35.w. “They were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

 

 

 

Genesis 7:1  Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth. For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him. Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah. And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.

 Matthew 24:37-39    For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,  and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

 Hebrews 11:7   By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

 Psalms 91:1-10    He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

 Proverbs 14:26    In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.

 Proverbs 18:10    The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

 Psalms 33:18-19    Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,  that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.

 2 Peter 2:5-9     if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;  if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;  and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked  (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard);  then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,

The call to Noah is very kind, like that of a tender father to his children to come in-doors when he sees night or a storm coming. Noah did not go into the ark till God bade him, though he knew it was to be his place of refuge. It is very comfortable to see God going before us in every step we take. Noah had taken a great deal of pains to build the ark, and now he was himself kept alive in it. What we do in obedience to the command of God, and in faith, we ourselves shall certainly have the comfort of, first or last. This call to Noah reminds us of the call the gospel gives to poor sinners. Christ is an ark, in whom alone we can be safe, when death and judgment approach. The word says, Come; ministers say, Come; the Spirit says, Come, come into the Ark. Noah was accounted righteous, not for his own righteousness, but as an heir of the righteousness which is by faith, Heb 11:7. He believed the revelation of a saviour, and sought and expected salvation through Him alone. Thus was he justified by faith, and received that Spirit whose fruit is in all goodness; but if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. After the hundred and twenty years, God granted seven days’ longer space for repentance. But these seven days were trifled away, like all the rest. It shall be but seven days. They had only one week more, one sabbath more to improve, and to consider the things that belonged to their peace. But it is common for those who have been careless of their souls during the years of their health, when they have looked upon death at a distance, to be as careless during the days, the few days of their sickness, when they see death approaching; their hearts being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. As Noah prepared the ark by faith in the warning given that the flood would come, so he went into it, by faith in this warning that it would come quickly. And on the day Noah was securely fixed in the ark, the fountains of the great deep were broken up. The earth had within it those waters, which, at God’s command, sprang up and flooded it; and thus our bodies have in themselves those humours, which, when God pleases, become the seeds and springs of mortal diseases. The windows of heaven were opened, and the waters which were above the firmament, that is, in the air, were poured out upon the earth. The rain comes down in drops; but such rains fell then, as were never known before or since. It rained without stop or abatement, forty days and forty nights, upon the whole earth at once. As there was a peculiar exercise of the almighty power of God in causing the flood, it is vain and presumptuous to attempt explaining the method of it, by human wisdom. (Henry)

34.r.

 

Matthew 21:18   In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

 Matthew 17:20     He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

 Mark 11:22-23    And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.  Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.

 Romans 4:19-20  He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.  No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,

 James 1:6   But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

 1 John 5:14-15    And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

 John 15:7     If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

This cursing of the barren fig-tree represents the state of hypocrites in general, and so teaches us that Christ looks for the power of religion in those who profess it, and the savour of it from those that have the show of it. His just expectations from flourishing professors are often disappointed; he comes to many, seeking fruit, and finds leaves only. A false profession commonly withers in this world, and it is the effect of Christ’s curse. The fig-tree that had no fruit, soon lost its leaves. This represents the state of the nation and people of the Jews in particular. Our Lord Jesus found among them nothing but leaves. And after they rejected Christ, blindness and hardness grew upon them, till they were undone, and their place and nation rooted up. The Lord was righteous in it. Let us greatly fear the doom denounced on the barren fig-tree. (Henry)

“We can only believe for a thing when we are in such union with God that his thought and purpose can freely flow into us, suggesting what we should pray for, and leading us to that point in which there is a perfect sympathy and understanding between us and the divine mind. Faith is always the product of such a frame as this.” (Meyer)

If a person takes a shallow dive into this passage they can walk away with the opinion and thought that God is their “magic genie in a bottle” to grant their wishes as they request. Many will preach this same thought and give eloquent words to support such thoughts – “if only you had more faith” – “you can move the mountains blocking your life” – “By faith all things are possible” – “Jesus said it and you can do it if you have enough faith” – and many others like them.  What is missing in these thoughts about having faith that can move a mountain is:

  1. Am I leaving room for God’s purpose and sovereignty?
  2. Am I seeking His will?
  3. Am I desiring His will be done?
  4. Am I listening to the soul-deep quiet whispers of the Holy Spirits leading?
  5. Am I living in sin or with unconfessed sin?
  6. Am I more interested in my will than God’s will?
  7. Am I studying by myself to be a workman of God and rightly dividing the word of truth?
  8. Am I in line with God’s Word?

God is able to do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine. He is All-Powerful, All-Knowing, and All-Present. He is God Almighty, no one or nothing is greater than He is. The Bible gives numerous accounts of His sovereignty, power, and control over all of His creation. To think He is at our beckoning command to do all we ask, though He can, is not having a basic foundational understanding of His sovereignty, will, and purposes over His creation. ShadrachMeshachand Abednego trusted God and were determined to be faithful without any guarantee of deliverance. In their faith, they left room for God’s will.  “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” This is faith in God and leaving the outcome in His hands. 

When we seek to honor and glorify Jesus Christ let our Faith be ever-growing in God and place our reliance on the outcome of our requests in His hands, for His purpose and plans. He sent His Son to redeem us! He did this out of His great mercy, grace, and love.  Will He not, out of this same great mercy, grace, and love, do what is absolutely perfect for our lives? Let our requests be full of unyielding and abounding faith and humbly placed at His feet knowing that He hears us, we are His children, and He will graciously, mercifully, and lovingly accomplish His will and purpose, for He can do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine. 

33.f. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear”

 

1 John 4:13  By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

 Job 15:21    Dreadful sounds are in his ears; in prosperity the destroyer will come upon him.

 Psalms 73:19    How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors!

 Psalms 119:120    My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments.

 James 2:19    You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

As I read 1 John 4 I am drawn to; “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear”.  This small selected verse out of 1 John 4, does not stand alone. It is context with the “Day of Judgment”.  Fear is used a couple of different ways in scripture, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; Fear here means respectful, compliant, devoted, and loving reverence to God. We must distinguish between the fear of God and being afraid of him; the fear of God imports high regard and veneration for God. Obedience and good works, done from the principle of love, are not like the servile toil of one who unwillingly labors from dread of a master’s anger.

In 1 John, fear is a kind of fear that involves a torment that agonizes the soul and robs it of any lasting joy or confidence. 

The coming “Day of Judgment” should instill this type of fear in every living human being. I am amazed at how freely John speaks of it as if the “Day of Judgment” was understood and believed by most in his day. Today you hear little of it now and even less to fear it. Yet, within every soul is a foundational knowledge of God that should inspire our soul to want to know and understand Him.

People’s conditions are varied. Those without fear and love for God – give no thought to God, the coming judgment, and eternity in Hell. 

Those with fear but without love for God – have given thought to God, the coming judgment, and eternity in Hell awaiting them and have a tormenting fear. They have not surrendered, repented, believed, trusted, or relied on Jesus Christ.

Those without knowledge of our sin, fear of the coming judgment and eternity in Hell and with a trusting and believing reliance in God – love of Him as Creator, Father, All-powerful, All-knowing, Redeemer of our soul”,  We have been “born again” and are a “new creation” in Jesus Christ. Our love continues to be perfected. We continue to strive to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all that we think, say and do. It is in this loving trust in Jesus Christ that the fear and torment within our souls are removed. 

The completeness of love means we do not cower in fear before God, dreading His judgment, either now or on the day of judgment. We know all the judgment we ever deserved – past, present, and future – was poured out on Jesus Christ on the cross. Let the discovery of my own sinfulness direct me to its remedy, the righteousness and the Cross of Jesus Christ. He, and He alone, can deal with the disturbing element in my relation to God. He can ‘deliver me. It is Christ and His work, Christ and His sacrifice, Christ and His indwelling Spirit that will grapple with and overcome sin and all its consequences, in any man and in every man; taking away its penalty, lightening the heart of the burden of its guilt, delivering from its love and dominion–all three of which things are the barbs of the arrows with which fear riddles heart and conscience. So my fear should proclaim to me the merciful ‘Name that is above every name,’ and drive me as well as draw me to Christ, the Conqueror of sin, and the Antagonist of all dread. Make ready for the coming storm, and remember that the mission of fear is to lead you to the Christ who will take it away. (MacLaren)

26.y. “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord”

 

Ephesians 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. 

 Acts 13:48    And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14    But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.  To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 James 2:5    Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

 Matthew 25:34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

 2 Timothy 2:19    But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

 John 15:16   You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

“We are not sitting here, and groaning, and crying, and fretting, and worrying, and questioning our own salvation. He has blessed us; and therefore we will bless him. If you think little of what God has done for you, you will do very little for him; but if you have a great notion of his great mercy to you, you will be greatly grateful to your gracious God.” (Spurgeon)

 “Our thanks are due to God for all temporal blessings; they are more than we deserve. But our thanks ought to go to God in thunders of hallelujahs for spiritual blessings. A new heart is better than a new coat. To feed on Christ is better than to have the best earthly food. To be an heir of God is better than being the heir of the greatest nobleman. To have God for our portion is blessed, infinitely more blessed than to own broad acres of land. God hath blessed us with spiritual blessings. These are the rarest, the richest, the most enduring of all blessings; they are priceless in value.” (Spurgeon)

 If we have no appreciation for spiritual blessing, then we live at the level of animals. Animals live only to eat, sleep, entertain themselves, and to reproduce. We are made in the image of God and He has something much higher for us, yet many choose to live at the level of animals. (Guzik) Believers are chosen by God, and they are chosen before they have done anything or have been anything for God. The great light of this truth casts some shadows; namely, in trying to reconcile human responsibility with divine sovereignty. Yet the purpose of light is not to cast shadows but to guide our steps. The light of God’s selection gives us assurance to the permanence of His plan and His love towards us. The reasons for God’s choosing are not  inconsistent, impulsive, or random.  Though they are past our finding out, we know that they are altogether wise and good, but the reasons are all in Him, not in us. His choosing is according to the good pleasure of His will. We are chosen not only for salvation, but also for holiness. Any understanding of God’s sovereign choosing that diminishes our personal responsibility for personal holiness and sanctification falls far short of the whole counsel of God.

We should not think for a single second we will not be held accountable for how we cherish and honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we say, think, and do.  We have been chosen to be children of God.  We should be living our lives so that Jesus Christ is proclaimed and honored and glorified.  What kind of child is it that spends no time with their father, who does not listen to their father, who does not obey their father, who does not seek and desire the wisdom of their father?  

25.o. “You will not fear the pestilence that stalks”

 

Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 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.

The opening lines of Psalm 91 seem to take that idea further. “Moses spoke of God as the dwelling-place, the habitation, the home of man. There are many followers of Jesus Christ who seem to know very little of the secret place of the Most High or what it is to abide under His shadow. Many seem to regard this as only a thing for mystics or the super-spiritual. For the man well acquainted with the realities of life and understanding the frailty of it, there is a place where it’s influence to fear, chaos, and uncertainty are defeated. It is true that the life of the spirit seems to come more easily for some than for others, but there is an aspect of the secret place of the Most High that is for everyone who puts his trust in Him.

 “Every child of God looks towards the inner sanctuary and the mercy-seat, yet all do not dwell in the most holy place; they run to it at times, and enjoy occasional approaches, but they do not habitually reside in the mysterious presence.” (Spurgeon)  Walking in or standing in or staying in the shadow of God would mean we are close to Him – In His presence. The one who is in His presence knows of and trusts in God’s almighty power and rests in that refuge and fortress.

“Men are apt enough to proclaim their doubts, and even to boast of them, indeed there is a party nowadays of the most audacious pretenders to culture and thought, who glory in casting suspicion upon everything; hence it becomes the duty of all true believers to speak out and testify with calm courage to their own well-grounded reliance upon their God.” (Spurgeon)  Doubts will lead down paths straight into the pit of fear.  This is no path for a christian to be on.  We can not read or listen to most social media outlets without them casting out doubts and fears. We need to be mindful of the lies of Satan and his ways.  God is bigger, more powerful, and more knowing than any of these.  God also protects His people in times of plague and disease. The psalmist, inspired by the Holy Spirit, did not intend this as an absolute promise, that every believer would be delivered from every snare or every pestilence. Instead, the idea is that the psalmist could point to many times when God did just that for His trusting people. “This does not mean that those who trust God never die from infectious diseases or suffer from an enemy’s plot, of course. It means that those who trust God are habitually delivered from such dangers. What Christian cannot testify to many such deliverances?”  “Lord Craven, a Christian, was a nobleman who was living in London when plague ravaged the city in the fifteenth century. In order to escape the spreading pestilence Craven determined to leave the city for his country home, as many of his social standing did. He ordered his coach and baggage made ready. But as he was walking down one of the halls of his home about to enter his carriage, he overheard one of his servants say to another, ‘I suppose by my lord’s quitting London to avoid the plague that his God lives in the country and not in town.’ It was a straightforward and apparently innocent remark. But it struck Lord Craven so deeply that he canceled his journey, saying, ‘My God lives everywhere and can preserve me in town as well as in the country. I will stay where I am.’ So he stayed in London. He helped the plague victims, and he did not catch the disease himself.” (Boice)

God, our God, lives in all places and is in all places.  He is a refuge and fortress for those who put their trust in Him.

18.n. “For apart from me you can do nothing”

John 15:1  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Of the many pictures of the relationship between God and His people, the vine and branch picture emphasizes complete dependence and the need for constant connection. The branch depends on the vine even more than the sheep depends on the shepherd or the child depends on the father. As Jesus was about to depart from His disciples, this was important encouragement. He would remain united to them and they to Him as truly as branches are connected to the main vine. (Guzik)

“Left to itself a vine will produce a good deal of unproductive growth. For maximum fruitfulness extensive pruning is essential.” (Morris)

“Deadwood is worse than fruitlessness, for dead wood can harbor disease and decay…God removes the deadwood from his church and disciplines the life of the believer so that it is directed into fruitful activity.” (Tenney)

 “And if it is painful to bleed, it is worse to wither. Better be pruned to grow than cut up to burn.” (Trapp)

I’m intrigued by – “that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples”.  What fruit is in your life that proves you to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?  What do you say, think, and do that proves you to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?  Too many times people have determined to use what they say, think, and do as a means to be good enough before God.  They perform acts they think will make them good enough.  They seem to keep a mental ledger book of both the good and bad they do in hope that the goodwill outweighs the bad and thereby justifies them before God.  This vine bears no fruit and if it does the fruit that is yielded is rotten.  A true caretaker of these vines will try to prune them and develop new growth that will produce good fruit.  What has been cut off will be cast into a fire.  At some point, the caretaker will no longer give care to this vine.   He will dig it up and burn it all.  

A true vine will produce fruit that proves they are disciples of Jesus Christ.  The works (fruit) they do honors and glorifies Jesus Christ.  The good works they do is not about being good enough but rather out of love and reverence for Jesus Christ.  There is no seeking to be good enough.  They know their redemption is not found in being good enough but rather in faith and reliance on Jesus Christ.  They humbly surrender to the honor and glory of Jesus Christ and cast off all self-worth and self-reliance.  By their fruit, they show they are His disciples.

18.k. “Not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.”

John 14:13   Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 15:7   If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Luke 22:44   “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

Psalms 40:8    I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

John 6:38    For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

Can you imagine what it would be like to know the exact day and time that you were going to die an agonizing death with immense pain and suffering?  As the day approaches every waking moment is consumed with what is coming.  Wouldn’t you do everything within your power to advert this from happening?  Wouldn’t you seek help and intervention from your family and close friends?    What makes the willing surrender of Jesus to suffer immensely and die on the cross so amazing is that He did not say no.  He certainly did not want to go through this but out of His love for us He willingly obeyed, willingly submitted, willingly suffered, willingly listened to the mocking, and willingly died.  He willingly paid the price for OUR sin

Prayer is not about bending God’s will to get what we want. The purpose of prayer is to seek God’s will and then align our desires with His.  Alignment with God’s will.  Do you ever wonder how this happens?  How do we know God’s will? Jesus said “Whatever you ask in My name, this I will do”.  Some may say this verse confirms Jesus’ will because He said to ask and He will do.  Do you ever wonder how many prayers seek personal will over the will of God?  

When next you dwell in imagination upon the delights of some favorite sin, think of its effects as you behold them here! See its fearful effects in the garden of Gethsemane, and desire, by the help of God, deeply to hate and to forsake that enemy, to ransom sinners from whom the Redeemer prayed, agonized, and bled.  (Matthew Henry)

16.h. “And the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31  So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you.

Isaiah 61:1   The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

Romans 8:15     For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Galatians 5:13    For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

2 Timothy 2:25-26     correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth  and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

James 1:25     But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

1 Peter 2:16    Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

Jesus was speaking to those who believed Him.  There is a difference between believing Him and believing in Him.  Those who believe in Him will abide in His word.  Those who believe Him will not, or they may pick and choose what they want to abide in. Clearly, they were inclined to think what Jesus was saying was true.  But they were not prepared or willing to yield that belief into trust and reliance.  Abiding in His Word means “Welcoming it, being at home with it, and living with it so continuously that it becomes part of the believer’s life, a permanent influence and stimulus in every fresh advance in goodness and holiness.”

Abiding in His Word will open our hearts and minds to the truth.  It is this truth that sets us free.  There is nothing like the freedom we can have in Jesus. No money can buy it, no status can obtain it, no works can earn it, and nothing can match it. It is tragic that not every Christian experiences this freedom, which can never be found except by abiding in God’s word and being Jesus’ disciple.  There is freedom from worry, hate, anger, fear, greed, jealousy, envy, pride, self-reliance, and the want to sin.  But in order to experience this “Freedom”, there must be an intentional choice to die to self and its sinful nature and live for Christ.  In this complete surrender and yielding, we will find a mysterious freedom that seeks and desires to know, do, trust, and rejoice in the will of God.

Your Dwelling Place

Psalms 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most Highwill abide in the shadow of the Almighty.I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,my God, in whom I trust.”For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowlerand from the deadly pestilence.He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.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. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

It is always good to be  reminded of peace and rest found in God.  This Psalm encourages me to stay on course and cling to, rely on and trust in God.  Spurgeon has great thoughts on this Psalm.

“Every child of God looks towards the inner sanctuary and the mercy-seat, yet all do not dwell in the most holy place; they run to it at times, and enjoy occasional approaches, but they do not habitually reside in the mysterious presence.”

We must walk very close to a companion, if we would have his shadow fall on us.

Men proclaim their doubts, and even to boast of them, who glory in casting suspicion upon everything;  it becomes the duty of all true believers to speak out and testify with calm courage to their own well-grounded reliance upon their God.”

“We are foolish and weak as poor little birds, and are very apt to be lured to our destruction by cunning foes, but if we dwell near to God, he will see to it that the most skilfull deceiver shall not entrap us.”

“It is impossible that any ill should happen to the man who is beloved of the Lord; the most crushing calamities can only shorten his journey and hasten him to his reward. Ill to him is no ill, but only good in a mysterious form. Losses enrich him, sickness is his medicine, reproach is his honour, death is his gain. No evil in the strict sense of the word can happen to him, for everything is overruled for good.”

“How angels thus keep us we cannot tell. Whether they repel demons, counteract spiritual plots, or even ward off the subtler physical forces of disease, we do not know. Perhaps we shall one day stand amazed at the multiplied services which the unseen bands have rendered to us.”

“They are blessings that some believers miss out on, simply because they are always fretting and do not trust God as they should. Here the psalmist quotes God as saying that the blessings are for those who love God and acknowledge his name (v. 14), call upon him (v. 15), and seek satisfaction in what he alone can provide.” (Boice)

Chosen

John 15:16  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

Acts 9:15     But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

1 John 4:10     In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Galatians 1:15   (  But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace,

Ephesians 2:10    For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

John 15:8     By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples

Isaiah 55:10     “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,  so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.  “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

1 Corinthians 3:6     I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

John 15:7     If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

John 14:13     Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 16:23     In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.  Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Matthew 21:22     And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Chosen by God, beforehand, for His purpose.  His purpose is to bear fruit, abide, glorify, ask, pray, plant, grow, and be joyful doing it.  Staying in His word is the foundation on which we understand, hear, obey, and accomplish His purpose.  Apart from it we are only serving self interests and guessing at what His purpose is for our life.  Our understanding and knowledge of Him comes from and through His word.  Application into our daily lives happens when we seek and desire for His purpose each moment of every day.  Neglecting this and becoming complacent to this will not accomplish His purpose.  Being to busy to spend time in His word is the same as saying He is not worthy of our time.  Take time, make time, set aside time to feed and be filled with His word.  It will not return void.  It will set seed into your heart and mind.  He will whisper life into application for you.  Call upon Him.  Cast your cares at His feet.  Believe in His promises and humbly serve, honor, follow and obey Him as His word comes alive into your soul.