On the very verge of victory
The Lord pushes His people to the limit. If it were not for Him doing so we would never obtain salvation. We need to stretch and strain, and we need to choose to overcome sin even though our Redeemer is the one to accomplish it. We must ask, seek, knock; we must cry in prayer for characters like we see in Jesus and then work our prayers. “Beholding … the glory of the Lord, [we] are changed … by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2Cor. 3:18).
There can be no doubt that righteousness is not a direct product of our doing it. Obedience to goodness is not our nature. “If there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” (Gal. 3:21,22). The expulsion of sin is the act of the soul itself. Yet as anyone knows who has ever actually experienced sin and unbelief and Satan being expelled, the ability to do that came from somewhere outside of their human will.
The human will did the act, but only because it was supernaturally charged. Like the car that carries me down the road, it can only move by use of refined liquid from a huge reservoir that the car knows nothing about. But it submits to being driven to a gas pump, and having its tank opened and filled.
The expulsion of sin is salvation. And it only happens as I strive to find Jesus, “Him whom my soul loveth.” (Song of Solomon 3:1). To receive Him gives our soul the power to become the sons of God. Then we will keep all of His commandments known to us now and in the days to come as we continue to receive Him and learn more of Him. There are ups and downs as we receive and lose our faith in Him and receive it again. But if we want Him always we will keep returning to Him after each of our latest unfaithfulness. We will strive continually to have Him whom our soul loveth. We strive, but He is helping us strive.
The Lord God, by his circumstances, worked a yearning for a life mate into Adam when he lived in the garden. And through sinlessness, Adam patiently waited on his Creator to eventually fill his soul’s need in his Father’s own time. Similarly, through Abraham’s desire to have a son, the Son of God taught His friend about spiritual things, such as salvation from sin. The Giver of every perfect gift gave His friend the yearning to have a son; then He gave him the son of his dreams. And through this the father of faith learned faith in God’s willingness and ability to give us power to obey Him.
Yet, after years of responding to God’s work of perfecting Abraham’s character in preparation to raise a son correctly, at the very end when Abraham was to have this son of his dreams, his faith petered out and he laughed off the whole idea. “That’s all right, Lord! I don’t need Your son anymore! Ha! A son? Don’t be funny, Lord! Please stop kidding!”
On the very verge of a most precious child and a true circumcision of his heart, Abraham is saying, No, to the whole thing. We can be thankful for the forbearance of God. A gracious King is the Lord our God. He is not quick to break the ties developed through time spent together. The jealous reaction between each friendship on this globe in a small way attests to the infinite protectiveness Divinity has toward each relationship He develops with fallen man.
So when Abraham and Sarah laughed at God during their evening devotions, the Lord tried once more to get their attention by assuming a human form and visiting them. If they would not listen to Him spiritually, maybe they would hear Him carnally. Yet, Sarah still laughed in her mind. He reprove her; her pride backed down as her husband’s had prior to the rebuke, and now they arrived at the minimum condition to receive Isaac—the son who represented the work of Christ on their heart, the work of redemption, the school of sanctification by faith.
But He had to break them fully, on the very eve of the promise. Before giving them the victory, He had to wring out every ounce of self from these soon-to-be parents. Oh, the truth and mercy of Christ! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His grace past finding out!
There can be no doubt that righteousness is not a direct product of our doing it. Obedience to goodness is not our nature. “If there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” (Gal. 3:21,22). The expulsion of sin is the act of the soul itself. Yet as anyone knows who has ever actually experienced sin and unbelief and Satan being expelled, the ability to do that came from somewhere outside of their human will.
The human will did the act, but only because it was supernaturally charged. Like the car that carries me down the road, it can only move by use of refined liquid from a huge reservoir that the car knows nothing about. But it submits to being driven to a gas pump, and having its tank opened and filled.
The expulsion of sin is salvation. And it only happens as I strive to find Jesus, “Him whom my soul loveth.” (Song of Solomon 3:1). To receive Him gives our soul the power to become the sons of God. Then we will keep all of His commandments known to us now and in the days to come as we continue to receive Him and learn more of Him. There are ups and downs as we receive and lose our faith in Him and receive it again. But if we want Him always we will keep returning to Him after each of our latest unfaithfulness. We will strive continually to have Him whom our soul loveth. We strive, but He is helping us strive.
The Lord God, by his circumstances, worked a yearning for a life mate into Adam when he lived in the garden. And through sinlessness, Adam patiently waited on his Creator to eventually fill his soul’s need in his Father’s own time. Similarly, through Abraham’s desire to have a son, the Son of God taught His friend about spiritual things, such as salvation from sin. The Giver of every perfect gift gave His friend the yearning to have a son; then He gave him the son of his dreams. And through this the father of faith learned faith in God’s willingness and ability to give us power to obey Him.
Yet, after years of responding to God’s work of perfecting Abraham’s character in preparation to raise a son correctly, at the very end when Abraham was to have this son of his dreams, his faith petered out and he laughed off the whole idea. “That’s all right, Lord! I don’t need Your son anymore! Ha! A son? Don’t be funny, Lord! Please stop kidding!”
On the very verge of a most precious child and a true circumcision of his heart, Abraham is saying, No, to the whole thing. We can be thankful for the forbearance of God. A gracious King is the Lord our God. He is not quick to break the ties developed through time spent together. The jealous reaction between each friendship on this globe in a small way attests to the infinite protectiveness Divinity has toward each relationship He develops with fallen man.
So when Abraham and Sarah laughed at God during their evening devotions, the Lord tried once more to get their attention by assuming a human form and visiting them. If they would not listen to Him spiritually, maybe they would hear Him carnally. Yet, Sarah still laughed in her mind. He reprove her; her pride backed down as her husband’s had prior to the rebuke, and now they arrived at the minimum condition to receive Isaac—the son who represented the work of Christ on their heart, the work of redemption, the school of sanctification by faith.
But He had to break them fully, on the very eve of the promise. Before giving them the victory, He had to wring out every ounce of self from these soon-to-be parents. Oh, the truth and mercy of Christ! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His grace past finding out!
posted by David | 12:05 PM
1 Comments:
David, I have liked this post of 21st January, Its Gods work that we can obtain salvation and if it were not so non of us would gain salvation, thanks it has been a good post. God's Grace is greater than all our sins.
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