| E-MAIL SERVICE | Sign me up to receive the daily Word of Righteousness free via my E-mail address! ( ONLY AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH ) | |
| ARCHIVES | I want to check out the daily Words of Righteousness for any of the last fourteen days or from previous weeks. ( ENGLISH ONLY ) | |
| FEEDBACK | I have a question or comment about today's Word of Righteousness. ( ENGLISH AND SPANISH ONLY ) | |
| BOOK LIST | I would like to see the complete book list of the Words of Righteousness author Robert B. Thompson. (SOME SPANISH TITLES AVAILABLE ) |
The Daily Word of Righteousness
Untying the Knot, continued
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. (I John 5:3)
Of course we can please God! Of course we can obey God! Is our Father some kind of tyrant that He issues commandments that are grievous and unlivable? It is Satan who issues commandments that are grievous and unlivable.
Our natural man cannot please God. But God has given us the Holy Spirit, the body and blood of Jesus, the Scriptures, the ministries and gifts of the Spirit, so that through these we can diligently apply ourselves and keep the commandments of the Lord.
If we do not keep the commandments of the Lord, Christ will never be formed in us.
The fourth area of disagreement has to do with the results of keeping the commandments of the Lord.
The first position is that there is great reward for keeping the commandments of God.
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:28,29)
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23)
To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: (Romans 2:7)
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (II Corinthians 5:10)
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. (Revelation 3:10)
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:12-14)
It is obvious that Satan has a large stake in keeping Christians from behaving righteously. He keeps them from their reward. In addition he extinguishes the light of the testimony, for the light of the believer is his good works and it is these that cause people to glorify God.
Apart from the fruit of good works, of righteous behavior, we are useless for the Kingdom purposes of God. We shall be cut out of the Vine, out of Christ. For it is God's plan to fill the whole world with righteousness through Christ through the saints. More about this in a subsequent essay, God willing.
To be continued.