God’s Law in the Heart
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. Hebrews 8:10.
The blessings of the new covenant are grounded purely on mercy in forgiving unrighteousness and sins. The Lord specifies, I will do thus and thus unto all who turn to Me, forsaking the evil and choosing the good. “I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:12). All who humble their hearts, confessing their sins, will find mercy and grace and assurance.
Has God, in showing mercy to the sinner, ceased to be just? Has He dishonored His holy law, and will He henceforth pass over the violation of it? God is true. He changes not. The conditions of salvation are ever the same. Life, eternal life, is for all who will obey God’s law. Perfect obedience, revealed in thought, word, and deed, is as essential now as when the lawyer asked Christ, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? how readest thou? . . . . this do, and thou shalt live” (Luke 10:25-28).
Under the new covenant the conditions by which eternal life may be gained are the same as under the old–perfect obedience. Under the old covenant there were many offences of a daring, presumptuous character for which there was no atonement specified by law. In the new and better covenant Christ has fulfilled the law for the transgressors of law if they receive Him by faith as a personal Saviour. . . . Mercy and forgiveness are the reward of all who come to Christ trusting in His merits to take away their sins. In the better covenant we are cleansed from sin by the blood of Christ. . . . The sinner is helpless to atone for one sin. The power is in Christ’s free gift, a promise appreciated by those only who are sensible of their sins and who forsake their sins and cast their helpless souls upon Christ, the sin-pardoning Saviour. He will put into their hearts His perfect law, which is “holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12), the law of God’s own nature.
That I May Know Him p. 299
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Prayer Requests
—–Please help me pray for my deliverance from those who persecute me. Pray for spiritual strength. Special prayer request for my Pastor, and his family, specially his wife who is not feeling well. Pray for unity within our church members. Pray for my family. Pray for God’s guidance in my career advancement decision. Thanks. Fenelon
—–our son Richard is in ___ Hospital I just found out. Lynn called to say he has a 30% occluded renal artery and is on I-Vs. That’s a shocker for us. We don’t know what’s next. His wife Brenda, has a big problem with one foot right now and has been in a lot of pain too. Prayer is first now. Dick
—-Please pray for traveling mercies for Brian and Esther and the children and Eileen and Mike today. Rose
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Dear Friends,
At times, I get prayer requests from parents or grandparents whose baby is gravely ill or extremely premature. How helpless they feel as they see their little one suffer and struggle to survive. If they could, they would take the pain away or even trade places with them. Sometimes I hear a good report of improvement or full health: sometimes not.
The parents’ agony over their ailing child helps us realize in a small way the pain our Heavenly Father must have as He sees His children experiencing physical or emotional pain. How His Great Heart of Love must ache as He watches us struggling against the sins that bind us. How He would love to take complete control of our situation and make it all right, but He will not force us to allow Him to do so. Instead, He waits to be asked to take control. Jesus reminds us, Without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5 Without Jesus dwelling within us, all our efforts against the trials and pain and sin that beset us are in vain.
Solomon experienced this. He had started out his reign so well, but through wrong influences and choices his life was a failure. How disappointed he made the True King of Israel. Looking back over his life, Solomon commented, “Vanity of vanities; all is vanity. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” Ecc 3:2, 14, 17
Praise God, He does not leave us to fight our battles alone! If we come to Him, He will give us the help we so desperately need! Moreover, He will change us into His image. Jesus, alone, gives our life true meaning. Jesus, alone, can save us from all of the pain the evil one heaps upon us. Jesus, alone, can deliver us from the chains of sin that bind us. He pleads, “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die? Eze 33:11 “Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness. Joel 2:12,13 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matt 11:28
May we allow our Heavenly Father to take all of our pain away. May we come to Him just as we are remembering that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. . . . My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 1:9-2:1 May we so live that as we look back over the years of our life we will not see vanity as did Solomon, but we will be able to declare as did Paul, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” 1 Tim 4:7, 8
Rose