Happy New Year! This is the time for us all to concentrate on assimilating the teachings of God’s Holy Word into our everyday life. God is calling out a “People for His Own possession” who are being instructed in the way of not only acquiring His righteousness freely, but also displaying it to unbelievers for evangelistic purposes. Therefore, just as the people of Moses and Joshua were called to be sanctified, so much more are the people of Jesus Christ in need to pray: “Sanctify Me In 2023AD”
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Joshua 3:1 – 5 (KJV)
Jos 3:1 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.
Jos 3:2 And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;
Jos 3:3 And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.
Jos 3:4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.
Jos 3:5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.
New Testament Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 3:15 – 18 (KJV)
1Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
1Pe 3:16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
1Pe 3:17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Transforming Power Statements:
1) The transition of leadership from Moses (The Law giver) to Joshua (equivalent name with Jesus) is symbolic of the fact that even though the Law of God is perfectly Holy, it has NO ability to save people because all people fail to keep it entirely as it is required in order to provide the perfect righteousness that God demands, which can only be satisfied by Jesus Christ’s perfect sacrifice of Himself at the exact moment prophesied by the Law and the Prophets. (Moses to Malachi / OT)
2) From the very beginning God has chosen people to be set apart to Himself for salvation, who are called for His purposes in the world to continue as He through the called reaches out to the rest offering His grace to everyone else.
3) Peter admonishes the believers to sanctify God in our hearts, in other words realize that God is the one Who called us to be set apart to Him, for the sake of being different / more Christ-like so that our behavior will be attractive to others who are unaware of His grace and forgiveness, which is also available to all who believe the Gospel.
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