The highest duty in all of life is to do all things to the glory of God. According to the holy Scriptures, it is the good pleasure of God the Father that everyone become a disciple of Jesus His Son. In other words, God is calling all people to be saved. If we have answered His call, Just how can we achieve such a goal, and what path should we take to attain all that God has in store for us? In our lesson today, our pastor teacher Landis Fisher highlights this important topic in a lesson from our ongoing study through the gospel of Mark that he calls: “Aligning Our Lives With Our Calling ” So, open your bibles if possible, listen in, sip some tea, and enjoy as we pray along with our teacher.
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Psalms 51:1 – 14 (KJV)
Psa 51:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Psa 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Psa 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Psa 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Psa 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Psa 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psa 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Psa 51:9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Psa 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Psa 51:13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Psa 51:14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
New Testament Scripture Reading: Mark 9:38 – 50 (KJV)
Mark 9:38 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. Mark 9:39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. Mark 9:40 For he that is not against us is on our part. Mark 9:41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. Mark 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. Mark 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Mark 9:44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Mark 9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Mark 9:46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Mark 9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Mark 9:48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Mark 9:49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Mark 9:50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
Transforming Power Statements:
#1) Even though salvation is not based on doing good deeds, but on faith in the perfect deeds of Jesus, God’s only begotten Son, it is clear that the proof of possession of God’s salvation is known by the changes in our deeds due to our salvation. (James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.)
#2) One of the greatest paradoxes of being a disciple of Jesus Christ is being saved totally by the work of Christ, through the receipt of His perfect righteousness by faith, while still possessing fleshly desires, tendencies, and habits, which have now been exposed to be sinful by the new nature and set themselves in conflict with the new person we have become who now deeply desires to live in a way that pleases God.
#3) The greatest motivation to keep us pressing toward the goal of Christ-likeness is to always contemplate the cross which is the place where God most powerfully modeled His hatred for sin while at the same time modeling His immeasurable love and grace toward sinners; the most tremendous paradox in the history of creation.
