You Have Given Me Life

“If your law had not been my delight,

    I would have perished in my affliction.

I will never forget your precepts,

    for by them you have given me life.

I am yours; save me,

    for I have sought your precepts.

The wicked lie in wait to destroy me,

    but I consider your testimonies.

I have seen a limit to all perfection,

    but your commandment is exceedingly broad.” (Psalms 119:92-96 ESV)

Suffering Afflictions

As human beings, we all suffer afflictions to some degree or another. We all go through trials, though some of us more, and some of us less. For we live in a sinful and fallen world, and we live in flesh bodies which fail us sometimes, and which can get sick and injured. And as followers of Jesus Christ, if we truly are walking in obedience to the Lord in doing his will, we will be hated and persecuted for righteousness’ sake, even by others who profess faith in Jesus Christ, and by pastors, and by family and friends.

And if our walks of faith in the Lord Jesus are not strong and consistent and determined, we may easily be swayed by our circumstances and be moved by our trials and tribulations to withdraw or to pull back so as to lessen the pain and suffering. But if the law of our Lord (his commandments under the New Covenant and his gospel of salvation) is our delight, then when the trials and testings of this life come upon us, we will automatically turn to the Lord and to his strength and wisdom in seeing us through it all.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-19; John 15:1-21; John 16:33; John 17:14; Acts 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Eph 6:10-20; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

God’s Commandments

The commandments of the Lord (New Covenant) are not something to be dreaded or dismissed as archaic. So many people today are teaching that, as Christians, we do not have to obey the commandments of the Lord. And some are even teaching that no repentance is required, either, i.e. no denying of self, no dying to sin daily, and no walks of obedience to our Lord, even though Jesus and his NT apostles taught those as required of God for salvation from sin and for eternal life with God, for that is what faith is.

For if we want to have new life in Jesus Christ our Lord we must first of all be crucified with Christ in death to sin, then we can be 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. This is the life of Christ within us who have been reborn of the Spirit of God, that we should forsake our lives of sin to now follow our Lord in obedience to his commands. Walking in holiness, and not in sin, is what this new life in Christ is all about.

We belong to Christ Jesus only by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ. But this faith requires death to sin and living to righteousness in obedience to our Lord’s commands, or it is not biblical faith which is persuaded of God as to his holiness and righteousness and of our need to repent of our sins and to follow our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands. For if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to our Lord, we do not know God, we are not born of God, and we don’t have eternal life.

When we truly belong to the Lord Jesus via this God-gifted faith in him, which is not of our own doing, he is the one directing our paths. He is the one leading us in the way of righteousness and in the forsaking of our sins to follow him in obedience to his commands. And he is the one to protect us spiritually from our enemies who are out to destroy us. He may not deliver us from all persecutions, since he said we will be persecuted, but he will keep us from falling and from giving way to fear if we place our trust in him.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; 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; Heb 12:1-2]

Perfection

Now, with regard to the subject of perfection, not one of us will be absolutely perfect (complete, reaching the end) until Jesus Christ returns and he takes his faithful ones to be with him for eternity. Only then will our salvation be complete and will we be perfect in Christ, and only if we are those who are in the process of walking in obedience to our Lord in obeying his commands and in doing his will and purpose for our lives, who are no longer walking in sin, making sin our practice. Now righteousness (of God) is our practice.

But the perfection of God and of his commandments is exceedingly unlimited and without end. We can absolutely rely upon the Lord and his teachings to be perfect in every respect, without error. But let me add here that the Scriptures that we have available to us in multiple languages and in multiple translations (or transliterations) are not as perfect as the original manuscripts, for they come from copies of copies of the originals and are translated by human beings, who may or may not be godly people.

Can the Scriptures, then, still be trusted? Absolutely! But it is best to find translations which are the most accurate to the original manuscripts, while still being readable. And it is good to read the Scriptures in their full context to get a more accurate understanding of what they are teaching. It is also a good practice to compare Scripture with Scripture if something you read doesn’t seem to agree with other Scriptures. And always read them under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit to get the correct understanding.

Also, test everything and everyone who is teaching the Scriptures to make certain that what they are telling you is the truth, no matter who they are, for not one of us is absolutely perfect. And many people today are teaching Scriptures out of context and are twisting them to say what they do not say if taught in context. So be wise, be discerning, pray for understanding, read the Scriptures in context, and test everything against the Scriptures and in context to make certain that what you are believing is really the truth.

Lead Me Gently Home, Father

By Will L. Thompson, 1879

Lead me gently home, Father,

Lead me gently home;

When life’s toils are ended,

And parting days have come,

Sin no more shall tempt me,

Ne’er from Thee I’ll roam,

If Thou’ll only lead me, Father,

Lead me gently home.

Lead me gently home, Father,

Lead me gently home, Father,

Lest I fall upon the wayside,

Lead me gently home.

Lead me gently home, Father,

Lead me gently home;

In life’s darkest hours, Father,

When life’s troubles come,

Keep my feet from wand’ring,

Lest from Thee I roam,

Lest I fall upon the wayside,

Lead me gently home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4Y9cb0f76A

Caution: This link may contain ads