The reason God saves people . . .

 

READ Ezekiel 33–36

Microsoft studied how many times a message must be heard before it was remembered. They concluded 6 to 20 , but some say 7, others say 17. God knows our forgetfulness judging by how many times He told Ezekiel to repeat His warnings to His people. In each case, the warning had eternal consequences, for the people and for the prophet.

“So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. (Ezekiel 33:7–9)

Again, the people didn’t listen. They said, ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’ yet they continued in their sinful ways, even to declaring, ‘The way of the Lord is not just,’ when it is was their own way that is not just. Just as the NT says, true faith is shown by the fruit it bears. These people were condemned because their lives did not reveal faith in their God.

In the twelfth year of their exile, Jerusalem was struck down. The land was made desolate because of their sin and as God said to His prophet, they were “like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it.” (33:32–33)

God condemned their shepherds and promised to “rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.” He would seek the lost, bring back the strayed, bind up the injured, strengthen the weak, and destroy the strong. He also points to Jesus:

And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken. (34:10–24)

His promises for their future included a covenant of peace, physical security, rain when needed and to make them showers of blessing as well. Trees would yield their fruit, the earth its increase. God would free them from those who enslaved them and they would live without fear, hunger or reproach. They would know that He is the Lord their God and that they are His people. (34:25–31)

As for the nations, they would be made desolate. His people would possess them and no longer bear disgrace or made to stumble. These nations would recognize that God rescued His people for His name’s sake as He told Ezekiel:

Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. (Ezekiel 36:22–23)

The promise of salvation is given, again pointing to the redemption and new life found through faith in the promised Messiah:

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules . . . . Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord God; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways . . . . (Ezekiel 36:25–32)

And the desolate land will become like the garden of Eden, with cities fortified and inhabited. And the remaining nations will know that that He is the Lord. Even as this prophet repeats and repeats God’s warnings, he also repeats the good news: Jesus saves us from our sin. No one can do it without faith in Him and the experience of a new heart and new life — given to those who believe and glorify God. 

Lord, may I glorify You this day and always!

 

Diligent to Live by the Gospel

 

READ 2 Peter 1–3

Some suppose that to be a Christian means ‘walk the aisle’ or ‘pray the prayer’ and they are in. However, the NT teaches that could begin the Christian life that way, but a verbal commitment may not be evidence that such life exists. The Bible teaches that Christians are people in whom the Spirit of God dwells and “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” (Romans 8:9–10) Obviously, it if the Son of God lives in us, there will be evidence of His presence. Today’s reading puts it this way:

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:3–4)

I’ve been blessed reading and saying prayers from a book by Scotty Smith. Here is part of what he prayed today, affirming how faith in Christ changes lives:

Apart from the gospel, I’ll whine more than I’ll worship. Apart from the gospel, I’ll judge people more than I’ll seek to understand them. Apart from the gospel, I’ll get my feelings hurt quicker than being careful not to offend others. Apart from the gospel, I’ll avoid people who want more from me than I want to give them.

Apart from the gospel, I’ll react selfishly to irritants rather than responding graciously. Apart from the gospel, I’ll talk more than I listen. Apart from the gospel, I’ll think about me much more than I think about you. Apart from the gospel, I won’t risk anything; I’ll do just enough to get by. Apart from the banquet of the gospel, I’ll be reaching for junk food all day long, literally and figuratively.

Father, because of your unfailing love for me in Jesus, I have put my trust in you. I do lift my soul up to you, right now. Show me the way I should go this very day. Show me what thinking, feeling, and choosing in line with the truth of the gospel requires of me, and then give me that supply. I pray in Jesus’ beautiful and bountiful name. Amen. (Smith, Scotty. Everyday Prayers: 365 Days to a Gospel-Centered Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2011.)

I can relate to every statement. Without Christ in me, I cannot live a godly life. Even with Christ in me, I must choose who I will serve: my Lord Jesus Christ or my old nature. Like Smith suggests, the power to worship is there, but so is the inclination to whine, to unfairly judge, to offend and live for myself and not for Jesus.

Today’s reading says I have a responsibility to make the right choices and “make every effort to supplement my faith with virtue” rather than choose sin. The virtues are listed, then the author says:

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. (2 Peter 1:8–10)

Jesus is my Savior; I am not. He entrusted me with His righteousness and charges me to be diligent to live by that, not by my old nature, my flesh in all its selfishness and making choices that glorify or pamper me. Yet He is my Savior and He “knows how to rescue the godly from trials (temptations), and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment.” (2 Peter 2:9)

Today, His voice to me is like most days. He says, “What sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:11–13)

Whether it is by ‘global warming’ (and we think we can stop it) or by some other way, by His Word, “the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.” (2 Peter 3:7)

The old will pass away and He will create a new heaven and a new earth! So it makes sense to live for God and make godly choices, to be “diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace . . . . growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:14; 18) To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.