REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE. Deuteronomy 7 In this culture of tolerance and complacency, when everything goes wrong, most people are offended by true justice acting for the good of society. Many desire personal independence without being accountable to anyone. As a result, many oppose God or even deny His existence because He doesn't match their idea of a god they are willing to submit to. The existential movement has elevated mankind's view of itself to a point where many believe in a god they have created in their own image.
Victory and blessing come when we sincerely obey our covenant with God. To be like those who do not know or care about God can ultimately hinder the plans of salvation for a nation. Both nations and individuals make choices. The flow of history offers a clear guide that encourages a life aligned with God's will. God desires His people to be holy so there can be fellowship between Him and His followers.
What God promised and has done throughout history remains unchanged for us today; God’s authority on behalf of His people is rooted in His love and care for His own. He chooses people out of His love and grace, not because they deserve salvation. On the simplest terms, “He that believeth on the Son has everlasting life,” God saves and keeps those who place simple faith in Him.
Moses made it clear to the Israelites that He was just and righteous, as well as a merciful and loving God. In His infinite wisdom, He knows that evil, if left unchecked, will continue indefinitely and worsen. Today, there are social and political groups in the Middle East that are determined to destroy all who disagree with their dogma. God's command to eliminate the idolatrous society of the promised land was both His judgment on the evil practices there and a safeguard for the people of God who were about to enter the land. Idolatry and immorality will eventually destroy a nation. We are at risk of experiencing the same in our country.
Some people think of God only as a loving, grandfather-type person who overlooks what is not righteous and just, to have a kindly, fuzzy-feeling relationship with sinful people. Their opinion is that God is too nice to punish sin by separating unrepentant sinners from Him forever. To relegate the Righteous, Holy God to a soft-touch, characterless person is to underestimate Him. "He is of holier eyes than to look upon sin." His sovereign choice is directed to those who appreciate His grace and goodness and are willing to come in repentance for their sinfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
He welcomes those who accept His offer of salvation by grace through faith into His family as adopted sons and daughters because we have been bought with the price of Christ's precious blood. A personal relationship with God begins then and will continue to bring joy and fulfillment to both God and those who love Him. There are many things that can weaken our relationship with Him, and we should always be mindful of them. Unequal yokes are probably the most common. Human beings tend to move away from God rather than toward Him. Holiness can seem intimidating to those who are not committed to it.
By the Spirit of God, we are called to be holy people who are godly and separated from the sinful ways of those who love their sins. God calls them "special" people because they have been the focus of divine attention. Every person has been loved by God, who "so loved the world," but only those who willingly respond to His love and accept His mercy that will save them from hell are brought into His family. When His love is directed upon them, and the sweet influences of His grace warm their hearts, then a redeemed soul responds, "We love Him because He first loved us."
God's people are redeemed. The Israelites were redeemed by the blood of the Passover lamb. We have been redeemed not with corruptible things such as silver and gold, which are received through tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
The changes that happen to a child of God often come one lesson at a time as we begin to understand what it means to be a Christian and how to behave in ways that show we are part of God's family. The process of maturing is real and continues throughout life. At first, we may not notice many changes, but usually, there is a shift in attitude toward God and then toward "the brethren." When we compare our past life with our present one, the change in a believer becomes clear. The child of God needs to know the best way to avoid sin and its consequences, which is to stay as far away as possible from anything that would defile us.
We often do not understand, let alone have, God’s perspective on a situation, and so we may question why God allows what we think is unfair to happen. It's important to remember that God knows the end from the beginning of an event or even an entire lifetime. He does what is right as He seeks to reach people through His grace, motivated by His love, and still allows them the freedom to make their own choices.
When we begin to realize how much God has blessed us and in how many ways, we start to understand what it truly means to be a child of God. We are not in a position to bargain with God because there is no need to. Our inheritance, which we enjoy now and will forever, is far greater than we can express or measure in material terms. We have all things that pertain to life and godliness now. In the future, we will gain a deeper understanding of what that includes.
God knows what we need and makes it available to us. Those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior have never experienced the blessings associated with the forgiveness of sins, peace with God, a spiritual family, and the comfort and power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. As long as Israel followed the Lord, they were abundantly supplied and could experience what they never had as a people for hundreds of years.
IN GOD’S EYES: Our separation to the Lord is not because we are admirable in others' eyes. When God sets apart His people, it is purely by grace. He desires them to be like Him and gather in His name. Holy people listen and are willing to obey because they understand that a holy God has ultimate authority. When we are called out from the world’s systems, we commit each day to follow Him alone – not acting independently.
God has identified chosen people for a special reason, that is, to keep what He commanded close to our hearts. We keep His judgments daily, not just for a special season, and that includes all of them, not just a small, private part. To “keep” what God has said means I’ve deliberately chosen never to let go of what God entrusted me. When I keep the terms of the new covenant, not loosely but up close, my Lord has promised, “Lord thy God shall keep unto thee.”
Moses assured the people of Israel that God wanted to bless them and would do so when they kept the covenant terms and obeyed the Lord their God. Israel was to "dwell alone" among all the nations as a distinctive people who were blessed because "their God was the Lord." God preserved them as He does us today when we "come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord. And I will be a Father to you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." Even though we are small and despised among the millions of people in Christendom, God continues to preserve His people.
Periodically, we need to review and reaffirm our commitment to our Lord. To surrender to Him completely and without hesitation is expected of those who understand why we remain in the world. We are in the world but not of it. Our true values and commitments lie elsewhere. A devoted people recognizes and embraces God's call and mission to serve and love Him. "We are not our own." We belong to Him.
What makes people special is that they are part of God’s family. They have been adopted to be His daughters and sons. They are not a “super-race," but are recognized as special people for doing what God desires. They are not freelancing individuals but are committed to their work. The efforts they make aim to bring all glory to God. Whether their labor is done in private or publicly, where everyone can see, their motivation is solely to honor God.
Believers in Christ are not above all people around. There is no reason to be proud. We are what we are by sovereign grace alone. Also, it is not right for us to live in fear of those around us. God tells us not to be afraid when facing opposition. It is natural for people to resent those who are forgiven and who try to share the truth of saving grace. The power of grace is evident when believers live out the truth of God’s salvation every day and personally because “the just shall live by faith.”
We don’t deserve, in any way, the love that God has shown us. It is simply a fact that He has chosen to set His love upon us. As people loved by God, we must always remember this: love and light go hand in hand, testifying to God’s grace. To those around us, we may seem like simple people. They might look down on our humility as a sign of failure. But in God’s eyes, it’s different. He sees everyone as equal. To those who are obedient to Him and live by faith, He grants His divine favor.