Our Help Comes from the Lord

Psalms 121:1-2 ESV

 

“I lift up my eyes to the hills.

    From where does my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

    who made heaven and earth.”

 

We should not put our trust in other humans to teach or to tell us the truth for so many of them are liars and deceivers. Not everyone is, mind you, but sometimes it feels as though the vast majority are. Lying has become so prevalent in our culture even among professing Christians. And so many people professing to be pastors and Bible teachers are also liars and deceivers who are not telling the people the truth of the gospel.

 

So they are a vain hope for salvation from sin, for so many of them are not teaching deliverance (freedom) from slavery (addiction) to sin, but they are teaching only forgiveness of all sins (even future sins). So they are not teaching the necessity of dying to sin daily and of living to God and to righteousness, but they have reduced the gospel message to forgiveness of sin and to a guarantee of heaven when we die if we profess faith in Christ.

 

But Jesus died on that cross, not just to forgive us our sins, but to eradicate sin from our lives. He died that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave his life up for us. He shed his blood for us to buy us back for God (to redeem us) so we would now honor God with our bodies. For he died to free us from slavery to sin and to empower us to live for him.

 

Yet, we have so many false teachers among us who are not teaching the truth. And they are giving us the impression that a mere one-time acknowledgement of Christ as Savior and Lord is enough to forgive all our sins and to guarantee us eternity with God. So, they are not teaching that we must be crucified with Christ in death to sin and be raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness.

 

“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” Jude 1:3-4 ESV

 

For, by not teaching the necessity of dying with Christ to sin, not just once, but daily, and by not teaching obedient walks of faith in our Lord Jesus in submission to him as Lord, they are leaving their adherents still dead in their sin, still headed to hell when they die, yet on a promise of forgiveness of sins and of heaven when they die. So we need people of God to be telling the people the truth so that they can no longer be slaves to sin but to God.

 

[Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Tit 2:11-14; Jas 1:21-25; Rom 12:1-2; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-10; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-11; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8; Heb 10:26-27; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Matt 7:21-23; Ac 26:18; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15; Eph 2:8-10]

 

Psalms 121:3-6 ESV

 

“He will not let your foot be moved;

    he who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, he who keeps Israel

    will neither slumber nor sleep.

 

“The Lord is your keeper;

    the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

    nor the moon by night.”

 

Now, this is not saying that if we believe in Jesus that it is now impossible for us to sin and that our Lord will keep us from sinning. We still live in flesh bodies. So we still have a propensity to sin, and we are still tempted to sin. And so it is still possible for us to sin (1 Jn 2:1-2), which is why the New Testament writings are filled with so many warnings and instructions to Christians with regard to the forsaking of their sins and holy living.

 

All throughout the New Testament those professing faith in Jesus Christ are being instructed in holy living, in what to put off and what to put on, and they are warned (we are warned) that if we continue in deliberate and habitual sin, and if we do not repent and obey our Lord, that we will not inherit eternal life with God - and that we do not even know God, and that we are not of God if sin is what we practice and if righteousness is not what we practice (1 Jn 3:4-10).

 

So, the way in which our Lord keeps us from sin was first of all via his death and resurrection where he made it possible for us to die with him to sin and to live to righteousness in his power and strength, if we will submit to him as Lord and surrender to his will and purpose for our lives, and if we will choose to put sin to death in our lives daily and to walk in obedience to our Lord. He will empower us to say “No” to sin and “Yes” to God if we will submit to him.

 

But again, we have to cooperate with his work of grace in our lives. We have to participate with him in putting sin to death daily and in walking in holiness and righteousness and no longer in sin and in wickedness and immorality. We can’t play with sin and then expect God to just rescue us against our own will. I hear so many people blaming God and other humans for the fact that they are still living in addiction to sin, but they have no one to blame but themselves.

 

The Lord Jesus already provided the way for us to be free from our slavery to sin. We just have to take the way out that he provided and let him rule supreme within our lives instead of letting sin rule supreme. So many “Christians” are living in sin, in sexual immorality, in hate, in lust, in sensuality, in pride, in selfishness and in stubbornness and in willful defiance against the Lord and against the way out he provided for us.

 

And the Lord is calling them to put sin to death, to flush it away, to kick it out of their lives and to no longer toy with it, to no longer let sin have power or control or dominion over their lives. And he will empower them to do so. But so many professing Christians are resisting the Lord and his gospel and they are choosing to remain in their sins and that is why so many are believing the “cheap grace” gospel which permits them to continue in sin.

 

Psalms 121:7-8 ESV

 

“The Lord will keep you from all evil;

    he will keep your life.

The Lord will keep

    your going out and your coming in

    from this time forth and forevermore.”

 

So, if you want to truly be free from your addiction to sin, stop just saying that you do but commit your life fully to Jesus Christ. Surrender your all to him. Give your life to him as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to him, and stop giving in to the passions of your flesh. And please believe what the Scriptures teach and stop putting your faith and trust in the teachings of humans, so many of whom are not teaching the truth but lies.

 

For, Jesus said that not everyone saying to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter into the kingdom of heaven but only the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven. So, please take this to heart (Matthew 7:21-23).

 

For Our Nation 

 

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

 

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

 

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

 

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

 

Men deceiving: we’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

 

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