Those Who Keep Faith

Isaiah 26:1-4 ESV

“In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

“’We have a strong city;

    he sets up salvation

    as walls and bulwarks.

Open the gates,

    that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.

You keep him in perfect peace

    whose mind is stayed on you,

    because he trusts in you.

Trust in the Lord forever,

    for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.’”

The city being spoken of here is not a physical city, but a spiritual city, the city of God, which today is the church, the body of Christ, true spiritual Israel which is comprised of both Jew and Gentile believers in Jesus Christ. So this is also not a physical building, but it is a spiritual building with the people of God as its stones, and with Jesus Christ as our cornerstone.

So, the walls to this building and to this city are not physical walls, but they are our salvation from sin. And as the physical walls of these physical cities of old were their bulwarks, their protections from enemy forces, our salvation from sin is our safeguard, our protection from the enemy of our souls, who is the devil. And our enemy is also sin. 

For, what are we saved from? And what are we saved to? We are not saved just from the punishment of sin, but we are saved from our slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin. Our sins are forgiven (pardoned), but this is not unconditional forgiveness. It is provided that we walk (in conduct, in practice) no longer according to the flesh, but now according to the Spirit.

[see Romans 8:1-14; Romans 6:1-23; Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23]

Now, this has nothing to do with works salvation. This is not about trying to earn our own salvation through our own “good works” of the flesh. This is about walking in the salvation already provided for us, by the grace of God, in the power of God, in obedience to God, and in submission to the will of God for our lives in walks of righteousness, and not in sin.

For we are to walk, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, and we are to walk properly, as in the daytime, not in sin, and we are to walk by the Spirit, and we are to walk in the good works which God prepared in advance that we should walk in them. And we are to walk in a manner worthy of God, and of our calling in Christ Jesus.

And we are to walk no longer as the ungodly do, but we are to walk as children of light, and as those who are wise, not as unwise. And we are to walk in a manner which is pleasing to our Lord, and in his wisdom. And we are to walk according to the commandments of God (New Covenant), and in the truth, and then we will walk with Jesus in white, for we are worthy.

[Rom. 6:4; Rom. 8:4; Rom. 13:13; 2 Co. 5:7; Gal. 5:16; Eph. 2:10; Eph. 4:1,17; Eph. 5:1-2,8,15; Col. 1:10; Col. 2:6; Col. 4:5; 1 Thess. 2:12; 1 Thess. 4:1,12; 1 Jn. 1:5-7; 1 Jn. 2:6; 2 Jn. 1:6; 3 Jn. 1:4; Rev. 3:4]

But if we do not keep faith, and we give lip service only to the Lord, and we do not deny self, take up our cross daily, and follow our Lord in obedience, then we do not have eternal life in him, regardless of what our lips have professed. For not everyone who says to Jesus, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God the Father.

For, by genuine faith in Jesus Christ we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So, sin is to no longer be what we practice, but righteousness and obedience to our Lord are to be our practice or we don’t have eternal life with God.

For if sin is what we obey, and if obedience to our Lord is not what we obey, it will end in death, not in life eternal. But if obedience to our Lord is what we obey, it will lead to righteousness, to sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God. For if we walk (in conduct, in practice) according to the flesh, and not according to the Spirit, it will end in death, not in life eternal.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

For when we believe in Jesus Christ with God-given and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, we die with Christ to sin that we might live to him and to his righteousness. For Jesus Christ shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of living in sin and for self so that we will now live for him and so we will now honor him with our lives.

[1 Peter 2:24; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Romans 6:1-23]

For our Lord will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed (remained, continued) on him, and not on the flesh. For what our minds are set on is the path that we will follow after. So, if our minds are set on the flesh, we will be those who are living according to the flesh. And to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

[Romans 8:1-14; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:3; Ephesians 4:17-23; Philippians 1:27; Philippians 2:1-11; Philippians 3:19; Colossians 1:21-23; Colossians 3:2; Titus 1:15; James 1:5-8; James 4:8; 1 Peter 1:13; 1 Peter 3:8; 1 Peter 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8]

Hear my Voice 

An Original Work / July 9, 2012

Based off Psalm 27

The Lord is my great salvation.

He’s the stronghold of my life.

When my enemies attack me,

My heart will not fear at all.

Though a war break out against me,

Confident in Christ I’ll be.

Of the Lord, I ask that I may

Live with Him eternally. 

Hear my voice, Lord, when I call you.

Merciful to me You’ll be.

Though my relatives forsake me,

My Lord God will receive me.

Teach me Your way, O my Jesus.

Lead me in Your righteousness.

I will sacrifice to my Lord.

I will sing with joyfulness.

I am confident that I will

See the goodness of the Lord.

All the richness of His blessings,

My Lord has for me in store.

He asks me to be of courage;

To be strong and to take heart,

Patiently as I wait for Him,

And from Him to ne’er depart.

https://vimeo.com/119813963