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The Lord bless you from Zion; And may you see the peace of Jerusalem all the days of your life. [Psalms 128:5,6] It is the finished work of Calvary. The Lord has accomplished it all on the Cross that you and I may appropriate His victory, and experience His blessing, by receiving His gift of salvation, and applying it in our lives. It is in this context that the apostle Peter declares the importance of the word of God, and what your attitude needs to be concerning it, that by growing in your salvation, the blessing of God is expressed in your life by a godly growth, that comes as you crave for the pure spiritual milk of the word of God as a new born baby does for its mother’s milk. [1 Peter 2:2] For when things appear to be going wrong in and around your life, God’s transforming work of grace always begins from within you. It is why the blessing of the apostle John is that you may prosper in all things and be in health, even as your soul prospers. [3 John 2] And to guard your heart with all vigilance, for out of it flow the issues of life, is the counsel of the book of proverbs. [Proverbs 4:23] It is His word that revives and restores you to ultimately what is God’s intended purpose for you, a truth that the psalmist has declared in describing its nature – The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. [Psalms 19:7]
Restored – you will fly again:
An aircraft, condemned as scrap, was by the vision and tireless effort of a few good men, who could not bear to see the queen of the skies to be condemned, was one fine day, restored to its original purpose, and majestically arose, to soar in the sky once again. And the same, in a higher and greater measure will happen in your life, when the word of God works in you, by the gracious power of God. Take heart therefore, even if you feel that the world has written you off that you will never rise again. For, once you were dead in your sin, as all of humanity was, because of Adam’s fall, but saved by His grace, you live in Christ. And they who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; they will rise up to soar as an eagle. They will run and not be weary, walk and not faint. [Isaiah 40:31] The word is powerful. And by it, your soul that was bogged down by the corruption of sin, is revived that you may be reinstated, having dominion over all the earth, be fruitful and multiply. But after you are saved, the sin principle is still present, and therefore though you can still sin in thought, word or deed, you do not have to, for the Holy Spirit who now dwells in you, is a Helper. And in His power, His anointing, you can overcome the sin that the tempter brings in your path.
The subtlety of sin – it substitutes:
And though sin is generally perceived to be an action; drinking, smoking and other acts of the flesh, the truth to be faced is that, sin is more subtle. It corrupts your inner being, to be reflected in sinful behavior.
Anti-God:
It operates by dethroning God from His rightful place in your heart, to enthrone what is ungodly, and of the evil one in its place. It all began in Genesis chapter 3, when Adam and Eve were tempted into thinking that they could also be like God, to eat of the forbidden fruit. And believing the lie, they came under the control of Satan from then on. It is the spirit of antichrist that even now operates in the mind of unbelievers, the sin that refuses to acknowledge the need for a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
No God!:
The fool says in his heart that, ‘There is no God’. They are corrupt doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good. [Psalms 53:1] It is the truth of God that endures forever. And ‘fool’ signifies not the one who is devoid of intelligence or intellect, but the rebellious one, who caught in the clutches of sin that substitutes, makes himself god, only to come under the control of the devil. Atheism has come to be widely prevalent in the western countries, and is found even here in a lesser extent though. In fact, it is the one who believes in Christ, resisting the ungodly philosophy that is looked down upon by the ungodly society.
Designer God:
And then even when a person believes in God, it could be in his own terms, going to Him in prayer for what he desires and wants. In short it is, instead of serving God, expecting God to serve him. It is the subtlety of sin that substitutes. For, restoration from God comes in a relationship of son ship with Him by which you call Him Abba Father. And He knows even before a word comes out of your mouth, all that you need in life, to give them to you, as you surrender to His will. For, His desires, His thoughts and plans concerning you are far higher and greater than yourself made plans. And so it is concerning the plans He has purposed for your children. Sad indeed would be the condition of the person whom the Lord has given up to his own devices. But the faithful God never gives up on you. And as seen in the life of the prophet Balaam, [Numbers 22:25-33] it is a divine restraint that sees you and I seated in the presence of God this day. The bottom line of it all is that, you and I need God, need to depend upon Him, at all times. For sin is deceptive, leading you in presumption to trust in your own ways, a way that seems right, but in the end leads to death. Sin substitutes. It can happen even in the church, where a person may be deluded into thinking that he has got it all, while not having anything. [Revelation 3:17] But Paul balances it well, as he says, Forgetting what lies behind, I reach out to what lies ahead. Not that I have already attained it, but I press toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 3:15,14]
How does sin substitute?
a] Glory of God for self-glorification:
For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, but became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. [Romans 1:21] It is knowing that there is a God, but not acknowledging Him in your life, thinking you can manage your own life, and certainly do not need the help of God. It is what sin does in you, to ultimately take you away from God’s intended purpose for your life. Claiming to be wise they became fools. [Verse 22] Sin is not always overtly expressive, for it can function within in an attitude of not needing the counsel of God, but trusting in one’s own wisdom, and leaning on one’s own understanding. And as it is seen in the life of Joshua, it was his trust in his long experience, and therefore not consulting the Lord, that led to him being deceived by the appearance of the Gibeonites, into believing their falsehood. [Joshua Chapter 9] It teaches you that the more experience you have in your walk with the Lord, the more you need to lean on Him, as in your limitedness you depend on the unlimitedness of God.
b] Glory of God for glamour –
They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, animals and creeping things. [Romans 1:23] It is sin that makes you substitute beauty, strength and character with glamour that can never stand the test of time, but quickly fades away. But what is blessed in the sight of God is the picture of the woman, as described in the book of proverbs Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting. But the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. [Proverbs 31:30] Glitter and glamour will go, but not the strength of your character. Therefore, value what the word of God advocates. For –
Sin is subtle, but, word is sharper:
Now when they heard this they were cut to their hearts, and said to Peter and the others, ‘Brothers what shall we do?’ [Acts 2:37] The knife or scalpel in the hand of a surgeon may cut you open, but it is to heal you. It is what the word of God does as you pray that the Lord may probe deep within you, to see if there is any hurtful way in you for sin’s twisted logic can move you away, or neglect so great a salvation.
Redeeming word:
But there is good news ahead, for the word can restore you, to become brand new, to your original intended purpose, as the Creator has designed you to be. He starts within you, transforming your being, that your external behavior may be changed to reflect His glory. The day of salvation was when He intervened in your life, to redeem you from the clutches of sin, and He continues as you pray that, not your will, but His will may be done, and His kingdom be established in you. And may your heart’s plea this day unto the Father be that you may be restored, refined to fulfill His high calling for your life, as you experience the blessing of His redeeming word. And may the freedom of redemption continue to reign and rule in you. In the Name of Christ Jesus, Amen.
