Last lesson was called: “Battling Oppositions To Sanctification” we began to consider the three categories of “mortal enemies” which are also poised against Almighty God, Who has had an ultimate plan to permanently destroy them while saving a portion of humanity who desire to pursue a relationship with Him by faith in Jesus Christ His Son! (The Redeemer) Today let us examine from King David ( The sweet Psalmist of Israel) and a few other saints of the Most High God, what it means to be: ” Taking A Risk For God’s Will By Faith”
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Psalms 119:33 – 40 (KJV)
Psa 119:33 HE. Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.
Psa 119:34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Psa 119:35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.
Psa 119:36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
Psa 119:37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
Psa 119:38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.
Psa 119:39 Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good.
Psa 119:40 Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.
New Testament Scripture Reading: Hebrews 11:1 – 6 (KJV)
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Heb 11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Heb 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
Heb 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Transforming Power Statements:
1) David the Psalmist knowing that he was graciously called to be the King of Israel, wrote Psalms expressing many things about the intimacy of having a “sanctifying relationship” with the Almighty by calling upon Him through prayer to impart the needed “power to obey” the right things in life over the tremendous pull from within caused by our sin nature.
2) The Bible is a chronicle of how God has tolerated and dealt with sin and sinners (whom He loves) and what He has planned for the ones who continue to refuse His grace that He graphically displayed by offering Jesus His Only Begotten Son whom He raised from the dead at the apex of human culture to be the only Savior, Redeemer, and Sanctifier for all who trust in Him.
3) What things are we willing to take a risk for God’s will to be done in our lives knowing that like the patriarchs and other witnesses in the Holy Scriptures; God our Father has planned a new heaven and a new earth to be inhabited by all who are willing to take a much smaller risk than He took, by sending us Jesus Who was willing to take the greatest risk to display God’s redeeming love to us all.
1) Have I decided to change my direction from trying to do things my way to doing them His way?
2) Have I trusted in the crucified, buried, and risen Jesus Christ entirely for the salvation of MY soul?