, "Touch not My anointed ones, do My prophets no harm!" Sing to the LORD, all the earth! Tell of His Salvation (to save, heal, deliver H3444) from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy are in His place. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and come before Him! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth; yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!" Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for He comes to judge the earth. Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast Love endures forever!Say also: "Save us, O GOD of our salvation (saving, safety H3468) and gather and deliver us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name and glory in Your praise. Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!" Then all the people said, "Amen!" and praised the LORD."
Psalm 31:14-18 "I trust in You, O LORD; I say, "You are my GOD." My times are in Your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! Make Your face shine on Your servant; save me in Your steadfast love! O LORD, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon You; let the wicked be put to shame; let them go silently to Sheol. Let the lying lips be mute, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt."
Psalm 54:1-3 "O God, save me by Your name, and vindicate me by Your might. O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth. For strangers have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life; they do not set GOD before themselves."
Psalm 85:4-7 "Restore us again, O GOD of our salvation (H3468), and put away Your indignation toward us! Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us Your salvation (H3468)."
Psalm 106:4-5 "Remember me, O LORD, when You show favor (Will H7522) to Your people; help me when You save them, that I may look upon the prosperity of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance."
Psalm 119:41-48
Waw.
"Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD, Your salvation (to save from trouble H6886) according to Your promise; then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in Your word. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in Your rules. I will keep Your law continually, forever and ever, and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought Your precepts. I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame, for I find my delight in Your commandments, which I love. I will lift up my hands toward Your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on Your statutes."
Acts 16:25-34 "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." And they spoke the word of the LORD to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in GOD."
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