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KEYSTO GOD’ SCOVENANT byJonat han APOSI TI ONTHATLEADSTO DESPERATI ON “. . . i ff r om t henc et hous hal ts eekt heLORDt hyGod,t hous hal tf i ndhi m,i ft hous eekhi m wi t hal l t hyhear t andwi t hal l t hys oul .Whent houar ti nt r i bul at i on,andal l t hes et hi ngsar ec omeupont hee,ev eni nt he l at t erday s ,i ft hout ur nt ot heLORDt hyGod,ands hal tbeobedi entunt ohi sv oi c e;( Fort heLORDt hy Godi samer c i f ul God; )hewi l l notf or s ak et hee,nei t herdes t r oyt hee,norf or gett hec ov enantoft hy f at her swhi c hhes war eunt ot hem”( DEUTERONOMY4: 2931) . Thec al l t obel i ev ei sac al l t ol ov i ngandwi l l i ngobedi enc et oGodwi t ht ot al dependenc yonHi m.I ti s bas edonGod’ st er ms ,notour s .Any t hi ngs hor toft hi sbec omesr el i gi on,notr el at i ons hi p.Godwant st o s hak eev er y t hi ngt hatc oul dbes hak en.I fwear enotc ar ef ul ,wewi l l s uc c umbt oi dol at r yandbej udged, “ Fort het i mei sc omet hatj udgmentmus tbegi natt hehous eofGod:andi fi tf i r s tbegi natus ,whats hal l t heendbeoft hem t hatobeynott hegos pel ofGod?Andi ft her i ght eouss c ar c el ybes av ed,wher es hal l t heungodl yandt hes i nnerappear ?”( 1Pet er4: 1718) . No,Idonotbel i ev et hataChr i s t i an( unl es sheors her enounc est hepoweroft hebl oodofJ es usChr i s t , ac c or di ngt oHebr ews10: 29)c oul dl os ehi sorhers al v at i onbutt her ei snev er t hel es sas er i ous r es pons i bi l i t yt hati sdemandedofusaf t erwebel i ev e,“. . . s t r ai ti st hegat e,andnar r owi st heway ,whi c h l eadet hunt ol i f e,andf ewt her ebet hatf i ndi t ”( Mat t hew7: 14) .Whi c hi swhyCal v i ni s m ort hedoc t r i neof el ec t i onorpr edes t i nat i oni nt heex t r emepos i t i oni sdi abol i c al andwi l l l eadal otofpeopl et ohel l .Of c our s e,wek nowGodi ss ov er ei gnbutHehasal l owedusac hoi c eofwhom wewoul ds er v e.I ti st he c ons equenc est hatweneedt obeawar eoft hough,“ Forhet hats owet ht ohi sf l es hs hal l oft hef l es hr eap c or r upt i on;buthet hats owet ht ot heSpi r i ts hal l oft heSpi r i tr eapl i f eev er l as t i ng”( Gal at i ans6: 8) . Ont heot herhand,Ar mi ni ani s m ort hedoc t r i neoff r eewi l l c anbei mbal anc ei ni ns t anc eswher el egal i s m andhumanwor k sar eov er emphas i z ed( andhenc e,notenoughs t r es sonf ai t hi nGod’ sgr ac eandmer c y ) , “ Forbygr ac ear ey es av edt hr oughf ai t h;andt hatnotofy our s el v es :i ti st hegi f tofGod:Notofwor k s ,l es t anymans houl dboas t ”( Ephes i ans2: 89) . Letushol dGod’ sc ov enanti nbal anc e.Thek eyi s ,asl ongaswer emai ni nChr i s t ,wear es ec ur ed.But wec an,byourownwi l l s ,t ur nourbac k sonGod,apos t as i z eandbel os t ,“ Ofhowmuc hs or erpuni s hment , s uppos ey e,s hal l hebet houghtwor t hy ,whohat ht r oddenunderf oott heSonofGod,andhat hc ount ed t hebl oodoft hec ov enant ,wher ewi t hhewass anc t i f i ed,anunhol yt hi ng,andhat hdonedes pi t eunt ot he Spi r i tofgr ac e?”( Hebr ews10: 29)and“. . . i faf t ert heyhav ees c apedt hepol l ut i onsoft hewor l dt hr ought he k nowl edgeoft heLor dandSav i ourJ es usChr i s t ,t heyar eagai nent angl edt her ei n,andov er c ome,t he l at t erendi swor s ewi t ht hem t hant hebegi nni ng.Fori thadbet t erf ort hem nott ohav ek nownt hewayof r i ght eous nes s ,t han,af t ert heyhav ek nowni t ,t ot ur nf r om t hehol yc ommandmentdel i v er edunt ot hem” ( 2Pet er2: 2021) . Thec r i t i c al i s s uei s ,dowek nowourGodast heCov enant Lor d?Whi l ei ti st r uet hat“ Godc ommendet h hi sl ov et owar dus ,i nt hat ,whi l ewewer ey ets i nner s ,Chr i s tdi edf orus ”( Romans5: 8) ,ourr es pons eaf t er webel i ev ei st odev el opapur s ui toff ol l owi ngaf t erGod’ sownhear t ,des per at el yandear nes t l y .Though Hehasabs ol ut el egal owner s hi pofus ,bei ng“ boughtwi t hapr i c e:t her ef or egl or i f yGodi ny ourbody ,and i ny ours pi r i t ,whi c har eGod’ s ”( 1Cor i nt hi ans6: 20) ,Hehasnev er t hel es sgi v enusHi sdel egat edaut hor i t y andk ey soft heKi ngdom,“ AndIwi l l gi v eunt ot heet hek ey soft hek i ngdom ofheav en:andwhat s oev er t hous hal tbi ndonear t hs hal l beboundi nheav en:andwhat s oev ert hous hal tl oos eonear t hs hal l be l oos edi nheav en”( Mat t hew16: 19) . I nt hi sc ov enantr el at i ons hi p,Hei sourSeni orPar t ner .Wec oul dhav ebeent r ans f or medi nt or obot s ,but Hewant sust opl ayourr ol esi nt heKi ngdom.YOUandIhol dt hek eyt ot ak epos s es s i onofwhathasbeen l os tt ot heenemy ’ st er r i t or y .WEc anputas t opt oSat an’ shar as s menti nourl i v esandt hatofot her si nt he NameofJ es usChr i s t !
GOD’ SWI LLI SSAL VATI ON “ TheLor di snots l ac kc onc er ni nghi spr omi s e,ass omemenc ounts l ac k nes s ;buti sl ongs uf f er i ngt o us war d,notwi l l i ngt hatanys houl dper i s h,butt hatal l s houl dc omet or epent anc e”( 2Pet er3: 9) . Al l owmet os ayt hi s .Suppos i ngi ti st r ue( whi c hi ti sNOT ,ac c or di ngt o2Pet er3: 9)t hatGodhasal r eady “ el ec t ed”or“ pr edes t i ned”t heet er nal des t i nyofhumank i nd,t hent her ei snor eas onwhyt heLor d’ s c omi ngs houl dbe“ del ay ed”anyf ur t her .I ti sbec aus eofGod’ sgr eatmer c yt hatHepr es ent l ywi t hhol ds Hi sr i ght eousj udgment .Andf ors uc hat i meast hi s ,wehav eas er i ousr es pons i bi l i t yt ounbel i ev er sand Godi nbr i ngi ngt hem t oJ es us !Wec anmak et hedi f f er enc e! Donotengagei nr el i gi ousdebat es .Donotpl aywi t hs omedeadt r adi t i onal i s m.Ther ei sc onf l i c tbet ween t heKi ngdom ofGodandt hatofSat an.Mak ewari nt heheav enl i es .Pul l downs t r onghol dsi nt heName t hati sabov eev er yot hername,“ Nei t heri st her es al v at i oni nanyot her :f ort her ei snoneot hername underheav engi v enamongmen,wher ebywemus tbes av ed”( Ac t s4: 12) .St ar tbel i ev i ngGodf ory our f ami l yandl ov edonesl i k ey ouhav enev erbef or e.St andi nt hegap( ac c or di ngt oEz ek i el 22: 30)and i nt er c eedf ort hem bef or et het hr oneofGod.Donotpr ayor di nar ypr ay er s .Pr aydi l i gent l yandi nt ens el y . Ri s eupf orJ es us ,“. . . unt i l nowt hek i ngdom ofheav ens uf f er et hv i ol enc e,andt hev i ol entt ak ei tbyf or c e” ( Mat t hew1 1: 12) .As s er tJ es us ’ aut hor i t yands eeHi sKi ngdom adv anc eaggr es s i v el yasy ouar ear medi n Hi sar mour !( ac c or di ngt oEphes i ans6: 1018) .Gl or ybet oGod! THESPI RI TANDTHEBRI DESAY,“ COME! ” “ Andt heSpi r i tandt hebr i des ay ,Come.Andl ethi mt hathear et hs ay ,Come.Andl ethi mt hati sat hi r s t c ome.Andwhos oev erwi l l ,l ethi mt ak et hewat erofl i f ef r eel y ”( Rev el at i on22: 17) . Fr i end,i fy ouar enotaChr i s t i anandy our eadt hi s ,her e’ sanappeal f ory out of i ndt heGodwhoi smer c i f ul . T obei nc l udedi nt hi si nv i t at i on,y oumus thav ear el at i ons hi pwi t hJ es usChr i s t .Thec hoi c ei sy our s .I fy ou s ay“ y es ”t oJ es us ,her e’ swhaty oumus tdo, Admi tt hef ac tt haty ouar eas i nner ,“ Foral l hav es i nned,andc omes hor toft hegl or yofGod”( Romans 3: 23) ; Bewi l l i ngt or epentf r om di s obedi enc eandr ebel l i onagai ns tGod,“. . . ex c epty er epent ,y es hal l al l l i k ewi s e per i s h”( Luk e13: 3) ; Bel i ev et hatJ es usi sy ouronl ySav i our ,“ ForGods ol ov edt hewor l d,t hathegav ehi sonl ybegot t enSon, t hatwhos oev erbel i ev et hi nhi ms houl dnotper i s h,buthav eev er l as t i ngl i f e”( J ohn3: 16) ; Conf es s ,t r us tandr ec ei v eJ es usChr i s tasy ourLor dandSav i our ,“ Thati ft hous hal tc onf es swi t ht hy mout ht heLor dJ es us ,ands hal tbel i ev ei nt hi nehear tt hatGodhat hr ai s edhi mf r om t hedead,t hous hal t bes av ed.Forwi t ht hehear tmanbel i ev et hunt or i ght eous nes s ;andwi t ht hemout hc onf es s i oni smade unt os al v at i on”( Romans10: 910) . Pl eas epr ayt hi spr ay eranddomeani twi t hal l ofy ourhear t : “ DearLor dJ es us ,Inowr ec ogni z et hatIam as i nnerandIam i nneedofs al v at i on.Iac c eptt hes ac r i f i c e Youpai df ormeont hec r os sofCal v ar yandIal l owYourpr ec i ouss hedbl oodt oc l eans eme.Inow s ur r endermy s el ft oYouandi nv i t eYout obemyLor dandSav i our .Pl eas ec omei nt omyhear t .T ak ef ul l c ont r ol ofmyl i f eandhel pmet ol i v eands er v eYouf r om t hi smomentf or war d.Ias ki nt henameofJ es us . Amen. ”
I fy oupr ay edt hi spr ay eri nal l s i nc er i t y ,y ouar enowac hi l dofGod.Weenc our agey out of i ndf el l ows hi p i naBi bl ebel i ev i ng,Spi r i t f i l l edc hur c handobt ai nac opyoft heBi bl eandt haty our eadi tdi l i gent l ys o t haty ouwi l l bet hek i ndofChr i s t i anGodwant sy out obe. i l l y ous ubmi tt ot heSav i our ’ sbi ddi ngand c omenow? COPYRI GHT( C)1995WORLDHARVESTGOSPELPRESS ALLRI GHTSRESERVED ( Thi sar t i c l ewaswr i t t eni nt hemi d1990s .Themes s agei ss t i l l asr el ev antnowasi twasbac kt hen. )
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