“…may these words of mine (Solomon), with which I have made supplication (to appeal, make petition) before the LORD, be near the LORD our God day and night, that all the peoples of the earth may know that THE LORD IS GOD; there is no other. Let your heart therefore BE 1LOYAL TO THE LORD OUR GOD, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.” (1 Kings 8:59-61) 1shâlêm: complete, safe, peaceful.
We must be:
- Sincere in our LOVE TO GOD: Love requires a deep passion for the truth—knowing it, embracing it, obeying it, and promoting it. Just as God hates evil and loves good, so those who know Him will love (and hate) the SAME THINGS HE DOES. Jesus said we must, “Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, with ALL your mind, and with ALL your strength” (Mark 12:30–31). God tells us how to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We must hate what God hates and love what God loves. We must ask ourselves, IS OUR LOVE FOR GOD REAL?
- United in our WORSHIP OF GOD: Our worship should be a worthy offering to God made in grace-enabled gratitude. We must be focusing RELENTLESSLY ON CHRIST and His saving grace from start to finish; maintaining a consistent worship order that reflects the pattern of the gospel: gathering/ confession/ assurance/ proclamation/ and response… “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.” (Psa. 95:6) “Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.” (Psa. 96:9)
- Constant in our OBEDIENCE TO GOD: “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, FOR OBEDIENCE TO THE FAITH—” (Rom. 16:25-26) You see, faith in Jesus Christ produces OBEDIENCE TO JESUS CHRIST, those obedient lives make God look glorious. That’s what Jesus said in (Matt. 5:16) “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give GLORY TO YOUR FATHER who is in heaven.” So Paul simply strikes the note that this message is “good news.” That is what gospel means. We are made strong by good news. Then he calls the gospel the preaching of Jesus Christ. That means that the heart of the gospel is good news about WHO JESUS CHRIST IS AND WHAT HE DID when he came and died and ROSE AGAIN.
-Bill Stockham