31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34
God announced that a day is coming where He will relate to human beings in a new way called the new covenant. This covenant is not based on law or animal sacrifice, but on the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. It is amazing to think that God will put His teaching directly on our hearts. That means that these desires to obey God come from within and not from an outside source. We not only have the law, but through Christ, we have an internal desire to obey his law. It gives new meaning to the following verses: 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13 Obedience activates the word and work of God in our lives. Notice I said the work of God and not our work. For the New Testament Greek word for obedience is (hupakoe), which is two words put together that means, “hear under.” We hear with a heart that comes under the authority of the word spoken. When God speaks, we submit to His authority and obey. So obedience doesn’t start with activity, it starts with sitting and hearing. That is why your time with the Lord every morning is so crucial. It is in a sense your first act of obedience that sets you up for more obedience to follow. Guard your time with the Lord because satan doesn’t want you to be prepared for a victorious day in the Lord. We cannot expect to live in the blessings of God if we are not willing to commit to daily radical obedience. Make this day a day of responding to God’s Word as you trust Him with all things. Sunday is coming and we will be in Revelation 14. May God draw you closer as you serve Him today. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike
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Rev. Mike McClurgSenior Pastor, Findlay First Church of the Nazarene Archives
March 2020
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