Thursday, January 31, 2019            Day 31

Exodus 19-21            BE READY

Exodus 19:3-6 “And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; 4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. 5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.”

Submission and obedience are the key to walking with God. If there was anything God wanted from the children of Israel, it was this key. They had been brought out of the house of bondage, but they needed to walk with the Lord. this was the same charge God gave to Abraham at the point of the covenant.

Genesis 17:1 “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.”

The demand to be perfect means to be sanctified. The keys to keeping the covenant of the new birth are submission and obedience. Just at the point of God delivering His law to the children of Israel, He demanded that Moses should sanctify them. Which means, teach them obedience.

Exodus 19:10-12 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, 11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. 12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:”

Before coming near His glory, there must be sanctification and washing of clothes. Though they were delivered from Egypt, disobedience could still open the door to death. Purpose of them hearing God spoke with Moses was for them to take Moses seriously and abstain from sin.

The journey to the Promised Land started with the challenges the Lord allowed, to prove them and teach them to know His ways. each time they overcame the challenges, He told them to hearken to the voice of the Lord and do that which is right in His sight. Through the repetition and demand for obedience, He was making Himself clearer to them. By this, they are getting to know that obedience is the key. Therefore, sanctification is:

1. The process of understanding His will.
2. An act of getting ready to meet Him.
3. Having His holy nature wrought into our being.
4. Embracing His panacea in place of our lack

The nature of God is holy, and to meet Him, we must be holy. This is the difficult aspect of our lives. We struggle to be holy, humble, patient and righteous. Each time we try these, we regret our next action; fail. Because it lasts just for a while.

In this struggling of our lives, we need help. What need be done, but we cannot get done, we need solution. Help is for a while. We need a permanent solution. Our righteousness is by works and does not last. Our humility is outward, but inwardly, are hidden pride and anger. We show love on the face, but we are full of jealousy and hate within. Everything we do is artificial; it doesn’t last. This is the reason for the failure of the children of Israel in their walk with God. They have the law but lacked the grace to live the law.

Glory to God who has given us Jesus Christ, His only begotten son to be the panacea to our inherent problems. Jesus Christ is the gift. He is our righteousness, redemption and sanctification.

1 Corinthians 1:30 “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:”

This scripture did not say, He will help us to be righteous, sanctified and redeemed, but that He is the personality of righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Which simply means He has become the sanctification we need to meet the requirement of walking with God.

John 14:6 “Jesus saith to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me.”

All we must do is to accept Him and He will express His nature through us. We shall just realize that after submitting to Him, He takes over and give us the life of sanctification and wisdom and love. Unfortunately, the law could not do this, only grace in Jesus Christ can.

Ephesians 2:8-18 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of two one new man, so making peace; 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.”

Jesus Christ is our sanctification. BE READY

Supo Abayode

MFM, Delaware, USA

302-230-6792