Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday January 02ND 2022, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.

It’s the start of a brand new year. My hope for you is for 2022 to be greater than 2021.

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold – I am doing a new thing. Now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it ? I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:18-19 ESV)

Last month I preached a full sermon to my church family. I preached on being “Holy & Redeemed”. It’s based on 1 Peter 1:13-23. For the last 2 #SundayScripture editions I’ve presented an excerpt of that sermon. Let’s continue on with Part 3:

You know if there’s a general overall theme of the Book of Leviticus – it’s this – God is holy. (God is holy.) God must be regarded as holy. God must be treated as holy. God’s people (that’s us – you and me) – we must be holy. Because of who God is – He is the LORD. Those who follow Him (that’s us) become His holy people. We are sinners; yet, we are His holy people. We are holy because of our personal relationship with God. Well – what do you mean by that Chris ? Well I’m glad you asked. Let me explain further:

If we believe Him. If we follow Him. If we trust Him. Then He’s within us. We are holy. We were once ordinary, but now – we are extra-ordinary. When God declares a place to be holy – it is because He is there. Just like all of those years ago when the LORD said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I – the LORD your God – am holy.” (Leviticus 19:1-2)

Like Israel of the Old Testament – a type and shadow of the church – today’s church – our church – it shares a special relationship with God. It is God’s church. This is God’s church. This is the house of our Lord. He is here. He is there. He is there. Our God is in this place. This place is holy. And we come to this place every Sunday from all over the local land to praise and worship our Lord. We are holy because He is holy.

That guy – you know that guy – he’s a nice guy. He does nice things for people around him. He’s trustworthy, and loyal, and helpful, and friendly, and courteous, and kind, and obedient, and cheerful, and thrifty, and brave, and clean, and reverent. Why – he’s like a Boy Scout. He may be all of those things, but if he doesn’t believe, and follow, and trust God – then he is not holy. Only God in his heart can make him holy.

By the way – in case you were wondering – I was a Cub Scout, and a Webelos Scout, and a Boy Scout for about 5 years from age 8 to 13.

So set yourselves apart to be holy, for I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 20:7)

God called on the people of Israel to be holy, for He had rescued them from their bondage in Egypt. You know the story. Moses raised his hand over the (Red) Sea, and the LORD opened-up a path through the water. The Israelites walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, as the water stood-up like a wall on both sides. (Exodus 14:21a,29)

God rescued the Israelites from the control of a cruel and foreign nation in Egypt – a nation that served other gods. Now they were to live as God’s people in the new land to the east to which He was bringing them – through the water.

God rescued us from bondage to sin and death. We weren’t rescued through the Red Sea, but we were rescued from the pit of despair – out of the mud and the mire. When we were rescued from the darkness, and we accepted God’s hand – it was the dawn of a new day. Light was coming in from the east. The God of Hope had arrived.

I’ll continue this sermon next #SundayScripture. If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned. Tomorrow it’s #Top10Monday, as I present my personal Top 10 hits this week that honor our God Almighty on the radio.

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.