April 5
Deut 28:1-68 | PS 77:1-20 | Prov 12:18 | Luke 11:14-36
Christians will frequently state that they are under grace, not the law, and this is true. This, however, does not mean we take an eraser to the entire Old Testament, and follow a course without commands. Though the Holy Spirit will indeed direct us, we must be careful to not move in directions contrary to God's Word and excuse it away by simply stating we are being moved by the Spirit. God is ordered; He is not chaotic. When we are disobedient to God's clear commands in Scripture, and we feel ourselves struggling in our walk or walking in quicksand, it might not be an attack from Satan, but the hand of discipline from God. God has spelled out what He deems appropriate and inappropriate behavior in His Book, the Bible. So many who claim to have a faith in God have simply made the decision not to read it in its entirety. So, without the pure counsel of God, many make up their own rules, spiritualize them, and can erroneously make them their own doctrine, even if it is completely contrary to God's Word which they have chosen to remain ignorant to. What could be more important than plugging into real truth?
Deuteronomy 28 contains two contrasting themes. We read in 28:1-2, "If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God:". Following this glorious promise comes beautiful descriptions of many children, abundant crops, protection from enemies, true peace. On the other side we read in 28:15, "But if you refuse to listen to the Lord your God and do not obey all the commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you:". Following this warning is a litany of difficulties, tragedies, famines, etc. What is often missed is that God is true to His Word. He wants to bless, but it is us, the people, who often choose His curses. It's not that anyone wants the curses, it is often that they want to disobey and hope that God either won't notice, won't mind, or will choose to overlook.
Many want to disregard these warnings, and many will once again claim we are under grace, not the law. Many will state that they don't want to focus on the Old Testament and all of its rules, they prefer to focus on Jesus' teachings. To this remember what Jesus stated in Matthew 28:19-20, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” As we share His Word and make disciples it is with the commission to teach them to "obey all the commands" Jesus gave us. Concerning listening to Jesus' commands and choosing to disobey them, Jesus clearly described this in Matthew 7:24-27, "Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it 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 bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey 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 collapse with a mighty crash.” So, yes, thankfully due to the tremendous gift bestowed upon us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we are truly under grace if we indeed repent and accept His gift, but this does not mean we live a life of licentiousness, it means that by the moving of His Spirit we move in obedience to His commands, and if so, even if there is tribulation and difficulties, we too might experience God blessings on this earth as well as in heaven.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: