Was Paul a Hypocrite?

I hear a lot of people quote Paul from Romans 7, using him as an example of a life of struggling (regularly giving in) to sin. Usually this is in the context of the cheap grace gospel being presented. And they quote, too, where he said that he was the chief of sinners, as though Paul was consistently sinning.

 

I believe the Lord Jesus wants me to examine this today. So, let’s begin with the quoted texts:

 

#1: 1 Timothy 1:15 ESV

 

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”

 

Okay, so if Paul was literally saying that he was (present tense) the chief (foremost, leading) of all sinners, that would mean that he was committing every sin possible to man, that he was living in sin, and he was making sin his practice (Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Rom 1:18-32; 1 Co 6:9-10).

 

#2: Romans 7:14-23 ESV

 

“For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

 

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

 

“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.”

 

Pay attention to the wording here. For, if Paul was saying that this was a description of his present life, then he was saying that he:

 

·       Is sold as a slave to sin

·       Does not understand his own actions

·       Is doing (actively, as a matter of practice) what is sinful

·       Does not have the ability to carry out what is right

·       Keeps on doing what is evil (practicing sin)

·       Is captive (a slave) to the law of sin

 

But Romans 7 falls “smack dab in the middle” of Romans 6 and Romans 8. And what do they say about slavery to sin, making sin our practice, keeping on doing what is evil, and not having the ability to do what is right?

 

Romans 6

 

“How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (v. 2)

 

“We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would NO LONGER be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.” (vv. 6-7)

 

“Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are SLAVES of the one whom you obey, either of SIN, which leads to DEATH, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (v. 16)

 

Romans 8

 

“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who WALK NOT according to the flesh BUT according to the Spirit.” (vv. 3-4)

 

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the MIND ON THE FLESH IS DEATH, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is HOSTILE TO GOD, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh CANNOT PLEASE God.” (vv. 5-8)

 

“So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For IF YOU LIVE according to the flesh YOU WILL DIE, but if by the Spirit you PUT TO DEATH the deeds of the body, YOU WILL LIVE. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (vv. 12-14)

So, how could Paul write what he wrote in Romans 7 and also write what he wrote in Romans 6 and 8 and in all the other books he wrote in the New Testament? Do we really get what Paul taught about sin, slavery to sin, death, righteousness, and life eternal with God? If truly he meant what a lot of people are saying he meant in Romans 7 and in 1 Timothy 1:15, then he was not only the chief of sinners, but he was the chief of hypocrites, too.

 

Or, we have to take his words in Romans 7 and in 1 Timothy 1:15 and interpret them in the context of everything else he wrote that is now part of our Bible. And he wrote probably half of the books in the New Testament.

 

Let’s Examine It

 

For Paul wrote that if we live in sin, according to the flesh, we will die in sin. If we keep on doing what is evil, if we remain enslaved to sin, and if we make sin our practice, then we don’t have eternal life with God (Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Rom 1:18-32; 1 Co 6:9-10; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8).

 

But isn’t that exactly what he said he was doing in Romans 7? So, is he a big fat liar and the chief of hypocrites? Or is there another explanation for what he said in Romans 7? Yes! There is!!

 

Look at how Romans 7 was sandwiched in between Romans 6 and 8. Study word by word what he said in Romans 6 and Romans 8. What he is describing in Romans 7 is the life of one who is still under the power and control of the flesh. But then the good news comes in Romans 6 and in Romans 8. Through abiding faith in Jesus Christ, we are delivered from that slavery to sin and we now become slaves of righteousness. Amen!

 

Paul was a slave of righteousness. Read his writings. He was sold out to Jesus Christ 100%. He lived or he died for Christ and for his gospel. And that gospel teaches that we must no longer be enslaved to sin but that we are now to become slaves of God and of his righteousness.

 

And it teaches that if we remain living in sin, doing the kinds of things he described in Romans 7, that we are hostile to God, and we cannot please God, and that our lives will end in death without Christ because we refused to die to sin and to live for Christ in this life on earth.

 

So, when Paul said he was the chief of sinners, and he did say it in present tense, apparently, we have to take it that what he was talking about was his past life, and that the kinds of things he did in his past, he felt, made him chief of all sinners because he persecuted and murdered Christians who were following Jesus Christ with their lives.

 

So, let’s go back two verses to verse 13 in 1 Timothy 1:

 

“though FORMERLY I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy…”

 

And what does he say at the end of Romans 7?

 

“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

 

Jesus delivered him from his slavery to sin, and that is why he could write what he did in half of the New Testament. He was no longer a slave to sin, but now he was a slave to God, to Jesus Christ, and to his righteousness. And that is why he could boldly teach us that we must do likewise, or we will not have eternal life with God, but we will face the wrath of God, instead.

 

So, don’t believe the lies telling you that Paul was living in sin or that he was struggling with (regularly giving in to) sin. Study Paul’s writings and you will see that he lived such a holy and godly life above reproach that he could, in fact, tell people to imitate his manner of life. How many of us could do that?

 

And don’t believe the lies, thus, that tell you that you can be saved from your sins, be guaranteed heaven when you die, but that you can continue making sin your practice (your habit, your go to). Either walk according to the Spirit and live with Christ for eternity or walk (in lifestyle) according to the flesh and be prepared to die in your sins.

 

Jesus, Be Near to Me

 

Words and music by Tommy Walker

 

Jesus, be near to me

Let me know You are here

How I need You, how I need You

To reveal Yourself to me

 

Through Your unchanging truth

Through the breath of Your Spirit

In my questions and pain

Whisper words of Your love

Always the same

 

https://youtu.be/9QGErOg2Erw

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We Have an Enemy

1 Peter 5:1-5 ESV

 

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”

 

Who are the elders among us? They are men of God within the true church who are given the charge to shepherd God’s flock, to nurture us in the Lord, and to counsel and direct us in the ways of the Lord. Another name for them is pastor, but not all pastors are elderly, and not all elders are what we typically refer to as pastors. But they are spiritual leaders in the church.

 

These elders are to exercise oversight over the church (the people of God) as God would have them do it, but not domineering over those in their charge. They are not to use their positions of power and authority in an abusive manner, in other words. They are not to lord it over the people in an oppressive manner or to browbeat or to persecute the sheep.

 

Instead, they are to rule or to lead by example. They are to live what they preach. They are to show us by their actions how we should be living our lives instead of just preaching it, especially if they are not living it, and especially if they are knowingly living the exact opposite of what they preach. So, this requires that they be both humble and honest (sincere).

 

We who are under the rule of elders are to submit to those in authority over us as we would to Christ, but never to submit to sin or to disobedience to our Lord or to compromising our faith so that we don’t offend people with the truth. God’s laws, i.e. his instructions to the church, are to trump any human authority if that human authority tries to persuade us to disobey God. And there are many pastors out there leading people to disobey God.

 

Regarding how we are all to treat one another, we must be humble, which is the opposite of being proud and arrogant. For, it has to do with having an honest evaluation of oneself in light of God and his word, and it is not taking credit for what God does in our lives, either, or bragging on oneself. It gives all the glory to God for anything good that is accomplished in our lives.

 

1 Peter 5:6-11 ESV

 

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

 

Most importantly, we are to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. We are to bow before him, surrender our lives to him, do what he says to do, say what he says to say, and to whom, and go where he sends us. And this does require much humility, for we will be rejected, opposed, accused falsely, called names, and persecuted for following our Lord.

 

If we are looking to be exalted in this life, then we are doing what we are doing for the wrong reasons. We are not to seek the praise of other humans. We are to do what God says to do for his glory and praise. And we should do what is right even knowing we are going to be opposed and rejected.

 

We should never shy away from obeying our Lord out of fear of rejection. If we are persecuted, we get right back in there and we keep pressing forward. We may have to cry it all to the Lord first, for it hurts to be mistreated, but then we don’t let that keep us from ministering God’s love and grace to others. We just lean on God’s love and support.

 

But we don’t throw ourselves into situations unwisely. We enter into situations prayerfully, seeking the Lord’s counsel and wisdom, and we take God and his word seriously, even if others mock us or oppose us. And we are watchful against the devil’s schemes against us and for those who would desire to trip us up with our words in order to accuse us.

 

For, we have an enemy (our adversary) who opposes us day and night who is out there just waiting for the opportunity to take us down. He goes by the name of Satan (or the devil, or Lucifer, or the Dragon). So, we have to resist him, not just resist him when he tempts us to sin, but in all ways.

 

And we must stand firm in our faith, and oppose Satan’s lies, and speak the truth even if we are cut down for doing so. We are never to let fear of man keep us from standing on the truth of God’s word. And we are not talking here about mere opinions or discussions over trivial matters, but we are talking about what truly matters for eternity. We must not bend.

 

And the encouragement here is that we are not alone in this battle. All those who truly are following Jesus with their lives, in holiness and righteousness, are going to be opposed and persecuted, and Satan is going to try to take us down any way he can, and that is why we must resist him.

 

The other encouragement here is that the suffering we are now being called upon to endure is not going to last forever. It has an end. And Jesus is there to comfort, encourage, strengthen, and help us through it all. Through it all he will mature us in our walks of faith and strengthen us so that we are prepared for even harder trials yet to come. And he will be conforming us to his likeness through it all, too.

 

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

 

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

 

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

 

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

 

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

 

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg

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Not Our Own Doing

Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV

 

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is NOT YOUR OWN DOING; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

 

For by Grace

 

God’s gift of grace to us is his favor, his kindness towards us. It is him giving us a blessing. And we can do nothing in ourselves to earn or to deserve his kindness to us.

 

And he doesn’t have to extend his kindness to us, either. He has no obligation to do what he did for us. For we have all sinned, and thus we all come up short, in ourselves, of attaining God’s divine approval and his righteousness (Rom 3:23-25).

 

So, what is this favor he has given to us? It is forgiveness (pardon) of sins, and it is Jesus buying us back for God (redeeming us with his blood) so that we will now honor God with our lives. And it is him delivering us (saving us) from our slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin (1 Co 6:19-20; Rom 6:1-23).

 

And how do we receive this grace? By faith. And what is faith? It is also a gift of God, and it is divine persuasion as to God’s will for our lives, too. So, it submits to God’s will and it obeys the will of God, in the power of God.

 

Not Your Doing

 

This is where I believe the Lord wants me to focus today. For, many people today are propagating a gospel that, although they agree is not of our own doing, is absolutely of their own doing, of the flesh of man, and not of the Spirit of God, for what it propagates is not of God. It does not fully agree with God and with his Word. It is a half-truth cheapened grace gospel.

 

This gospel they are propagating as the true gospel was created in the minds of humans, and its purpose is to appease human flesh, not put it to death. It is man stimulated for one’s own self-pleasure, not for the pleasure of God. And it is of the flesh of man and therefore it glorifies the flesh.

 

The god of this man-created gospel is not God, but flesh. For it worships the flesh, not God, for it is all about feeding the flesh, and nurturing the flesh, and ignoring God and his commandments, and snubbing his Holy Spirit.

 

This man-created gospel also supersedes the true gospel of Jesus Christ in the hearts of those who follow after its lies. For, it is intended to replace the true gospel in the hearts and minds of its followers because it is of Satan who wants to be God and who wants people to follow him, instead.

 

So, it teaches “another Jesus” and a “different gospel” which we were warned against in the Scriptures (2 Co 11:3-4). For, Paul was concerned that believers in Jesus might be being led astray from their sincere and pure devotion to Christ, for they were putting up with this “different gospel” and these teachings about “another Jesus,” other than the true Christ.

 

And this is definitely where the church, at large, is today, at least in these institutional market-driven state churches which are propagating this false flesh-driven gospel. They are not teaching the Jesus of the Scriptures nor are they teaching the gospel as Jesus and his NT apostles taught it.

 

This false gospel has elements of the true gospel in it, but it is manipulated, altered, and adulterated to make it more appealing and acceptable to the world and to human flesh. Therefore, it is generated in the minds of human beings, not in the mind of God, for it is opposed to God.

 

So, they translate Ephesians 2:8-9 (one of their key passages) to say that we do absolutely nothing and that God does it all. They say nothing is required of us other than to “believe” but that “belief” is very obscure, and it is definitely not biblical faith, for it glorifies the flesh, not God.

 

So, there are literally thousands of people out there professing faith in Jesus Christ, and heaven as their eternal destiny, which they say they can’t lose, while they deny Jesus as Lord (owner-master) of their lives, while they continue living in sin, and while they refuse to obey our Lord’s commands.

 

So, no marriage relationship has taken place between them and Jesus Christ because they never gave up living like they were single. They are not born again of the Spirit, for they are still living in the flesh. Nothing has changed.

 

The Holy Spirit is not living within them, for they refused to die to sin and to the flesh (Lu 9:23-26; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6).

 

So, they bear no fruit in keeping with repentance, for God’s eternal kingdom, for the fruit they bear is still of the flesh. For, they are still operating in the flesh and not of the Spirit of God and in his power. So, they waste what could have been used to advance God’s eternal kingdom because they want to keep living for sin and self. And this is because they are self-consumed.

 

We are His Workmanship

 

When we believe in Jesus with God-given faith, which submits to God and to his will for our lives, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and we are resurrected with Christ to newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Rom 6:1-23; Eph 4:17-24).

 

By the grace of God, through God-given faith in Jesus, we died with Christ to sin so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin, but so we might walk (in lifestyle, in conduct) in newness of life (not like the old life). Thus, we are not to continue living in sin, for sin is to have no more dominion over us.

 

For, if we present ourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, we are slaves of the one we obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness, which then leads to (ends in) eternal life with God.

 

For, through Jesus’ sacrifice for sin on that cross, God condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who WALK not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Rom 8:1-17).

 

So, it is clear that Scripture teaches that faith in Jesus Christ results in surrender to Jesus as Lord, in repentance (turning away from sin), and in obedience to our Lord as our walk of faith in Jesus Christ. And if we do not have these, we will die in our sins, not have eternal life with God.

 

For, although we are not saved by works done in our own flesh, as God’s workmanship, we are saved to good works, which God created us for, and which he prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (in holiness, righteousness, purity, honesty and faithfulness, etc.).

 

Songs in the Night  

 

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

 

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

 

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

 

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

 

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

 

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

 

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

 

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

 

https://vimeo.com/379484387

For, We Love Him

Luke 9:23 ESV

 

“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’”

 

If we want to believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, to approach or to move toward him, we must deny (refuse, repudiate) ourselves. We must reject ourselves as having any authority over our own lives. And we must cast off the flesh, denying it and its power over our lives.

 

Now, this faith to believe in Jesus comes from God and is divinely persuaded as to God’s will for our lives, so this is not something we do of our own willpower or in our own flesh. This comes from the Spirit of God, but it involves surrender of our lives to God.

 

Coming to Jesus, by his grace, through God-given faith in him, also involves death to sin. When we believe in Jesus, our old self is crucified with him in death to sin, so the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we will no longer be enslaved (addicted) to sin (Rom 6:6).

 

But this death to sin doesn’t happen just once. This is daily. Daily we die to sin and to self and we follow our Lord Jesus in obedience to his commands. We say “No!” to our flesh, and we say “Yes!” to the Spirit. We deny self and we yield to the Spirit’s control over our lives.

 

Luke 9:24 ESV

 

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

 

If we want to preserve our old lives; if we want to maintain control over our own lives; if we want to hold on to the flesh, and not yield to the Holy Spirit’s control, then we will lose our lives for eternity. We will die in our sins, not have eternal life with God.

 

For, where there is no death to sin and self, there is no life in the Spirit. We cannot live in Christ and him in us unless we first die to our old lives of living to sin and to self. The old self must first be put to death before we can be resurrected with Christ to newness of life in him.

 

So, we can’t just pray a prayer after someone else to “receive Christ,” and then we are “good to go” until we die and go to heaven one day. That is not biblical. And faith in Jesus is not a one-time event which secures us heaven.

 

All throughout the New Testament we are taught that we must continually die to sin and self and follow our Lord in obedience. For, if we walk according to the flesh (in sin) we will die in our sins, not have eternal life with God (Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Gal 6:7-8).

 

Luke 9:25 ESV

 

“For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”

 

That’s right! If we hold on to control over our own lives so that we can do whatever it is we want to do, so that we can enjoy the pleasures of this world, without regard for God and for the teachings in His Word, we profit nothing! We may feel like we do profit, but it is a lie!

 

Yet, many people are buying into that lie. They are believing that they can have faith in Jesus Christ and be guaranteed heaven when they die but that it costs them nothing, for Jesus did it all. Well, he paid for it all, for sure, and he provides it all for us, but we don’t receive it if we don’t submit to him.

 

For, God’s grace to us is not free license to continue living in sin without guilt and without punishment of sin. God’s grace delivers us out of our slavery to sin, and his grace empowers us to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to God (Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; Tit 2:11-14).

 

So, receiving his grace into our lives involves surrender of our lives to him, following him in obedience to his commands, and leaving our sinful lifestyles behind us that we may now walk in his holiness (Rom 12:1-2; Eph 4:17-24).

 

Luke 9:26 ESV

 

“For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

 

And this is critical that we get this! If we are ashamed of Jesus and his words, it means we have misplaced our confidence in him, for we have believed “the big lie,” instead. We may claim him as our Savior, and his grace and his salvation as belonging to us, but if we deny him by our lifestyles, then it shows we are ashamed of him and of his words.

 

And this is exactly where many professers of Christianity are today. They want to believe in Jesus so that they can receive his blessings of forgiveness of sin and the hope of heaven when they die. But it is a lot like wanting his resurrection without him first dying on that cross for our sins. For they don’t want to have to die with him first to sin.

 

But if we want to hold on to our sin, and if we want to ignore our Lord’s commands, and if we want to convince ourselves that faith in Jesus Christ makes no demands on us at all, and that we don’t have to honor him as Lord (owner-master) of our lives, then we need to understand that he will not acknowledge us before the Father when he comes again.

 

Many will hear on that day, “Depart from me you workers of iniquity, for I never knew you!”

 

For, can you imagine marrying someone, and your spouse then ignoring you from that day forward? Can you imagine him/her immediately going his/her own way, living as though he/she is still single, having nothing to do with you, but then wanting all the benefits of marriage?

 

Well, that is what it is like when people buy into the cheap grace gospel. They say they “believe” in Jesus because they want the benefits of forgiveness and the hope of eternal life with God, but they want nothing to do with honoring Jesus as their husband and master.

 

So, just know that faith in Jesus Christ doesn’t work like that, for it is a marriage to Jesus Christ which will be consummated when he returns for us, his bride. So, we take pleasure in our Lord, and in surrender to him, and in doing what he commands, and in walking in his ways, for we love him.

 

Songs in the Night  

 

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

 

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

 

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

 

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

 

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

 

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

 

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

 

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

 

https://vimeo.com/379484387

Not Here for Ourselves

Romans 12:1 ESV

 

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

 

The Appeal

 

What is the goal (end result, outcome) of our faith? It is the salvation of our souls. And what is faith? It is faithfulness, fidelity, belief, confidence, and trust. And it is divine persuasion as to the will of God for our lives, and it is gifted to us by God. And if persuaded as to the will of God, we will submit to his will, leave our lives of sin behind us, and follow our Lord in obedience.

 

So, this faith is not a one-time experience. It is something that is continuous in our lives and that must endure and persevere to the end of time. And that is why our salvation is the end result of our faith, for it is not complete in us until Jesus returns for us, his bride. So, we must walk by faith according to the Spirit if we want salvation from sin and eternal life with God (Rom 8:1-17).

 

And this is why Paul is exhorting us, because of God’s mercies to us, to present our bodies (our flesh, our lives) to the Lord as living sacrifices. We are to die with the Lord to sin and to self, by the Spirit, and we are to live to Christ and to his righteousness, also by the Spirit, through faith in Jesus. And this is daily (Lu 9:23-26; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9).

 

For, if we continue living in sin, and if we are walking according to the flesh, and not according to the Spirit, then we don’t have the promise of eternal life with God, but we will die in our sins, instead (Heb 10:26-31; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Col 1:21-23; Gal 6:7-8).

 

Living Sacrifices

 

When we believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, and we die with him to sin, we are then born again of the Spirit of God to new lives in Christ Jesus, our Lord, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Rom 6:1-23; Eph 4:17-24).

 

So, although we are dead to sin, we are alive to God in Christ Jesus. And we are thus living, but the living we are to be doing is to be in submission to Christ as Lord. We are to sacrifice our lives (our bodies) to Jesus Christ to be his possession and for him to be our Lord, and for him to now be the one directing our lives, and not us.

 

So, we don’t give our bodies anymore to impurity, to lust, to adultery, to self-gratification, to looking at porn or other provocative and sexual images, and to what glorifies the flesh and not the Spirit of God. Our bodies are not ours to do with whatever we want. We are to glorify God with our bodies.

 

Now we give our bodies (our lives) over to purity, righteousness, godliness, uprightness, morality, integrity, faithfulness, honesty, and the like. And our lives are committed to the Lord Jesus for his service, to do what he wants us to do, and not us just doing what we want every day.

 

Holy and Acceptable

 

The word “holy” means sacred, and it means to be set apart by and for God and for his service. And it means to be separate (unlike, different) from the world of sin because we are now being conformed to the likeness of Christ.

 

So, this means that we don’t engage ourselves in all that is of the world, especially as it is opposed to what is of God. We don’t take on the attitudes, behaviors, philosophies, and way of thinking and speaking as the world does. But we are now conformed to the likeness of Christ and to the teachings of His Word.

 

But the only way this is going to happen is if we are not spending the bulk of our free time (when we are not working) taking in the junk the world is offering, but instead we are filling our minds and our time with the things of God, and with what is pure, for what we consume is going to be what we produce.

 

The way we live our lives, thus, is to be what is acceptable to God. If God does not approve it, then we should not do it. It doesn’t mean everything has to be spiritual, but that we are to be like Jesus in all that we do. We don’t separate our secular lives from our spiritual lives, in other words.

 

Romans 12:2 ESV

 

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

 

So, instead of living our lives like the world, doing the things the world does, talking about what they talk about, and spending our energies and passions on the things of this world, our minds are to be transformed of the Spirit of God, and they are to be renewed (changed, not like the old). So, our thinking should be continually being transformed away from the world of sin to thinking and living in ways which are pleasing to God.

 

And we are to be those who are discerning the will of God for our lives and who are doing what he wills for us. And his will for us is two-fold. There is a general will he has for all of his followers which we can learn about in the Bible, specifically in the New Testament under the New Covenant.

 

And then he has a specific will (assignment) for each one of us, too, within the body of Christ, which we are to fulfill. And what he calls us to do he will equip us to do, and it may not be in our comfort zone naturally, but this will have to do with supernatural gifts and callings of the Spirit of God.

 

He will call some people to be pastors, elders, and Bible teachers. He will call some people to be helpers and to minister to physical needs of people. Others he will give a ministry of hospitality, or they may be in an administrative position. Or they may be missionaries or counselors or encouragers or whatever he has for them to do and to be.

 

But God didn’t put us here on this earth for ourselves, to do what we want, the way we want, when we want. He put us here to serve him with our lives and to do what he wants, his way, and in his timing. But his timing is always NOW when it comes to living holy lives, pleasing to God.

 

Have Thine Own Way, Lord

 

Words by Adelaide A. Pollard, 1907

Music by George C. Stebbins, 1907

 

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Thou art the potter, I am the clay.

Mold me and make me after Thy will,

While I am waiting, yielded and still.

 

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Search me and try me, Master, today!

Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,

As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

 

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Wounded and weary, help me I pray!

Power, all power, surely is Thine!

Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!

 

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Hold o'er my being absolute sway.

Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see

Christ only, always, living in me!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z11avpKNLsA

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His Favor to Us

Titus 2:11-14 ESV

 

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

 

The Grace of God

 

What is God’s grace? It is his gift to us, his favor to us, and his kindness towards us. It comes from God and not from ourselves. We can do nothing to earn or to deserve it. It is God giving us a benefit, a blessing, that we would not otherwise have.

 

But what is this blessing exactly? It is his forgiveness of our sins. It is salvation from sin. It is freedom from eternal punishment (damnation, condemnation) of sin, and it is the promise of eternal life with God. But is that all? NO!

 

It is the faith to believe in Him for salvation. It is the desire and the ability for us to repent of our sins, and it is deliverance from our slavery to sin via dying with Christ to sin and being reborn of the Spirit of God. So, it is new life in Jesus, too, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. So, it is also the empowerment of the Spirit to live godly and holy lives.

 

[Eph 2:8-10; Tit 2:11-14; Acts 5:31; 2 Tim 2:25; Rom 2:4; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Jn 1:5-9]

 

So, how do we receive this gift? By faith, which is a gift from God, too, which is divine persuasion as to his will for our lives. So, if from God, and if we are persuaded of God as to his will, then by faith we will submit to his purposes, we will repent of our sins, and we will follow him in obedience. If we do not, then that “faith” is not of God, but of self (of the flesh).

 

Training Us

 

Many people today are teaching a false (cheap) grace which is of the flesh of man, not of God, for it does not submit to God, repent of sin, or follow the Lord in obedience. In fact, it believes it doesn’t have to.

 

But God’s grace, his gift to us, instructs (trains) us to say “NO!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. And God is not going to instruct us to do something against his will or without empowering us to do it.

 

So, this totally contradicts this cheap grace that is being taught today which says we don’t have to repent (leave our sins), we don’t have to obey the Lord, and we don’t have to submit to Christ as Lord (owner-master) of our lives, or which teaches that our sins no longer matter to God.

 

Too many people are finding ways around the truths of Scripture by pulling Scriptures out of context to build their doctrines on and by ignoring the bulk of the rest of Scriptures on obedience, submission, and holy living. Or they find ways to excuse those away, too.

 

But the Scriptures are clear. Jesus died on that cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. His blood bought us back for God, so we now honor God with our lives (1 Pet 2:24; 2 Co 5:15, 21; 1 Co 6:19-20).

 

And Jesus’ death on that cross paid for our sins so that we could be delivered from our bondage to sin, not so we would continue to live in sin guilt-free. And he provided the way of escape from temptation to sin, too. Everyone just has to take the way out he provided and stop making excuses for why they are continuing to live in sin, some of them for many years.

 

I am convinced, based on the teachings of Scripture, that those who are claiming some “addiction” to sin, and who are hanging on to that status for many years, still “struggling” (giving in regularly) to their sin (idol) of choice are still addicted to sin by choice because they refuse to take the way out which Jesus provided, because they want to hold on to their sin.

 

To Purify Us

 

But living in addiction is not of God, but it is of the flesh of man. For the Word teaches us that if we walk (in conduct, in practice, in addiction) according to the flesh (in sin), we will die in our sins. But if we walk (in practice) according to the Spirit, by the Spirit, then we have eternal life with God (Lu 9:23-26; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Jn 1:5-9).

 

For Jesus didn’t give his life up for us on that cross merely to forgive us our sins so we could escape hell and so we could go to heaven when we die. He gave his life for us on that cross to buy us back for God so that we would now honor God with our lives, and to free us from our addiction to sin. And he gave himself up for us on that cross to deliver us from all lawlessness, not so we would become lawless under the guise of his grace.

 

And he died for us on that cross so that he might purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. He died to make us holy, righteous, pure, honest, trustworthy, faithful, moral, and upright. So, if this is how we live, it is not us trying to earn our own salvation.

 

We are to be his own possession, meaning he now owns us, and he is master of our lives, and he is the one in control over our lives, not ourselves, and not Satan, and not sin. So, this means we surrender our lives to him, and we submit our lives to his will.

 

And he saved us for good works. The good works are not our own, and they are not of the flesh trying to earn our salvation, but they are the works of the Spirit which God prepared in advance for us that we should walk (in conduct, in practice) in them (cf. Eph 2:10).

 

Thus, it is God’s will that by faith in him we should submit to him as Lord, walk in obedience to his commands, and leave our lifestyles of sin behind us. We are to no longer be conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but now we are to walk in holiness and righteousness in the power of God’s Spirit.

 

In Truth

 

An Original Work / January 10, 2012

 

Fellowshipping with my Lord, Savior, King.

He is Lord of all; Lord of ev’rything.

He is with me through ev’ry hour of day,

List’ning to me speak, as I humbly pray.

He cares for my needs,

and He intercedes for me,

‘cause He loves me in ev’ry way.

 

Obey His commands and do all He says.

Sitting at His feet, daily in His word,

Let His word speak to me in ev’ry way,

Giving comfort and healing through each day.

Oh, how Jesus loves,

And He cares for you,

Which is why He died for our sins, in truth.

 

Love our Lord God, Savior, and King of kings.

Worship Him in truth, for He reigns supreme.

He created us with a plan in mind

For us to be His servants, and Him mind.

Follow Him in truth;

Go where’er He leads.

Share His love with others, and their needs meet.

Others: their needs meet.

 

https://vimeo.com/125738283

The Outcome of Our Faith

1 Peter 1:3-5 ESV

 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

 

The “us” being spoken of here are God’s elect, who are exiles in this world, “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood” (vv. 1-2).

 

The elect are those who are called of God out of the world to be his holy people, set apart (unlike, different) from the world of sin because we are being conformed to the likeness of Christ, by the Spirit. Via Jesus’ blood, shed for us on the cross, he bought us back for God (he redeemed us) so that we would now glorify God with our lives (1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:21).

 

By God’s grace, through God-given faith in Jesus Christ, we are those who have died with Christ to sin, who have been born anew of the Spirit of God, and who are now being empowered of the Spirit to walk in obedience to our Lord. We are now walking (in conduct) according to the Spirit, by the Spirit, and no longer according to the flesh (Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17).

 

All this comes from God! Not any of this is generated in our own flesh. We can do nothing to earn or to deserve our own salvation. In the flesh we will never be approved of God, and we will never be righteous in his sight. So, we can only turn from our sins and submit to Christ and obey the Lord because of what Jesus did for us and only in his power and strength.

 

Jesus died on that cross that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. And he died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. So, our purpose here on this earth is to live for God, for Jesus, according to his will, and for his glory and praise (1 Pet 2:24; 2 Co 5:15).

 

But we aren’t saved from our sins just for this life on the earth. If we remain in Christ, and we are steadfast in our faith until the end of time, and we walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, we have a future home with God for eternity where sin will be no more, and death will be no more, and where suffering will be gone, too (Rom 8:1-17; Col 1:21-23).

 

1 Peter 1:6-7 ESV

 

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

 

When Jesus walked this earth, and he ministered to the people of the earth, although he had some committed disciples, and he did have crowds following him, though many of them superficially, he was hated and persecuted, largely by the religious leaders and rulers in the temple of God.

 

They hounded him left and right, criticized him, mocked him, falsely accused him, tried continuously to trip him up with his words, called him crazy, and even accused him of being of the devil. Eventually they had him arrested falsely, beaten unmercifully, and given a mock trial. Then they had him crucified on a cross, although he had done no wrong, but only good.

 

Jesus said that if we follow (obey, submit to) him with our lives, we will be treated as he was treated. If they hated him, they will hate us. If they persecuted him, they will persecute us. So, we will have people, even professing Christians, and even pastors of churches, who will mock us, call us crazy, accuse us of being of Satan, and who will try to trip us up, too.

 

But our response to this mistreatment is not to be to get even, or to be spiteful or hateful. But we are to love our enemies, pray for them, do good to them, and say and do for them what is beneficial for them, especially what will bring them to genuine faith in Jesus Christ. And we are to rejoice.

 

For, in all of these trials and tribulations (and more), we are being tested to see (to reveal) whether our faith is genuine. And testing will try our faith, and it will reveal it to be fake, to be weak, or to be strong in the Lord. But the purpose of the trial, then, is that we might strengthen what is weak, and that we might grow stronger in our walks of faith.

 

When we respond to our trials by humbling ourselves before the Lord, with a willingness to let him grow us and change us where we need to be changed, then God will get the glory and praise for the change brought about in our lives as a result of the trial he allowed us to endure.

 

1 Peter 1:8-9 ESV

 

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

 

We believe in Jesus Christ even though we can’t visibly see him with our eyes or touch him with our hands. But there are other ways to feel him and to see him other than with physical eyes and hands. We can feel his presence with us. We can hear his voice speaking in our spirits. And this all comes through the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

 

So, when we believe in Jesus, we aren’t believing in a concept or a religion or a historical figure that we can’t see or touch. We are believing in God who we can feel and hear, and we can see his mighty works in our lives. We are in relationship with a friend who is closer than a brother, and we can have conversations with him, too, just not audibly.

 

So, we love him because we are in relationship with him and because he is God and because of all the things he has done for us. And we love him even when he allows us to go through trials, too, because we know he is allowing them for our good, to grow us in him, and to make us into the people he wants us to be for his purposes, and according to his will.

 

Now here, in closing, is something we need to understand. Our salvation isn’t complete yet. We are saved (past), we are being saved (present), and we will be saved (future) when Christ returns providing (if) we continue in Christ and we remain in him and we walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh.

 

We are in the process of being saved, of obtaining the outcome of our faith, which is the salvation of our souls, but it won’t be complete until Jesus returns for his bride and we go to be with him for eternity. So, don’t get this idea that you can get “saved” and then live how you want until you go to heaven one day. It doesn’t work that way. So, know the truth, and live the truth. And then you can have that hope of eternal life with God.

 

In the Sweet By and By

 

Sanford F. Bennett / Joseph P. Webster

 

There’s a land that is fairer than day,

And by faith we can see it afar;

For the Father waits over the way

To prepare us a dwelling place there.

 

We shall sing on that beautiful shore

The melodious songs of the blessed;

And our spirits shall sorrow no more,

Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.

 

To our bountiful Father above,

We will offer our tribute of praise

For the glorious gift of His love

And the blessings that hallow our days.

 

In the sweet by and by,

We shall meet on that beautiful shore;

In the sweet by and by,

We shall meet on that beautiful shore.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zWZu-QupWU

According to Each One's Deeds

1 Peter 1:13 ESV

 

“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

 

How do we prepare our minds for action? What kind of action? This is kind of like getting ready for a hurricane to hit. We know it’s coming, and it’s coming fast, and there isn’t much time to waste. We have to be quick. We have to be diligent, and we have to get moving now!

 

We must purchase boards to board up our windows to protect them from breakage, and we must put bags of sand down to prevent flooding, and we must buy supplies to last us for a while in case, after the storm hits, supplies are difficult to come by.

 

Only we do this with our minds. We take seriously all the storms of life which we know are going to come against our minds and that are going to try to break us down and destroy us. So, we get prepared for this in advance so when the storms (temptations and trials) come, we do not falter.

 

So, we remove from our eyes and ears all that is going to leave us vulnerable to temptation and which we know is opposed to the Spirit of God, and all that is of our sinful flesh. And we put a guard over our eyes and minds so that we don’t leave any place for the devil to tempt us.

 

But we don’t just do what is necessary to prevent us from getting hit by the devil, but we fill our minds with good things of the Spirit of God. We bathe our minds in the Scriptures and in biblical messages and songs, and we are continuous in prayer and in obedience to our Lord and to his will.

 

For, setting our hope fully on the grace that will be brought to us when Christ returns for us, his bride, isn’t just about looking forward to our Lord’s return. But it is setting our hope in Christ in the here and now which will culminate in us going to be with Christ when he comes back for us.

 

And if our hope truly is in him, and he is our life, then we will be serious-minded about following him in obedience to his commands. And our minds will be set on things above and not on things on this earth. Our focus will be in living holy lives, pleasing to him, and not on the sinful pleasures of this world.

 

1 Peter 1:14-16 ESV

 

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”

 

If you are being told that obedience to the Lord is works-based salvation, and thus it is no longer required, do a word search on “obey” and its derivatives in the New Testament, and you will find that to be a lie. We are commanded all throughout the New Testament to obey our Lord.

 

In fact, to love God is to obey him, and if we don’t obey him, we don’t love him, and if we don’t love him, then we are not really His (Jn 14:23-24; Rom 6:16; Heb 5:9; 1 Pet 1:2; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:24).

 

So, as those who are genuinely in Christ by God’s grace, through God-given faith in Jesus Christ, we are commanded to obey our Lord. And if we are truly his, we will want to obey him. We will want to do what pleases him. We will desire to be in the center of his will doing what he has called us to do.

 

And since Jesus Christ died on that cross to deliver us out of our slavery to sin so that we could now live to him and to his righteousness, and since we died with Christ to sin when we were born again of the Spirit of God, sin should no longer be our master, but Jesus should be our only Lord.

 

So, our lives should no longer be conformed to the passions of our former ignorance. But since we still live in flesh bodies, and since our flesh is at war with the Spirit, and we are still tempted to sin, we need these reminders to stir our minds and our hearts to right thinking and right responding.

 

So, this means that none of us should be living in slavery (addiction) to sin. We should not be those who make sin our practice. We should not be habitually engaged in sexual immorality, gossip, slander, lying, cheating, stealing, drunkenness and all other forms of self-indulgence.

 

But now we should be living lives which are separate (unlike, different) from the world of sin and separate unto God and to his service. Our conduct (in lifestyle) should be that which is pleasing to God, which honors him, which obeys him, and which is moral, pure, upright, honest, and faithful.

 

1 Peter 1:17-19 ESV

 

“And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”

 

We need to know here that we are going to be judged by our deeds. If we make sin our practice, we will die in our sins. We will not inherit eternal life with God. For, whatever we sow, that is what we will reap. And God will render to each one according to his works (Rom 2:6-8; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Gal 6:7-8; 2 Co 5:10; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; etc.).

 

And this is why we must conduct our lives with fear (respect for God). Far too many people are taking God’s grace for granted, and they are believing lies which tell them that once they believe that how they live no longer matters to God. So, they don’t take God and his word seriously.

 

But if we don’t take God and his word seriously, and if we have this idea that now that we are “saved,” that heaven is guaranteed us no matter how we live, then we don’t really know God. We don’t really believe in Jesus, but only in a concept of Jesus being taught by men in their deceitful scheming.

 

So, we better get into the Scriptures and see what they teach, because many people are going to stand before God one day, thinking that he is going to bless them with eternal life in heaven, only to hear, “Depart from me you workers of iniquity! I never knew you!”

 

God is not someone to be trifled with, so take him seriously. Walk in the fear of the Lord, in honor, respect, worship and obedience to the Lord. Walk in purity of devotion to him and don’t play with sin. For Jesus ransomed us from sin by his blood shed on the cross. He redeemed us so that we would now honor God with our lives.

 

So, study the Scriptures. Test everything you hear and read and think you see against the word of God (in context), in prayer, and under the discernment of the Spirit of God. Commit your lives to Jesus Christ. Follow him in obedience. Leave your lives of sin behind you. You will be blessed!

 

Jesus Draw Me Ever Nearer

 

Lyrics by Margaret Becker

Music by Keith Getty

 

Jesus guide me through the tempest;

Keep my spirit staid and sure.

When the midnight meets the morning,

Let me love You even more.

 

May this journey bring a blessing,

May I rise on wings of faith;

And at the end of my heart’s testing,

With Your likeness let me wake.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amqP9rvikvg

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