In the Meditations 104 and 105, we saw that our rebirth by God’s Spirit
and His continuous presence in our lives are God’s preconditions for victory
over the power of sin.
However, there is a third precondition; that is the imperative to obey
God’s Word, the Bible. The following texts speak of the origin of God’s Word
and the way God wants to bless us through His Word when we obey it
wholeheartedly.
Abraham (ca. 19th
century B.C.) is God’s prime example of trust and obedience. God promised to bless all
the nations on earth through Abraham, because he wholeheartedly obeyed His Word.
God testifies: “I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all
my requirements, commands, regulations, and laws.” (Genesis
26:5*)
Before his death (ca. 13th century B.C.), Moses commanded God’s
people to remain faithful to God’s Word: “You must commit yourselves
wholeheartedly to these commands [God’s Word] I am giving you today. Repeat
them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and
when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are
getting up again. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your
forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9*)
Nehemiah, cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia (5th century
B.C.), mentions the divine origin of the Holy Scriptures when he praises God,
saying: “You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven. You
gave them regulations and instructions that were just, and laws and commands
that were true.” (Nehemiah 9:13*)
The Book of the Psalms starts with praising those who wholeheartedly
commit themselves to studying and obeying God’s Word: “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow
the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with
scoffers. But they delight in doing everything the LORD wants; day and night
they think about his Law [His Word]. They are like trees planted along the
riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail. Their leaves never wither,
and in all they do, they prosper.” (Psalm 1:1-3*)
Psalm 19 shows the benefit of being wholeheartedly committed to living God’s
Word: “The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the
LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the LORD are
right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving
insight to life. Reverence for the LORD is pure, lasting forever. The laws of
the LORD are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even
the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the
comb. They are a warning to those who hear them; there is great reward for
those who obey them.” (Psalm 19:7-11*)
Psalm 119 is one long doxology in praise of God and His Word. In
addition, the psalmist teaches how God’s Word can protect against disobedience
to God: “How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your Word and
following its rules. ... I have hidden your Word in my heart, that I might not
sin against you.” (Psalm 119:9 and 11*)
John the Baptist testifies about Jesus and says of Him: “He is sent
by God. He speaks God's words, for God's Spirit is upon him without measure or
limit.” (John 3:34*)
Jesus urges us to obey God’s Word and forewarns us of the grave
consequences of not doing so: “Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys
me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain
comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that
house, it won't collapse, because it is built on rock. But anyone who hears my
teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When
the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall
with a mighty crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27*)
Obedience to God’s
Word is very much a measure of the love we have for our Triune God. The evening
before His death, Jesus explains to His disciples: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.
My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He
who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my
own; they belong to the Father who sent me.” (John 14:23-24**)
Furthermore, in his first letter, the apostle John makes clear that by
obeying God’s Word wholeheartedly we grow in knowing God personally: “We know that we have come to know him [God] if
we obey his commands. The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he
commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his Word,
God's love is truly made complete in him.” (1 John 2:3-5**)
Jesus teaches that obeying God’s Word leads to everlasting life: “Jesus shouted to the crowds, ‘If you trust me,
you are really trusting God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing
the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so
that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the darkness.
If anyone hears me
and doesn't obey me, I am not his judge -- for I have come to save the world
and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged at the
day of judgment by the truth I have spoken.
I don't speak on my
own authority. The Father who sent me gave me his own instructions as to what I
should say. And I know his instructions lead to eternal life; so I say whatever
the Father tells me to say!’”
(John 12:44-50*)
The apostle Paul reminds his young co-worker of the fact that God’s Word
shows the way to salvation: “You have been taught the holy Scriptures from
childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that
comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15*)
Moreover, Paul declares that God’s Word not only teaches us how to be
saved, but also how to grow into a mature Christlike life: “All Scripture is
inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize
what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is
right. It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every
good thing God wants us to do.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17*)
In the last three meditations we have seen that our rebirth by God’s
Spirit, His continuous presence in our lives, and the imperative to obey God’s
Word [the Bible] are God’s preconditions for victory over the power of sin.
Well, I think it is high time to see how we can conquer the power of sin. That will be the theme of the upcoming meditations.
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