Blessed are All Who Take Refuge in Him

“Why do the nations rage

    and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth set themselves,

    and the rulers take counsel together,

    against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,

‘Let us burst their bonds apart

    and cast away their cords from us.’

“He who sits in the heavens laughs;

    the Lord holds them in derision.

Then he will speak to them in his wrath,

    and terrify them in his fury, saying,

‘As for me, I have set my King

    on Zion, my holy hill.’

“I will tell of the decree:

The Lord said to me, ‘You are my Son;

    today I have begotten you.

Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,

    and the ends of the earth your possession.

You shall break them with a rod of iron

    and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.’

“Now therefore, O kings, be wise;

    be warned, O rulers of the earth.

Serve the Lord with fear,

    and rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son,

    lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,

    for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” (Psalms 2:1-12 ESV)

This is speaking of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the promised seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16), and the Anointed of God. He was in the beginning with God, and he is God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And he is our creator God. Yet, he left his throne in heaven and he became flesh and he dwelt among the people of the earth, but most people did not receive him as their Messiah.

[Isaiah 53:1-12; Matt 7:21-23; Matt 26:26-29; Lu 9:23-26; Lu 17:25; Jn 1:1-36; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 8:24,58; Jn 10:27-33; Jn 20:28-29; Rom 5:8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 9:5; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 11:23-32; 1 Co 15:1-8; 2 Co 5:15,21; Eph 4:17-24; Php 2:5-11; Col 2:9; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 1:8-9; Heb 2:14-15; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:24; 2 Pet 1:1; 1 John 3:4-10]  

Although Jesus lived in a flesh body when he lived on the earth, and he was born of a woman, he was conceived of the Holy Spirit, so he was not born with a sin nature in the image of Adam, as we are. But he was still tempted to sin, because he lived in a flesh body, yet he remained sinless the whole time he lived on the earth. So he was able to be our pure “sacrificial lamb” for the sins of the entire world when he was put to death on a cross by his enemies who hated him.

For in his death on that cross he became sin for us so that when he died our sins died with him, and were buried with him. And when he was resurrected from the dead, he rose triumphant over our sin and over death, Satan, and hell, on our behalf. And he did this that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, in the power of God, by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing – not of the will of the flesh.

[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15,21; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23; Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12-13; John 6:44]

But although Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the promised seed of Abraham and he was/is the Christ, the Messiah that was to come to the Jewish people of that time, not many believed in him. But many hated him and opposed him and mocked and criticized him and plotted out his death on a cross. And many people today still hate him and his gospel message, even many who claim him as their Lord and Messiah, but who refuse to do what he says we must do as his followers.

And so they are hating and persecuting his true followers and his messengers who are taking the truth of the gospel to the people of the world and who are refuting the lies of the enemy which are rapidly spreading throughout the world and which are deceiving many people into following after a false Jesus, and a false (half-truth twisted) gospel, and which are convincing many people to reject the truth as though it is the lie while they embrace the lie as though it is the truth.

But God is not threatened by their evil plots and by their evil desires and actions which are against him and against his anointed ones who are carrying his message to the people of the world. For he is completely sovereign over all he has created and no one can do anything to thwart his purposes. God’s plans will be accomplished regardless of what human beings might do to try to destroy them. And they will see his power when he terrifies them in his fury.

And it is important to note here that only those whose trust is in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of their lives are God’s chosen people, whether Jew or Gentile by physical birth. For it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise. And if we belong to Christ, because we have died with him to sin, and we are now walking in obedience to his commands, by faith in him, then we are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; 1 John 2:22; John 8:18-19,38-47; Jude 1:5; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16]

And it is the Lord Jesus, who is God – the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – whom we are to serve with our lives. And that is why this says to “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” We are to pay him homage and to salute him as King of our lives. So we must die with him to sin and now walk in obedience to his commands in holy living, or we will face his wrath and spend eternity in hell.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

VOICE OF TRUTH 

By Mark Hall & Steven Curtis Chapman

II Corinthians 12:7-10/I Corinthians 1:20-24

Oh what I would do to have

The kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I’m in

Onto the crashing waves

To step out of my comfort zone

Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is

And He’s holding out His hand

But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me

Reminding me of all the times I’ve tried before and failed

The waves they keep on telling me

Time and time again, “Boy, you’ll never win!”

“You’ll never win!”

But the voice of truth tells me a different story

The voice of truth says, “Do not be afraid!”

And the voice of truth says, “This is for My glory”

Out of all the voices calling out to me

I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CsiBjc0UIA

Caution: This link may contain ads