We don’t serve God by following a checklist, but by living under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Legalism does not please God as it only reveals our unrighteousness and prideful hearts. This “new way” of living is not about effort or earning, but believing and receiving. Those who have found the “new way” have the law once inscribed in stone, now written on their hearts. This “new way” frees us to truly serve God.
“Consider yourselves” dead to sin. Not trying, nor working, but counting yourself dead to that sin which once enslaved you. And in the same breath consider yourself “alive to God.” Calling upon the Name of Jesus who paid the price for your adoption, be filled with the Spirit and walk in His power. Stop wearing the grave clothes. Arise, come forth! Put on clothes of righteousness and live!
What David taught Solomon is what every father and mother should teach their children: How to know God. Notice the verbs: “Learn, worship, serve.” This is a great 3-part course in training your child to know God. Also notice the way that David wants Solomon to act on these three imperatives: 1) know God “intimately,” 2) worship God “whole heartedly,” and 3) serve God “willingly.” Are you teaching your children these things? Have you learned them yet?
When there was no physical or circumstantial reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping in God’s promise. What is hope? It is the feeling of expectation that a desirable outcome will take place in the future. But Abraham had more than just a positive feeling. He had hope in God. Having his hope anchored in God’s promises and God’s goodness, Abraham never stopped believing, in fact his hope and faith increased as the years went by.
Paul quoted David’s psalm (Psa. 32:1-2) to support his explanation about how being made right with God is not by works, but by faith alone. When we place our faith in Christ and receive forgiveness and salvation, His blood not only covers our sin, it washes it away. Our “record” is “cleared.” The Lord did not clear them by merely erasing them. This would not satisfy His justice. No. He cleared our record by charging our sin to Jesus’ record, so that God’s wrath and justice was poured out on Christ. There is now no condemnation left for us who believe (Rom. 8:1). What joy! Our record is cleared of sin!
We are not able to keep the law of God. It is holy and perfect. We are not. Yet, God made a way for us through Jesus, who fulfilled the law and paid sin’s penalty in our place. When we “place our faith” in Christ, God counts us as righteous. A great exchange has taken place. Jesus took our sin, our death and our separation from God. So that we might receive His righteousness, His eternal life and His Sonship. Jesus paid it all, so that we might be “made right with God” by simply “placing our faith” in Him.
After others expressed their fearful advice to David, he responded with confidence in the Lord’s sovereignty. Their advice suggested that the “foundations of law and order” in their nation had “collapsed” and that the best thing for David to do was to “fly like a bird” and hide in the mountains. But David declared his faith that God still reigns, that God still sees and knows in spite of circumstantial evidence to the contrary. When we despair that our nation and our world is filled with injustice and violence, and it seems that God is absent from the earth’s affairs, we can declare our faith in the Lord’s sovereignty. We can call on the One who still rules and watches closely. He will answer in His good timing.
The Lord knows all our hopes, but surely He moves towards helping the helpless. Those who think themselves strong and in control, need no god. They are their own. Yet those who recognize their helpless state, cry out and the Lord hears. As Jesus taught, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3). Admit your helplessness, so that the Helper might answer.
The beauty and order of creation points to the unseen Creator, yet sin has lowered humanity’s vision to the visible creature. With an innate need to worship, they praise nature instead of nature’s God. This fallen focus puts a lie at the center of their thinking, so that their thinking devolves into foolishness and futility. This falsehood cannot be exposed without spiritual power. Mere words and human persuasion will not suffice. Sin has blinded their eyes and their minds are darkened. Only the power of God and the preaching of the gospel can shine the light of truth and reveal their need to repent and be saved.
Today is my 56th birthday and this verse is more dear to me than ever. I have always loved it, but as I get older my love of the gospel “Good News” grows while my other cares decrease. When I was younger I had many cares. I sometimes struggled with being a people-pleaser. I wanted people to like me, to approve. I wanted to come across as being intelligent and witty. But I learned that people weren’t persuaded by intellectual arguments or cool cultural allusions. They needed the gospel. Only the gospel has the power to persuade and save. It is the power of God at work in me and in all who believe. I am thankful to God that He has given me another year of life to preach the Good News. I am not ashamed.