For This I Will Praise You

“The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,

    and exalted be the God of my salvation—

…who rescued me from my enemies;

    yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me;

    you delivered me from the man of violence.

For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,

    and sing to your name.

Great salvation he brings to his king,

    and shows steadfast love to his anointed,

    to David and his offspring forever.” (Psalms 18:46,48-50 ESV)

When we are born into this world as human beings we are born with sin natures in the image of Adam. Not one of us is righteous, no not one. For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory and approval and acceptance and righteousness of God. And not one of us can be saved from our sins and have eternal life with God in our own merit, of our own doing – not of the will nor of the flesh of man. Only by God’s grace through God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in Jesus can any of us have salvation from sin.

[Rom 3:9-26; Rom 5:12-19; 1 Co 15:21-22,42-49; Eph 2:8-10; Hebrews 12:1-2; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Romans 6:1-23; Luke 9:23-26]

But God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. For Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works,” the works “which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:10).

And the faith which comes from God is not of the flesh of man, but it is divinely persuaded as to God’s holiness and righteousness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to repent of our sins and to follow Jesus in obedience to his commands. And so by faith in Jesus we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death, not to life.

[Romans 1:18-32; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; Acts 26:18; John 6:44; Titus 2:11-14]

So the God of our salvation is to be exalted, because he rescued us from our slavery to sin and from the dominion of Satan, and he has brought us into his wonderful light (Jesus Christ, truth, righteousness, the gospel) so that we can now walk (in conduct) in holiness and in righteousness and no longer in slavery to sin. And he has included us in his family, and now we who live by faith and no longer in sin, have the hope of salvation from sin and eternal life with God provided that we continue in Christ and we don’t “jump ship.”

So, because of all that Jesus Christ did for us via his death on that cross and his resurrection from the dead, we should be singing his praises among the nations, and we should be sharing with the people of the world and with the church the gospel of our salvation. And Jesus said that if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our sins, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we die to sin and live for God, we have eternal life in him.

[Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 9:28; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Luke 9:23-26; Matt 7:21-23]  

A Shield About Me

By Thomas Donn Charles / Williams Charles Henry

Thou Oh LORD, art a shield about me

You're my glory and my lifter of my head

Hallelujah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPCUmT6mj48

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