Sanctifying God

Blog #85 April 8, 2024
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Consider for a moment what this verse is asking of us. The world we live in and are subject to each day challenges our ability to accept any promise as truth. Can we allow ourselves to believe in the promises of God? Is it important that we seek to recognize God's promises, understand His reasons for making them, and how they benefit our labor with God? Do we dare to face the possible frustration of a promise not kept? My answer to all of these questions is yes. If we are to truly accept God as our Father we must trust learn all we can about Him and His ways that we might accept every word He says as absolute truth. We must believe God. Only in that belief can we go forward without fear.

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent; hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Psalms 146:5-6
146:5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.
146:6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is; which keepeth truth forever;

Both Moses and David give credence to God's willingness to keep a promise. Only humanity would take joy in the redundant nature of a promise to keep all our promises, but all the same these verses are comforting. As we look at a few of God's promises keep in mind just what Moses and David agreed on. God is good for His word.

We all know of God's promise of eternal life, but God also promise a better life here and now. To His faithful, He promises good health.

Isaiah 40: 31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Not only does God promise to train us in the ways of virtue, He also promises us a reward for our diligence.

Psalms 32:8 Thou hast said, I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye.
 
Jeremiah 29:11-13
29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
29:12 Then shall ye call unto me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

There are times when we struggle to grasp fully all that God offers. Even in these times of doubt God reassures us that yes, we are a part of Him and His labor.

Philippians 4:6-7
4:6 Be afflicted for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Psalms 37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Sometimes problems create situations that seem unbearable. In essence we feel lost and alone, but in truth we're not. God promises to always be available and reliable.

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

That which we seek most is the ability and willingness of God to teach us all we need to know. He promises us that all He is and all He has are ours if we but ask.

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Luke 11:10-11
11:10 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
11:11 For every one who asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

2 Nephi 14:6 For behold, again I say unto you, that if ye will enter in by the way and receive the Holy Ghost, it will shew unto you all things what ye should do.

These three passages should reassure us of God's desire for us to know Him and all the ways of His Kingdom; but do we truly want that? Is oneness with God a desire that guides us each day? Are we willing to reach out in prayer with no other agenda than to know Him as our Father? Can we open our hearts enough to believe His promises? Is it even important that we do?

Matthew 28:18-19
28:18 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;
28:19 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, unto the end of the world. Amen.

Brethren this passage is so well known that it received its very own title. Known to the world as the Great Commission it basically describes the labor with God we committed to in our covenant with Him. Is it a task for a common member to be involved with? For most of history the belief was that one needed priesthood authority to be involved in evangelizing the world. At one time in my life I believed just exactly that and because of that belief I walked away from my labor with God. I had grown disheartened with Churches, because they were basically a closed community spending all their time defending their doctrines and beliefs. That is a worthy cause, but with other Christian sects? That is a zero growth endeavor. As far as I was concerned their efforts destroy the will to grow or change. Rant made short, they were useless to anyone that truly wanted to serve God. In my own heart I authorized this sabbatical from my labor with God with a description of the churches in the last days Paul wrote to Timothy.

2 Timothy 3:2-5
3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good.
3:4 Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.

What did I learn during my 20-year absence? God and that ways of God are needed everywhere by everyone. Even those that don't recognize God need Him. They just don't know it. Was I ready to be the evangelist the world needed? No, and looking back I recognize now that I was fully ready to do nothing but make excuses, and I did that with all my strength.

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer with meekness and fear to every man that asketh of you a reason for the hope that is in you:

Never has humility been quite as sweet as it was in my heart the day I truly understood all that this verse was instructing me to do. Was it call to evangelism? "Kind a sort of" but first it made me examine my own life in an effort to recognize the hope I had in God, and what exactly was the foundation of that hope. Brethren it began as an eye opening experience and ended opening my heart and my imagination to all that could be if I would only allow it to happen.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

By a friend I was given a more personalized version of Romans 8:28 that forever changed my perception of God and my covenant relationship with Him.

"Good luck is no more than a blessing that God didn't get credit for," author unknown.

My mind went immediately to the last words of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19)... "I am with you always, unto the end of the world". It was then that I realized that God was with me always. Not just when He or I found it convenient, always. How many blessings had I received from my dedicated Holy Father that I had just accepted caring little for where they came from?

My mind went to a time I was in the city and I had an important appointment across town. Time wasn't a real concern because the appointment was just off the freeway. Time suddenly became a great concern because the freeway was completely backed up due to an accident. I was forced to choose a route of surface streets for my twelve-mile journey, with stoplights every three or four blocks. After a rather desperate trek across town preparing a reasonable excuse for being late, I began to notice that at every controlled intersection the light was always green. Parking at my destination I found I had arrived with time to spare. My first and only thought at the time was, "Boy, am I lucky".

Deuteronomy 31:8 And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee; fear not, neither be dismayed.

Looking back, I began to see a pattern of blessings by God that I hadn't recognize as such. This was a very humbling experience. I forced myself to start paying attention to the blessing God was showering on me and make sure that I thanked God for all of them. I want you to know that this was a good start but God wasn't done teaching me yet.

Malachi 2:2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

God brought me to this verse from Malachi, which I recognized as a promise from God. As I pondered it I found a great deal of instruction very pertinent to me at this stage of my growth.

1 Corinthians 10:31-33
10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 10:32 Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God;
10:33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but of the many, that they may be saved.

Over a period of pondering all God was giving me I finally began to grasp the concept He was using to humble me. God doesn't hand out blessings that we might wallow in His grace. He gives to us that we might give to others. What a brilliant concept. He gives me more than I need that I might share with others that need as I do.

1John 3:17-18
3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue only; but in deed and in truth.

In this God just drug me a little further away from the pride and lust that defines the natural man and separates him from God. My testimony of God's strength in my life can be the foundation on which another's awareness of God might grow. If I fail to recognize God working in my life, I will also fail to share a testimony with another. If I fail to share this testimony, I fail to share the God of love with someone that might need His love desperately. How profound is that?

As I have grown in this concept it opens my mind to the very need for Zion. Those who are bringing God to the world at large are offering some rather amazing things. Eternal life is a big one but consider all the promises of God we have just gone over. He promises good health, a freedom from doubt and fear, His presence with us always, fellowship with others of like mind; the list goes on forever. Brethren we have to intentionally be the people God wants us to be. We are His only proof to all of the promises His servants are making. We are a source of faith for those seeking God.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

We are the assurance of all that they have been promised about God. We are the evidence of a life they can have and a purpose that they can labor for. If we refuse to recognize all that God has given us, our testimony is mute and their faith never has a real chance to grow. What a shame.

Now here is the real kicker to all of this. God gives, we testify, they believe; this is just the beginning. Once again God opens our hearts to another promise. It truthfully gets better every time He does this.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again.

This is where life in God becomes more joy that I think I am ready for. He gives. I share. Then, He gives again. Then, I share again. Then, He gives again. Brethren, this could go on forever, and that is the very point. We can't out give God and we have a whole eternity to prove or disprove this axiom. What a wonderfully exciting game this Zion thing is coming to be.

Brethren, open your eyes to all the possibilities. 
Join with God,
Labor with God,
Have joy with God,
Have joy in God. 
Go ahead name something better than that. 

FRED