Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Sabbath, November 10, 2018

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-11-10-2018

This is devotional thought number 10 in our devotional series, “The Protest is Not Over: Transformation is Key to Reformation.”

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8–10).

God loves you! God knew before He created the world that you would face challenges to His original plan of holiness for you life. This is why the plan of salvation, resident in His eternal mind was swift to fall in place when Adam and Eve sinned. Otherwise they would have been destroyed immediately. God showed them unmerited favor, and then empowered them to do His will, by faith; extended mercy to them; gave them the power to respond to His mercy; accepted their confession and best efforts; and continued to empower them to do all that God called them to do in holy living. They were created in His image. They sinned and fell from perfection. They, and all of their decendents were entered into a divine recovery program wherein God, the One who created all peoples for His glory has accepted them in the Beloved Jesus as long as we keep responding to the grace and power of God until Jesus comes. That was a mouthful!

God loves you (I feel like I’ve said that before)! God knew before He created the world that not everyone would accept that power. Yet, in continuous acts of His mysterious love, He continues to entreat us so we can have the best chance possible to accept His gift of eternal life. Let’s drill down a bit further.

When we “respond” to God’s mercy (favorably), what does it look like? “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Romans 6:13–16). This is no mere judicial act! When anyone experiences God’s mercy and receives power from the Holy Spirit, they are recieving the ability to live holy lives just like Jesus did when He lived here. On man said it this way: “When we accept God’s love by faith, we can live just as holy as Jesus did from His miraculous birth till His death. When we are born again, it is from our newbirth till our death (or Jesus comes) that we can live that level of victory.” Yes, it is possible for victorious people to decide to turn from God and serve ourselves and the devil again. God does not handcuff anyone to Him. Yes, it is possible to make mistakes or missteps along our path of righteousness, but in those cases John said we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One.

What then? How should we live in light of all we said, and more we have not said on this subject? Give thanks for God’s grace to position us to fulfill His eternal plan for our lives. With His power, accept that position in the faith and allow Him to continually empower you further to yield all of your thoughts, intentions, and actions to Him. If, God forbid, you stumble and fall, confess your sins to Him (not people; not a priest unless the sin is against them), and give thanks for the One who empowers you to turn away from those sins and walk...