Tag: do it

15.w. “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”

John 6:22  On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Deuteronomy 5:27    Go near and hear all that the LORD our God will say, and speak to us all that the LORD our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.’

Jeremiah 42:3-6    Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word with which the LORD your God sends you to us.  Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.”

Micah 6:7-8    Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”  He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Acts 2:37    Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Acts 16:30    Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Those who questioned Jesus seemed sure that if only Jesus told them what to do, they could please God by their works of God. For these people, as with many people today, pleasing God is found in the right formula for performing works that will please God. The sense behind their question seemed to be, “Just tell us what to do so we can get what we want from You. We want Your miracle bread and for You to be our Miracle King; tell us what to do to get it.” If we want to do the work of God, it begins with trusting Jesus. The first work is to believe in Jesus whom God sent.  This is first.  Some people stop with this.  They say they believe but, beyond these words is nothing to indicate any kind of change in their lives.  They seem to forget “obedience”.  Belief/faith/trust is the foundation for works that are done for the sole purpose to honor and glorify Jesus Christ.  Without faith in Jesus Christ first, our works turn into what we trust to be right with God.  Our works easily become our false sense of security.  Our works are not out of obedience but rather out of self-reliance.  No work of ours will wash away our sins.  No work of ours will remove the stain of sin.  No work of ours will result in eternal life. No work of ours will give lasting peace, joy, and refuge.

Robert Lowry got it right.  This is from the hymn he wrote.  

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

3.v. But even now there is hope

Ezra 10:1  While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra: “We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the Law. Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.” Then Ezra arose and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath that they would do as had been said. So they took the oath.

Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib, where he spent the night, neither eating bread nor drinking water, for he was mourning over the faithlessness of the exiles. And a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles that they should assemble at Jerusalem, and that if anyone did not come within three days, by order of the officials and the elders all his property should be forfeited, and he himself banned from the congregation of the exiles.

Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. And all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain. And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have broken faith and married foreign women, and so increased the guilt of Israel. Now then make confession to the Lord, the God of your fathers and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.” Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, “It is so; we must do as you have said. But the people are many, and it is a time of heavy rain; we cannot stand in the open. Nor is this a task for one day or for two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter. Let our officials stand for the whole assembly. Let all in our cities who have taken foreign wives come at appointed times, and with them the elders and judges of every city, until the fierce wrath of our God over this matter is turned away from us.” Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.

Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest selected men, heads of fathers’ houses, according to their fathers’ houses, each of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to examine the matter; and by the first day of the first month they had come to the end of all the men who had married foreign women.

In Chapter 9 Ezra became aware of the sin and now, in chapter 10 he confronts it head-on with the people.  People wept bitterly when Ezra spoke of the sin.  Ezra called out the sin, the people were convicted, and he spoke of making it right. “We have broken faith with God but even now there is hope for us”.   This sin problem was not just with common folks but with the leaders who were in Jerusalem.  With hearts raw from Holy Spirit conviction and given hope the leaders called for a meeting of all the people within three days.  This was a mandatory meeting for all.  Note, if anyone did not show up they would forfeit their land and be banned.  People came and sat in the square trembling because of this and it was raining.  No rain delay, no rain check for another day.  It was rain or shine open-air mandatory meeting.  The sin issue was so big and personally complicated that, not to mention the rain, that a decision was made to meet with each city official 10 days later to fully assess the magnitude and take note of all who had taken the foreign woman as wives. Within two months they had reported that all the men who had married foreign women had taken care and followed through on their commitment to God.

Sin has a way to slide into our culture because we allow it.  It comes in with one person defending that it is right and ok to do and then more and more people just buy into it.  Sin feeds our self-centered interests and seems right in our own eyes.  Do you ever wonder how this happens?  Intentional commitment to God is not made.  Whole heart, mind, and soul and strength are given to self and that what pleases self.  Humbly serving, honoring, following, glorifying, trusting, and obeying God is nothing more than lip service as a result of neglecting God’s word.  These all happen when we become complacent and turn our back and close our eyes and ears to God.  It happens when things of this world are put in front of serving God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength.  We do well to take inventory of where our heart, mind, and thoughts are spending their time. Be mindful of the pull this world has to try to draw you away from serving whole heartily committed to God.  We do well to make a covenant with our heart, mind, and soul to humbly serve, honor, trust, and obey God and to make serving Him the reason and purpose of every day.

61. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Deuteronomy 31:6   Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Joshua 1:6-7     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.

1 Chronicles 28:10     Be careful now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it.”

Ephesians 6:10    Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

2 Chronicles 32:7    “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.

1 Corinthians 16:13    Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

Psalms 27:14    Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

Zechariah 8:13    And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.”

Isaiah 43:1-5    But 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.

Isaiah 51:12    “I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass,

Psalms 27:1   The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Hebrews 13:5    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.”

Isaiah 41:13-17    For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

“Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you,”  It is easy to think we are strong when there is nothing to challenge our strength.  It is easy to stand firm when there is no fire, storms, chaos, confusion, sickness, loneliness, wrongly thought of, slandered, rumored about, and abandoned by friends and family.  Yet these types of events find a way into each of our lives at some point.   There are many ways we can react to these.  We can be afraid, confused, anxious, worried, helpless, defeated, exhausted, lonely, restless, etc…..  This is what should be expected if there is no sovereign God that loves you, has plans and purposes for you, and is watching over you.   

Be strong.  Be courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not worry.  God is with you. He will not leave you.  He will not forsake you.  He has called you by name.  You are His chosen possession.  He will comfort you.

Have faith, rely on, cling to, and trust in God who is mighty, awesome, steadfast in love, powerful beyond all measure, and can do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine.

32. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come;

Numbers 23:19   God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

Habakkuk 2:3     For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

Malachi 3:6     For I the LORD do not change

Luke 21:33     Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Titus 1:2    in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began

Hebrews 6:18    so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

James 1:17     Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

God does not lie, He does not change, and what He promises will take place.  Think about what He has promised: Savior Jesus Christ, Steadfast love, Purpose, Justice, Power, Refuge, Courage, Hope, Love, Peace, Joy, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Forgiveness, Salvation, Rebirth – Born Again, Eternal Life, Resurrection, Heaven

He has also promised: Judgement, anger, wrath, Hell, torment, agony, separation, foolishness, disaster, chaos, turmoil, unrest, justice, eternal damnation

What separates these two paths of all of mankind?  Choice!!!  Choice in what we believe.  Choice in who we believe.  Nothing is more clear than what is stated:

John 3:16-21  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Romans 1:18-21  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Revelation 20:11-15  Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence, earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Living for God is intentional

Genesis 6:11  Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence.  And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

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.

Genesis 13:13     Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD.

Ezekiel 8:17   Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations that they commit here, that they should fill the land with violence and provoke me still further to anger?

Hosea 4:1-2     Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land;  there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

Psalms 11:5    The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

Romans 2:13     For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

Deuteronomy 6:3    Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

2 Chronicles 34:27    because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD.

Deuteronomy 30:12-14     It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’  Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’  But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

James 2:21-25     Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar  You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;  and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.  You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Luke 1:6    And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.

One would think that the more wrong a person sees being done that they would become more and more concerned about doing what is right.  Yet it seems as though the more we see and hear of wrong it just sets a new norm and dilutes and clouds and blinds us to what is right.

In the early 80’s I can remember an older pastor friend telling me that something troubled him.  He said that he had realized that the church (christians) always seemed to be 10 to 15 years behind what the culture was adopting.  What was not acceptable became questionable which became acceptable over time.

As a culture walks blindly further and further away from God, it seems to drag, pull and entice the church (individual christians) along the same path.  The path of what a life of humble service, heart honoring, mind and soul following, and heart deep obeying God, is over grown with false truth, false hope, and false behaviors.

What must happen to capture the hearts of individuals to keep pure to the truth of God’s word.  The serpent said it cleverly “did not God say…” using enough of God’s word to make sense of a lie and entice Adam and Eve to sin.  There are plenty in this world who can twist the word of God into lies and leave many questioning what is true and honorable in the sight of God.

How do we stay unpolluted from a culture that is running at warp speed away from God?  Reading His word with a heart like David when he said

“Search me, God, and know my heart;
 test me and know my anxious thoughts.
 See if there is any offensive way in me,
 and lead me in the way everlasting.”

With so much technology and immediate sharing of thoughts and ideas through media outlets, it is no wonder confusion to what is pure, holy, right and true happens.  One would think the easiest way to stop this downward spiral would be to get back to a simpler life without all of the technology.  History would tell us this is not true, for the heart of man seems to have always been set on satisfying self and denying God.

One would think that seclusion away from interference and influence of others who do not know God might help.  We only have to look at Adam and Eve,  Cain and Able, and the 40 years of God’s people in the wilderness to know that the heart of mankind, when yielded to, will choose to follow what is right in their own mind and for their own satisfaction whether for good or evil.

Choice has been given to each human.  This choice allows them determine to follow their sinful nature or to humbly submit to honoring, serving, following and obeying God.

Spend time in His word – live for Him – seek Him – desire Him – love Him -learn from Him – honor Him – follow Him – obey Him – listen to Him – worship Him – glorify Him – want to be lead by Him – Grow in knowledge and understanding of Him.

Living for self is natural.  Living for God is intentional.