God Is My… (Psalms), 30

~ God Is My Savior ~

Introduction  ~  Previously from July 16, 2017 through January 6, 2019 ALN posted a series of 60 posts of “Jesus is…,” and now we look exclusively at who “God is…” from the Book of Psalms.  While not a complete list these posts occur are in the same order they are in the Psalms. 

Passage  ~  “I will love You, O Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies” (Psalm 18:1-3).    

Significance  ~  This is at the very heart of the message of the Bible.  Eternal life with God is available for those who accept the conditions of the free gift of salvation.  Consider five truths:

1. We are all sinners – Romans 3:10-12, 3:23; Psalm 51:5
2. We will all die. – Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:27; Romans 5:12
3. We will all be judged. – 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10-12; Matthew 25:31-46 
4. We cannot save ourselves. – Romans 5:6-16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5
5. Our only hope is Jesus. – John 14:6; Acts 4:12, 16:30-31         

Comment  ~  This separates Christianity from all religions.  Christianity is a relationship between God and an individual.  Salvation is DONE and there is nothing to DO.  Christ did it all on the Cross.  This flies in the face of man’s innate pride which wants to earn their way.  Jesus’ on the Cross said, “It [the work of salvation] is finished!” 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Myth, 65

~ Truth Is Relative ~

A Very False Premise  ~  Gravity is not relative!  Mathematics is not relative!  The speed of light is not relative!  Throughout all of our environment there are constants.  An apple seed will never grow a cherry tree! 

Key Point  ~  Just because you believe something does not make it true.  If you believe the earth is flat it does not change the fact the earth is a sphere.  There are those who claim that the holocaust never happened – but the facts are very clear!

The Source of Truth  ~  God, the Creator, is the source of all truth.  His Word, the Holy Bible is truth.  His Son is the Living Word. 

“And the Word [Jesus Christ] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, ‘This was He of whom I said, “He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.”’  And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:14-18-7).

Jesus Himself said, “I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6b).

Side Note  ~  Einstein’s “Theory of Relativity” is badly named.  The word relativity implies to many the opposite of absolute. “Einstein is often said to have held ‘all things are relative.’  He did not.  ‘Relativity’ is in fact a thoroughly bad name for the theory.  Einstein considered calling it the opposite: ‘invariance theory.’  He discovered what was absolute and reliable despite the apparent confusions, illusions, and contradictions produced by relative motions or action of gravity.  The chief merit of the name ‘relativity’ is in reminding us that a scientist is unavoidably a participant in the system he is studying.  Einstein gave ‘the observer’ his proper status in modern science” (Calder, Nigel; Einstein's Universe).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

Be an insider!  Sign up for his author NEWSLETTER and receive occasional news and special offers.  His books have won national and international literary awards.  Subscribe today and receive a welcome gift.  Your email will never be sold, given, or used in any other way.  You can easily unsubscribe at any time. 

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Fear God, 190

~ Understanding Future Judgment Will Cause A Fear of God ~

God does not want His children living in fear.  “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:2-3).  However, God does want His children to have a proper respect and reverence for Him.  We are told in many places in Scripture to “fear God.”  

This Week’s Passage  ~  “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.  Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?  For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.  And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:26-31).

Comment  ~  The unbeliever will one day be judged by God for sins and rejection of the provision His Son made for forgiveness of sins.  The believer on the other hand will face God as if they were Jesus Christ with regard for the penalty of their sins.  However, the believer will be judged for their works as a believer.  Either judgment is a “fearful thing.”  However the one case God will be their judge and in the other the Judge is also their loving Father! 

Fearing God Results in Salvation  ~  “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).  “A wise person fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident” (Proverbs 14:16).  This does not mean the Christian is to live a fearful life—but a life which reverences God and seeks to do His will. 

Fearing God Results in Fearlessness  ~  “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).  The answer is: only God.  With the gift of salvation comes responsibility.

Fearing God Results in Witnessing  ~  “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul” (Psalm 66:16). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

Be an insider!  Sign up for his author NEWSLETTER and receive occasional news and special offers.  His books have won national and international literary awards.  Subscribe today and receive a welcome gift.  Your email will never be sold, given, or used in any other way.  You can easily unsubscribe at any time. 

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .