2008-05-03 - Brave Resolve

Exodus 24:3, "Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances, and all the people answered with one voice, and said, "All the words which the Lord has spoken, we will do!'"

In the verse cited above, let us first note that these are the words of the people before they even hear what the words of the Lord are going to be. Good or bad, the people say here that they will abide by whatever terms the Lord sets for them. "All the words," would be obeyed by, "all the people." It is quite a statement, since they didn't even know what would be said, but Moses tells them the words of the Lord and the people are, once again, firmly resolved, Exodus 24:7, "All that the Lord has spoken, we will do, and we will be obedient!" So much for good beginnings, because we know that the people did not do all the words of the Lord, and they quickly did their own thing. If they had only stuck to their resolve. It they had only followed through on their promises. We know the history. We know the apostasy of the people, but here we have their resolve, and it is a great start.

How many of us have made such resolves? "Lord, from here on, I will follow you in this particular area where I have fallen time and time again." We can all fill in the blank as to what that area might be, but how many times have we done this personal commitment of faithfulness to the Lord? It is sometimes that we no sooner make the resolve, an honest resolve on our part, it seems - the words are no sooner out of our mouth or thoughts, than we plunge right back into what we have determined not to do. Many of us can account hundreds of times this has happened, in even one area we struggle. Many of us can account thousands of times we have resolved not to sin, but have thrust ourselves right into the very thing we have resolved not to do, think, or say. This is our daily reality; let us not pretend that it is not so. We only fool ourselves.

Our first line of recovery is to continue to strive against sin. We admit our transgression of what we know to be God's standard, we confess it as sin (1 John 1), and again, even if it is resolve 3487 on this one matter, we bravely resolve that we will follow the Lord - and not our sinful ways. We must do this. We must not give up hope. We are no longer slaves to sin, Romans 6:6, and I would encourage you to meditate on the entire chapter of Romans 6, in respect to this topic. Secondly, when we struggle with such things, and struggle we must, let us remember that God's ways are best for us. His ways are not wearisome, but our sin is. There is freedom in compliance to God, and in following Him. The Israelites learned the bondage of rebellion from God. We also have experienced this time and again in our lives. Let our experience count for something. Let us seal our resolves of Christian experience with the reality that is Christian faithfulness in that experience. It will always be a struggle, but we must not forget that we are in a war, and we must fight against sin and Satan, as if it were the battle that it really is. James 4:1, "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?" Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?" See also 1 Peter 2:11, Romans 7:23, and 2 Corinthians 10:3.

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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