PSALM 56
David relates his daily battle verse 1- 2
Be merciful to me – O God – FOR man would swallow me up
he fighting daily oppress me
Mine enemies would daily swallow me up
FOR they be many that fight against me
O YOU most High
David expresses his trust in the LORD verse 3- 4
What time I am afraid – I will TRUST in YOU
in God I will praise HIS word
in God I have put my trust
I will not fear what flesh can do to me
David asks the LORD to deal with enemies verse 5- 7
Every day they wrest my words
all their thoughts are against me for evil
they gather themselves together
they hid themselves
they mark my steps
when they wait for my soul
Shall they escape by iniquity?
in YOUR anger cast down the people
O God
David believes LORD has a book for each individual verse 8
YOU tell my wanderings
put my tears into YOUR bottle
Are they not in YOUR book?
David has confidence in the LORD verse 9- 11
When I cry to YOU – THEN shall mine enemies turn back
THIS I know – FOR God is for me
In God will I praise HIS word
in the LORD will I praise HIS word
in God have I put my trust
I will not be afraid what man can do to me
David acknowledges walking in the light verse 12- 13
YOUR vows are on me – O God
I will render praises to YOU
FOR YOU have delivered my soul
from death
Will not YOU deliver my feet from falling
that I may walk before God in the light of the living?
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 Be merciful to me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresses me. (3905 “oppresses” [lachats] means afflict, crushed, squeeze, crowd, torment, push, fight on offense, or to cause to suffer, whether physically or emotionally.)
DEVOTION: All those who are genuine followers of the LORD want the LORD’S mercy in our lives. Here we have the David who was taken by the Philistines, who was taking to Gath to be oppressed.
There are enemies for every believer from those who are against anything to do with God and from those who say they love God but give other believers a hard time because they think that they are better believers than them.
The Christian life is not easy because of these two groups. It would be nice if all those who are believers would not give genuine believers a hard time but that is not the case. It seems that some believers think it is OK to give other believers a hard time rather than just pray for them and encourage them in their battle against the world, the flesh and the devil.
David was feeling the pressure from those who were not believers. The Philistines were natural enemies of the children of Israel. They enjoyed giving David a hard time. We find that there are some who are not believers that enjoy picking on believers because they know what a believer is supposed to be but has genuine struggles living the Christian life.
All genuine believers have good and bad times in their service to the LORD. We are sometimes our own worst enemies. We do things that we know the LORD doesn’t approve of and yet we still do it.
Those who are not followers of Christ enjoy watching believers who are struggling and do everything in their power to discourage them.
Here we find David praying for mercy from the LORD. We pray for that as well but sometimes we have to pray for those who are believers to give us help instead of discouragement.
If you see a believer that is having a hard time with those who are not believers do you come alongside and encourage them or do you just watch them struggle without coming alongside and do what the LORD wants you to do? Sometimes those outside of Christ help a believer more than those who are believers!
CHALLENGE: Don’t be a Job comforter! Be a genuine comforter for those believers you know who are struggling.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many who fight against me, O thou most High. (3117 “daily” [yown] means twenty-four hour period, a division of time, or today.)
DEVOTION: The battle is fought each twenty-four hour period that we live. David realized that his battle was being fought in time. He also realizes that the LORD is the only one who can protect him. He uses prayer to communicate with the LORD. He believed that the LORD was always available to help HIS children.
He was in the camp of the Philistines hiding from Saul. David was not directed by the LORD to go into Gath. He was just running without consulting the LORD. Now he was in trouble and he wanted the LORD to get him out of it.
They were the enemies of Israel. David wanted the LORD to deal with his enemies. He was under pressure each day from enemies. He was wandering. He was crying out to God. He wanted to know if God had all his tears in a bottle. He knew that God kept a record of all the things that were happening in his life. He continued to inform the LORD that he was trusting in HIM. He was going to pay his vows of praise to the LORD. The second book of Psalms deals with the enemies of Israel. Remember the Psalms are divided into five books. Each book is to represent a book of the first five books of the Bible. The psalms in the second book deal with deliverance from the enemies of the people of God.
We need to realize that in each twenty-four hour period our responsibility is to be close to the LORD. We need to turn to HIM in prayer. We need to depend on HIS strength to see us through each battle.
David realized that his enemies were stronger than he was. He also realized that the LORD was stronger than them. The same facts are true today. Is our confidence in the LORD? Is our confidence in the LORD each twenty-four hour period that we live? HE is keeping a record of our responses to the trials that come our way. Some think that our computer brain has a record of our life from birth to death.
What does HIS record show concerning us? Are we going to receive rewards and crowns or just be saved by fire? Our salvation is based on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for us. Our sanctification is based on our closeness to the LORD on a daily basis. One result of our growth is rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
CHALLENGE: We must ask the LORD’S direction before we start moving in a direction. Prayer is primary. The LORD promises to never leave us or forsake us. Praise the LORD!!!
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: 8 “You tell my wanderings: put you my tears into your bottle:
Are they not in your book?” (“Bottle,” 4997 נׄאד [noʾd] AV translates as “bottle” six times. 1 skin, bottle, skin-bottle. [Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software]).
DEVOTION: This is another psalm of lament by David when he found himself in a difficult situation in Gath after running away from Saul. Remember that Gath was one of the principal cities of the Philistines, who were the sworn enemies of Israel, and that Goliath had been from the city of Gath.
Our inclination is to take our disappointments and sorrows in life and to turn around and try to conquer them. We should never let these things become sources of bitterness for us, yet we should hide the fact that we are sorrowing from one another (Romans 12:15). God allows weaknesses to come into our lives in order to show us our need for Him.
God is also not untouched by our sorrows and tears. He cares about them so much that He records them for us. The metaphor mentioned here is that God puts our tears in His bottle. Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us that we are to approach life with a stiff upper lip! Nor does it say that God is so distant that He does not feel our pain.
So one area of growing in Christlikeness is to learn how to handle sorrow. God is willing for us to cry out to Him when we are sorrowing, so that we will receive the hope that we need. He also wants us to be available to help other believers in their sorrow.
CHALLENGE: Who does God want you to encourage today? Whose sorrow do you need to share? Remember that God is a God who handles both our sorrows and our joys. (Dr. Marc Wooten – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 10 In God will I praise HIS word: in the LORD will I praise HIS word. (1984 “praise” [halal] means to boast, to admire, eulogize, to exclaim Halleluiah, to extol the greatness of a deity or the deity’s works as an act of worship)
DEVOTION: David is repeating the wood “praise” to shoe that he has a great certainty that the LORD is the one that deserves his praise as he sees the LORD working in his life.
He knows that he is totally dependent on the LORD for deliverance from any of the trials the LORD allows in his life. He knows that trials ae necessary for growth and he knows that his reaction to the trials is very important to the LORD and to those who are watching to see how he will react to the things that the LORD allows in his life.
The enemies of believers are always at work. It is thought that the Philistines were the ones giving him trouble during this time period in his life. They were the natural enemies of the children of Israel.
We have natural enemies in our society to those who want to honor the LORD in their actions. Today we have powers in our own countries that want to put down anyone who is a genuine follower of the LORD.
Also, today we have those who don’t love the LORD and those who follow HIM because they are of another religion or who have no belief in God at all.
It is hard to face some of those who don’t want the LORD to be mentioned in daily life in our world. They genuinely hate the LORD and those who serve HIM. They want to see them out of the country or out of the schools or out of the churches today.
Our world understands that those who are genuine followers of the LORD are different from them and they don’t like anyone who is different. If we are not willing to join them then they want us to be taken out of the way anyway they can get rid of us.
Have you had someone in your life who doesn’t want to hear about the LORD and who takes every opportunity to put you down because of your belief in the LORD? Remember that there is nothing new under the sun.
CHALLENGE: We have to face those who don’t want to hear our praise of the LORD. They would like to see all believers not have a smile on their face because they know the LORD and are willing to praise HIM in private as well as public.
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: 11 “In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). (Afraid – 3372 יָרֵא, יָרֵא [yareʾ /yaw·ray/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 907, 908; GK 3707 and 3708; 314 occurrences; AV translates as “fear” 188 times, “afraid” 78 times, “terrible” 23 times, “terrible thing” six times, “dreadful” five times, “reverence” three times, “fearful” twice, “terrible acts” once, and translated miscellaneously eight times. 1 to fear, revere, be afraid. 1A (Qal). 1A1 to fear, be afraid. 1A2 to stand in awe of, be awed. 1A3 to fear, reverence, honour, respect. 1B (Niphal). 1B1 to be fearful, be dreadful, be feared. 1B2 to cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe. 1B3 to inspire reverence or godly fear or awe. 1C (Piel) to make afraid, terrify. 2 (TWOT) to shoot, pour. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: It is an awesome feeling when you are fully aware of God’s presence and His ability to protect you! There have been a few times in my life where I can say that I knew that God was my shield and defender and I was unafraid of the event that was unfolding around me. When that has happened and then looking back later it is amazing at the calmness and certainty that was there. David seemed to have those times when regardless of the crisis or trauma he knew that God was protecting and guiding him. Perhaps it was because he was faithful to the vows he made or perhaps he maintained a devotional and personal intimacy that gave him that assurance of God’s presence. In the times when wrote and sang David sensed the Lord’s presence in his life.
CHALLENGE: Spend some time before the Lord getting to know Him better and prepare for the difficult time that will surely come! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Book of God verse 8
Tears in a bottle verse 8
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
David prays for mercy verse 1- 3
David prays for LORD to deal with his enemy’s verse 7- 9
Cry to the LORD verse 9
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Praise verse 4, 10, 12
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Praise the word of God verse 10
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 1, 4, 7, 9- 13
Merciful verse 1
Most high verse 2
Anger of God verse 7
HE has a book of believers wanderings verse 8
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 10
Vows of the LORD verse 12
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Man verse 1
Want to swallow up believers
Want to oppress believers
Enemies of believers verse 2, 9
Swallow up believers
Fight against believers
Flesh verse 4
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Swallow up believer verse 1, 2
Daily fighting with believer verse 1, 2, 5, 6
Believer afraid verse 3
Evil thought toward believers verse 5
Non – believers gather together give
believers a hard time verse 6
Iniquity verse 7
Believers wanderings verse 8
Enemies of believers verse 9
Falling verse 13
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Mercy verse 1
Trust verse 3, 4, 11
Praise verse 4, 10, 12
Not fear what flesh can do verse 4, 11
God judge those who oppose believers verse 7
Pray [cry] verse 9
Deliverance verse 9, 13
Presence of the LORD verse 9
Keep vows verse 12
Walk before God verse 13
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
David (author of this Psalm) verse 1- 13
Asks for God’s mercy
When afraid – will trust in LORD
Praise HIS word (2x)
Will not fear what flesh can do
Daily wresting with unbelievers
Non-believers wrest with his words
All thoughts are against me
Non-believers wait for his soul
Has times of wanders
Wants the LORD to put his tears in
HIS bottle and in HIS book
Wants the LORD to deal with his
Enemies when he cries to HIM
Knows that God is with him
In God will he trust
Not afraid of what man can do
Delivered from death
Wants to be delivered from falling
Wants to walk before the God in the
light of the living
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Death verse 13
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QUOTES regarding passage
Now comes the explicit point of the psalm: it is being sung to celebrate the answered prayer and keep the promise made in adversity. Thank offerings can be a term for literal sacrifices (e.g. Lev. 7:12) and for songs of gratitude (e.g. Ps. 26:7); here, doubtless, both are meant, and the psalm would serve many a subsequent worshipper with words to accompany his offering. We can in fact see the last verse borrowed, and actually enhanced, in the perfected form of 116:8f., where the sufferer’s tears are not merely taken to heart, as here (8), but taken away. (Kidner, D. (1973). Psalms 1–72: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 15, pp. 222–223). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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56:12–13. David’s confidence led him to anticipate that God would deliver him from danger so that he might live (walk … in the light of life) obediently before Him. As in other psalms, David was so confident God would deliver him that he wrote in the past tense (You have delivered me). So he vowed to praise God for this with thank offerings. (Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 836). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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David’s greatest desire was to glorify the Lord, and this is why he wrote this psalm. He had vowed to serve the Lord and he meant to keep his vow. He had also vowed to present thank offerings to the Lord when his days of wandering were ended. Part of the thank offering was retained by the worshiper so he could enjoy a fellowship meal with his family and friends, and David looked forward to that blessing.
According to verse 13, God answered David’s prayers. He delivered him from death; He kept him from stumbling; and He enabled him to walk in a godly way and praise the Lord. “Light of the living” can also be translated “light of life,” as the phrase used by Jesus in John 8:12. As we follow the Lord Jesus today, we enjoy fullness of life and the glorious light of His presence. We walk in the light. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be worshipful (1st ed., p. 199). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)
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Ver. 13. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, &c.] From imminent danger of death, when in the hands of the Philistines; not that the soul can die; that is immortal; but he means his person, on which account he determines to render praise to God: moreover, this may include the deliverance of his soul from a moral or spiritual death, in which he was by nature, being conceived in sin, and shapen in iniquity; from which he was delivered by regenerating grace, when he was quickened, who before was dead in trespasses and sins; and so delivered, as that this death should no more come upon him; the grace of God in him being a well of living water, springing up unto eternal life: and it may also be understood of deliverance from eternal death, by Christ, who has redeemed his people from the curse of the law, and delivered them from wrath to come; so that they shall never be hurt of the second death; that shall have no power over them; but they shall have eternal life; all which is matter of praise and thanksgiving. Wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling? that is, thou wilt deliver them; for this way of speaking strongly affirms; or hast thou not delivered them? thou hast, and wilt still deliver, or keep from falling. The people of God are subject to falling; God is the only keeper of them; and they have reason to believe that he will keep them from a final and total falling away; because of the great love which he has for them, the gracious promises of preservation he has made unto them, and his power, which is engaged in keeping of them; and because they are put into the hands of Christ, who is able to keep them, and who has an interest in them, and an affection for them; and because of the glory of all the three divine Persons concerned in the saints’ preservation; and this is another reason for rendering praises unto the Lord; the end of which follows. That I may walk before God in the light of the living; to walk before God is to walk as in his sight, who sees and knows all hearts, thoughts, words, and actions; with great circumspection, and caution, and watchfulness; to walk according to the word and will of God, in all his ways, commands, and ordinances; and so the Arabic version, that I may do the will of the Lord; and so as to please him, as Enoch did, who walked with him, and whose walking with him is interpreted by pleasing him, Heb. 11:5, 6. agreeably to which the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions, render the words, that I may please before the Lord; or do what is acceptable in his sight. Moreover, to walk before the Lord is to walk in the light of his countenance, to have his presence, enjoy his favour, and be blessed with communion with him. In the light of the living? that is, to walk as an enlightened and quickened person, as the children of the light; and to walk in the light of the Gospel, and as becomes that; and to walk in Christ the light, and by faith on him; and such shall have the light of life, John 8:12. a phrase the same with this here; and designs the light of the heavenly glory, and of the New-Jerusalem church-state, in which the nations of them that are saved shall walk, Rev. 21:23, 24. Some Jewish writers interpret this of paradise. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, pp. 758–759). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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God Knows What We Don’t Know
“I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.” (Psalm 119:75)
One of the most perplexing aspects of the Christian life is trying to understand God’s purpose when defeat or affliction comes into our lives, thereby hindering or even halting our ministry and testimony for Him. Many have been the servants of God who were sincerely working for Christ, seeking to obey His will and His Word as best they understood them, but then suddenly were laid aside by sickness, or had their ministries stopped by the enemies of God (sometimes even by fellow Christians), or for some other reason, and could not discern why God allowed it.
What then? When affliction comes, we must simply trust God, knowing that whatever He does is right and that our affliction is invested with His faithfulness. He is our Creator and, through Christ, has also become our heavenly Father: “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” (Hebrews 12:9). He knows what we don’t know, therefore we can “know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
This verse (Romans 8:28) is one of the most familiar and most wonderful promises in the Bible, but it is one of the most difficult to believe in time of affliction or loss. Nevertheless, it is God’s promise, and “all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Corinthians 1:20).
God knows the end from the beginning, and in that wonderful day when Christ returns, “then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Until then, we must simply trust Him. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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The original decree is found, and permission is given to complete the temple restoration.
INSIGHT
It is often darkest before the dawn. Just as it looks as if the work on the temple is going to be stopped, the Lord turns the situation around. Not only is permission given to complete the temple, but those who had tried to stop the work are required to finance the remainder of the restoration! Worrying does little to further the work of God; He is quite capable of accomplishing His work. Our work is trust, obedience, and faithfulness to our responsibilities. (Quiet Walk)
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ENTERING GOD’S KINGDOM
…not imputing their trespasses unto them….For he hath made him to be sin for us.
2 Corinthians 5:19,21
You cannot live in God’s kingdom unless you are a worthy citizen. How, then, can you enter? Christ is the answer. This is the Good News, that He bore our sins “in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24). Here is the message: “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them….For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:19,21). And thereby by dying on the cross, He has opened the gateway into the kingdom, and He says, “Today is the day of salvation–enter in.” “Come unto me, all ye that labor and heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
“The time is fulfilled” (Mark 1:15). The time promised so long ago has arrived; the kingdom of God has drawn near, has come. He says, “I am the King; come unto Me just as you are.” Thank God you do not have to put yourself right first; you do not have to understand the profundity first; you do not have to set out on some great quest. You may have to die very soon, and your question is, “How can I stand before God? How can I know that I am going to heaven and eternal bliss?”
And this is the answer: “The time is fulfilled; the kingdom has come.” The King is the Lord Jesus Christ, and He loved you so much that He died for you and your sins, and all He says to you is, “Repent, think again, believe My message.” Repent and believe the gospel; acknowledge your folly and your sin, your shame, and your helplessness. Stop making inquiries; stop setting out with your great intellect to understand. Simply believe
A Thought to Ponder: “I am the King; come unto Me just as you are.” (From The Kingdom of God, pp. 23-24, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Matthew 1:18-25
Unexpected events often are a source for differing emotions such as disbelief, surprise or fear. The event may cause us to go back and search our values and absolutes to ensure that we are acting in accordance with those principles. The occasion can cause us to either stand steadfast or slip away from our beliefs.
Joseph is an individual that suddenly is confronted with bewildering decisions. He finds the woman to whom he is engaged, now expecting a child. The uniqueness of her alibi possibly made Joseph stop and reconsider his decision. Joseph being a just or righteous man did not want to make a public example of her (v. 19), so he was going to proceed for a private divorce. His character was being challenged as he perceived Mary as unfaithful.
Joseph’s mind may have been filled with questions and uncertainty before he drifted off to sleep in this passage. Suddenly he was confronted in a dream by an angelic being declaring the same statements Mary had previously claimed to be truthful. He was instructed to fulfill the marriage commitment to her. Her son would be named Immanuel, “God with us” and “He will save His people from their sins” (vv.20-23). What a dream and challenge to accept!
We see Joseph’s faith and trust suddenly thrust itself to the forefront of his life as he awakens and determines to follow the angelic command in his dream. Mary becomes his wife and they accomplish God’s plan for their lives.
Following God’s plan and purpose is not always easy. We do not have dreams, visions and angelic visitations to direct our decisions as did Mary and Joseph. What we do have is God’s Word. It is our source and guide in making difficult or life altering decisions. Take time to read, pray and wait upon God to help in difficult times of decision making. Knowing the truths and obeying the principles His Word teaches, can arm us for the unexpected decisions that may suddenly arise in our lives.
With an Expectant Hope, Pastor Miller
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Because of our great hope for the future, we should be steadfast in the face of present trials.
INSIGHT
One mark of maturity is the ability to put off present gratification for the sake of a future reward. A child of six is not willing to give up buying a piece of candy to save that money for college tuition; yet an older child might be willing to forego present purchases for the sake of future education. Though in the Christian life the stakes are much higher, the principle is the same. Peter urges us to consider our future inheritance and endure present trials in expectation of our eternal reward. (Quiet Walk)
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WE HAVE OVERCOME, AND WE ARE OVERCOMING
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4
I am trying to say how at one and the same time it can be said that as Christians we have overcome and we are overcoming. Think of it in terms of the Battle of Quebec. General Wolfe conquered the French general Montcalm on the Heights of Abraham, and as the result of that battle Canada was conquered. And yet we read in our history books that the fight for possessing Canada went on for some seventy or eighty more years. That is it; the country was captured, and then captured in detail. The position of Christian men and women is something like that in this world. They are no longer under the dominion of Satan; they have been taken out of his kingdom, but that does not mean that they have finished with Satan.
Or look at it like this—think of it in terms of two big estates with a road going down between. On one side of the road there is one estate, and on the other side there is another; one of them is the kingdom of Satan, and the other is the kingdom of God. Now this is what has happened to Christian men and women: They were in the estate under the dominion of Satan, but they have crossed over the road and are now in the kingdom of God. But though they are in this life and world, working in that new estate, the kingdom of God, Satan, their old enemy, is still there in that other kingdom, and he thinks that Christians will be foolish enough to listen to him. He forgets that they have been once and forever taken out of his dominion; he forgets that they are free. So Christians do not come under his dominion, but they are still subject to his attacks and onslaughts and his suggestions and insinuations. They have overcome, but they are still fighting; they still have to overcome as t hey go on in this life walking with God and with Christ.
A Thought to Ponder
Christians have overcome, but they are still fighting.
(From Life in God, pp. 42-43, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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The Christian’s Purpose
“According as he hath chosen us in him…that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” (Ephesians 1:4)
In the grand purpose of our “selection” into God’s family, two key words are used:
“Holy” (Greek hagios) stresses dedication. A holy man or woman is distinctively God’s, set apart for God’s use, separated from the secular, and consecrated to God’s service. All who are “chosen” are chosen to be holy.
The Colossian Christians were told to “mortify” the physical appetites, to “put off” their sinful mental attitudes and habits, and to “put on the new man…as the elect of God, holy and beloved” (Colossians 3:5-12). The focus is character.
“Without blame” refers to our reputations. This character will only be fully realized in heaven (1 Corinthians 1:8), but there is a present responsibility to “present your bodies a living sacrifice…And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:1-2).
The character of holiness will become the cause of a lifestyle of blamelessness. We are to be the “sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).
This holy and blameless condition will result in “the praise of the glory of his grace” (Ephesians 1:6), where God will someday “gather together in one all things in Christ” (v. 10).
What a magnificent thought! The purpose for which we have been chosen, predestined, redeemed, and forgiven is to be holy in character and blameless in reputation, so that when God gathers us all together in Christ, we will be the praise of the glorious grace of God! (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)