Isaiah 42:5-9 ESV
“Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
‘I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
Behold, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
I tell you of them.’”
This was a prophecy concerning Jesus Christ, the Messiah,
the Savior (See also Isaiah 49, Isaiah 61, and Luke 4:18-19). The part about
Jesus being the covenant for the people is exclusively about Jesus Christ, but
some of the rest of this was given to Paul as his calling (Acts 26:16-18), and
to us, too (1 Peter 2:9). For what this represents is the message of the gospel
of our salvation, and we are all called to share the gospel with other people.
For the message of the gospel is that Jesus died on that
cross that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his
righteousness (1 Peter 2:24). He died that we might live for him and no longer
for ourselves (2 Corinthians 5:15,21). And he shed his blood for us on that
cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) so we will now honor God with our
lives (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). For by faith in Jesus Christ “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,” but slaves of His righteousness
(Romans 6:1-23).
For we, as well, have been called in righteousness. And if
our faith is genuine, our Lord will also take us by the hand and he will keep
us. And he will transform us in heart and mind away from living in sin and for
self to now walking in his truth and in his righteousness, in obedience to his
commands (New Covenant). And we are to be the light of the world and the salt
of the earth. And we are to proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out
of darkness into his wonderful light. And we are to make disciples of Christ of
people of all nations. For to this he called us, too.
[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn
14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:42-47; Acts 26:18; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Rom.
10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; 1 Co 3:17; 1 Co 5:1-13; 1 Co 6:19-20; 1 Co 12:1-31; Eph
1:4,22; Eph 2:19-22; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:17-30; Col 1:18-22; Col 2:19; Col 3:12-16;
2 Tim 1:9; 2 Tim 2:21; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-31; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Pet 1:13-16; 1
Pet. 2:4-9,21]
So we, too, are to open eyes that are spiritually blinded to
the truth by telling people the truth of the gospel and by refuting the lies
which are blinding their minds from accepting the truth. And we are to be those
who are bringing out the prisoners, i.e. those who sit in darkness, by sharing
with them that Jesus died to free us from our slavery (bondage, imprisonment)
to sin and to give us new lives in him to be lived for him and for his
righteousness, in walks of obedience to our Lord Jesus.
For by faith in Jesus Christ – a faith which comes from God
and is gifted to us by God, and which is not of ourselves – we are crucified
with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with Christ to walk in newness
of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness
(Romans 6:1-23; Ephesians 4:17-24). So we are to no longer allow sin to reign
in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions. For sin is to have no more
dominion over our lives, for Jesus died to deliver us from slavery to sin.
So, before we begin trying to tell others the gospel
message, we need to make certain that our faith in Christ is genuine faith
which is resulting in us walking in holiness and in righteousness, in obedience
to our Lord, and that we are no longer walking in sin, making sin our practice.
And then we can share with others, from our own personal experience, what it
means to be “in Christ” and to have Jesus as our Lord and Savior. For it means
that we deny self, die daily with Christ to sin and to self, and that we follow
our Lord Jesus in obedience to his commands (Luke 9:23-26).
Hymn lyrics by Fanny J. Crosby, 1869
Music by William H. Doane, 1869
Jesus,
keep me near the cross;
There
a precious fountain,
Free
to all, a healing stream,
Flows
from Calvary's mountain.
Near
the cross, a trembling soul,
Love
and mercy found me;
There
the bright and morning star
Sheds
its beams around me.
Near
the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring
its scenes before me;
Help
me walk from day to day
With
its shadow o'er me.
Near
the cross I'll watch and wait,
Hoping,
trusting ever,
Till
I reach the golden strand
Just
beyond the river.
In
the cross, in the cross,
Be
my glory ever,
Till
my raptured soul shall find
Rest
beyond the river.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5gong-PNmY
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