38 lines
4.3 KiB
HTML
38 lines
4.3 KiB
HTML
|
|
<html>
|
|
<head>
|
|
<title>Blue Letter Bible: Day By Day By Grace — Bob Hoekstra</title>
|
|
<script src="../../../js/basepath.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
|
|
<script src="./js/nav.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
|
|
<script src="./js/MainHeader.js" type="text/javascript"></script><div class="head">
|
|
Day By Day By Grace
|
|
</div>
|
|
<div class="subhead">
|
|
Bob Hoekstra
|
|
</div>
|
|
<div class="desc-center">
|
|
<div class="pad2020">
|
|
June 7
|
|
</div>
|
|
</div>
|
|
<div class="main-just">
|
|
<div class="pad2030">
|
|
<h1>The God of Peace Making Obedience Available to Us</h1>
|
|
<div class="block"><i>Now may the <b>God of peace</b> who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the <b>everlasting covenant</b>, make you <b>complete</b> in <b>every good work</b> to <b>do His will</b>.</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Hbr', 13, '20-21');">Hebrews 13:20-21</a>)</div>
|
|
<p>These powerful verses continue our inquiry concerning a life of obedience. They conclude with what results when God is relied upon to do His work in our lives. We become <i>"<b>complete</b> in <b>every good work</b> to <b>do His will</b>."</i> This hope is made available to us by <i>"the <b>God of peace</b>."</i></p>
|
|
<p>We all started out in life at war with God. Although we may not have been aware of this fact, we were enemies of God: <i>"You …were alienated and <b>enemies</b> in your mind by wicked works"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Col', 1, '21-21');">Colossians 1:21</a>). We were disobedient by our very nature: <i>"the sons of <b>disobedience</b> …by <b>nature</b> children of <b>wrath</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Eph', 2, '2-3');">Ephesians 2:2-3</a>). Yet, through His Son, God reached out to offer us peace. <i>"For <b>He Himself</b> is our <b>peace</b>, who… abolished in His flesh the <b>enmity</b>…making <b>peace</b>…through the <b>cross</b>, thereby putting to death the <b>enmity</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Eph', 2, '14-16');">Ephesians 2:14-16</a>). This sacrifice on the cross was effective, because the Lord Jesus was raised from the dead with victory over sin and death: <i>"the God of peace who <b>brought up</b> our Lord Jesus <b>from the dead</b>."</i></p>
|
|
<p>At the cross of Christ, the blood that brings eternal blessings to all who believe in Him was shed: <i>"through the <b>blood</b> of the <b>everlasting covenant</b>."</i> The Lord promised these eternal benefits to His people through the prophets of old. <i>"And I will make an <b>everlasting covenant</b> with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me . . . Moreover I will make a <b>covenant of peace</b> with them, and it shall be an <b>everlasting covenant</b> with them"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jer', 32, '40-40');">Jeremiah 32:40</a> and <a onClick="return mV('Eze', 37, '26-26');">Ezekiel 37:26</a>).</p>
|
|
<p>The blood of the new covenant of grace secures these benefits: <i>"This cup is the <b>new covenant</b> in <b>My blood</b>, which is shed for you"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Luk', 22, '20-20');">Luke 22:20</a>). This shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ cleanses and forgives forever all who humbly trust in Him. Also, this shed blood of the new covenant (God's new arrangement for living) supplies the adequacy we need from God for the obedient life He has called us to live: <i>"<b>Our sufficiency</b> is <b>from God</b>, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the <b>new covenant</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Cr', 3, '5-6');">2 Corinthians 3:5-6</a>).</p>
|
|
<div class="dbdbg_prayer">Dear God of peace, I praise You for the shed blood of Jesus, changing me from Your enemy to Your friend. I thank You for also making obedience available through this new covenant of grace. I humbly ask that You teach me to live in dependence upon Your sufficiency, Amen.</div>
|
|
</div>
|
|
</div>
|
|
<div class="desc-center">
|
|
<div class="pad2020">
|
|
<a href="./devotions/daybyday/06/0606.html">Yesterday's Reading</a>
|
|
<a href="./devotions/daybyday/06/0608.html">Tomorrow's Reading</a>
|
|
</div>
|
|
</div>
|
|
<div class="return"><a href="./devotions/daybyday/index.html">Return to Day By Day By Grace Page</a>
|
|
</div>
|
|
<script src="./js/MainFooter.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
|