They Grieved His Holy Spirit

Isaiah 63:7 ESV

“I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord,

    the praises of the Lord,

according to all that the Lord has granted us,

    and the great goodness to the house of Israel

that he has granted them according to his compassion,

    according to the abundance of his steadfast love.”

We who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord (master-owner) and Savior of our lives, with God-persuaded faith, are now "the house of Israel.” 

[Rom. 9:6-8; Gal. 3:10, 16, 26-29; Gal. 4:22-31; Eph. 2:14-18; 1 Jn. 2:22]

So, let's recount the steadfast love of the Lord to us, his people, the sheep of his pasture. Let's thank him for our salvation from slavery to sin and for empowerment to live holy lives, pleasing to him. Let’s give him all the glory for the faith to die with him to sin and to live for his glory and praise.

Let’s thank him and praise him for dying on that cross so that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, and so that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. Let’s thank him for buying us back for God (for redeeming us) so we might now honor God with our lives (1 Pet 2:24; 2 Co 5:15, 21; 1 Co 6:19-20).

For, Jesus Christ did not die that horrible death on a cross just to forgive us our sins, and just to free us from the punishment of sin, and just so that we can have eternal life with him. But he died to transform our lives. He died so that we might turn away from sin and turn to follow him in obedience.

So, this is the “Good News!” not just that we can be forgiven our sins and have the hope of heaven when we die, but that we can be set free from our slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin and so we can live godly, holy, and upright lives pleasing to God and at peace with God here on the earth.

[Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 6:44; Jn 14:23-24; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8]

Isaiah 63:8-9 ESV

“For he said, ‘Surely they are my people,

    children who will not deal falsely.’

    And he became their Savior.

In all their affliction he was afflicted,

    and the angel of his presence saved them;

in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;

    he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”

As already stated, the purpose of Jesus Christ dying for us on that cross was that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. That is the essence of the gospel message, that we are to be crucified with Christ in death to sin, and that we are to be resurrected with Christ to newness of life in him to be lived for him (Rom 6:1-23; Eph 4:17-24).

So, God’s purpose in sending Jesus Christ to die on that cross for our sins was not to forgive us so that we could go on living in sin guilt-free and punishment free. His purpose was that we might walk with him in holiness, righteousness, honesty, integrity, and in purity of conduct and way of life.

“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” (Rom 6:6-7).

“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?” (Rom 6:16).

“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” (Rom 8:6-8).

“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” (Rom 8:12-14).

Isaiah 63:10-11 ESV

“But they rebelled

    and grieved his Holy Spirit;

therefore he turned to be their enemy,

    and himself fought against them.

Then he remembered the days of old,

    of Moses and his people.”

But many people who profess faith in Jesus Christ today are rebelling against their Lord by their rejection of his true gospel message, and by their deliberate, willful, and habitual disobedience to his commands. For, they have adopted a half-truth (lie) gospel which permits them to keep on sinning.

This is not saying, though, that we will never sin again if we become a follower of Jesus Christ (1 Jn 2:1-2). But what we have just read here, and what Scriptures we have had referred to here, teach that if we continue living in sin, in making sin our practice, that we won’t have eternal life with God (Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; 1 Co 6:9-10; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8).

So, the Lord will fight against his own people in order to bring them back to him. He will chastise and rebuke and reprove them. He will discipline (judge) them so that they will not be condemned with the world (See: Rev 2-3; Heb 12:3-13; 1 Co 11:27-32). 

And this is because he loves us as a loving parent loves and disciplines his/her own child, for their good. So, God disciplines us for our good that we may share in his holiness. 

“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Heb 12:11).

Only Hope

By Jonathan Foreman

I give you my destiny

I'm giving you all of me

I want your symphony

Singing in all that I am

At the top of my lungs

I'm giving it my all

So, I lay my head back down

And I lift my hands and pray

To be only yours I pray

To be only yours I pray

To be only yours 

I know now you're my only hope

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gnS7ZEbEqU

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