Category: scriptures that inspire me

The little set of verses in Matthew 21:28-32 reminds me of how patient God is with those who truly seek Him. Even those who make big mistakes will be accepted into the kingdom if they choose to repent and do the will of the Father.

In my growing up years I knew a few people who weren’t interested in the church at all as teenagers. Living their lives contrary to gospel principles seemed to be their goal. They were the last people I would have expected to see at church when they were younger, but things can change. I’ve heard through my network of friends that some of those people are now very active members. At first they said, “I will not”, but afterward they repented and went.

I know of others who were regulars at church, but now have fallen away. I have no idea whether they had attended because they wanted to, or because they were trying to please other people. At some point they had said, “I go, sir”, but later they went not.

The moral of the story to me is that there is still time to say “yes” if we haven’t been willing to do so in the past. There is also time for those who have fallen away to return. And, it’s more important what you actually do than what you say you will do.

Matthew 21:28-32

28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

Nobody is perfect, and therein lies the rub. There is no such thing as ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. We all need repentance. We always need repentance because we always fail to measure up to what the Lord has asked us to do. We are that lost sheep that needs the Shepherd. We are that prodigal son. We can choose to live very good lives, but we still require the grace of the Savior to gain a place in the Father’s kingdom. We can choose to stop breaking commandments, and our lives will be better for that decision, but we still need the atoning blood of Jesus Christ to become clean. That is the reason we focus on the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. A declaration that Jesus is our Savior is a good start, but Jesus required a lot more than lip service from His disciples. Discipleship is a process. Last night I was reading in Hebrews, and this group of verses impressed me:

Hebrews 3:12-14
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;

I thought about the “deceitfulness of sin” that can harden our hearts and tell us that because we can’t be perfect we should stop trying—that as long as we speak kindly of Christ, we can ignore His commandments. We take courage from those who strive daily, as we do, to keep the commandments to the best of our ability, knowing we will stumble, but that He will protect us as we diligently seek Him.

I was reminded of the words of Jesus in John 14:

John 14:15,21,23-24,31
15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

31  But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

Jesus often talked about how He kept the commandments of the Father. He very clearly tells his disciples that if they love Him, they must show Him by keeping His commandments. He also gives Himself as an example. He kept the commandments of His father. He also says the commandments are not His, but the commandments of His father. Why would we expect salvation without keeping the commandments of the Father?

I read a quote written in someone’s Bible that said something like, “Grace is not grace if works are required”. This reminded me of an occasion when I spoke with some missionaries (not of my church) in Guatemala who couldn’t accept that God would put conditions on salvation. They laughed at me for thinking He could. It was strange to see how different our thoughts were on this topic. They were preaching the gospel in a country far from home so they obviously felt it was important to do what they were doing, yet they made it sound like service to the Lord was optional—once you are saved, you do what you want as long as you continue to declare that Jesus is your Savior. Perhaps they didn’t think that way, but that is how I perceived their side of the discussion. They seemed to look at me as though I was limiting the grace of God because I believed that salvation was less like flipping a switch, and more like a process or a cultivation that requires energy and effort over time. I do not believe my efforts supersede the grace of God, or that they buy my salvation in some way. But, I believe the Lord requires his disciples to do what He has asked.

Sometimes I see a verse like this that might seem to imply no conditions:

Isaiah 55:1
1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Upon further reading I find verses penned by the same author that explain the need to forsake wicked ways and unrighteous thought. When we return to the Lord, He will have mercy on us. If we return to wicked ways and unrighteous thoughts, it follows that we forsake the Lord:

Isaiah 55:2-7
2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

It is especially difficult to say Jesus put no conditions on salvation when He so often spoke of those conditions. We can declare His name publicly and still not be doing the will of the Father. Our actions, words, hearts, and thoughts must be humbly directed to do His will, and not our own.

Matthew 7:20-25
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

“If you want to talk to God, pray. If you want him to talk to you, read your scriptures.”

― Richard G. Scott

I love this quote. I had heard it before, but my brother-in-law used it the other day and it really struck me how true it is. Some people seem to get answers to their prayers even as they are speaking the words. That has rarely been the case for me. My answers tend to come as impressions at a later time. One thing that has helped me greatly is to read the scriptures. Thoughts come to my mind as I read the scriptures that enlighten and expand my knowledge. I am able to reflect on the ways the Lord has blessed me and recognize how He has directed my paths for good.

In this post I share my thoughts on chapter 11 of Luke in the New Testament (KJV).

Continue reading “Luke 11 – commentary”

In this post I share my thoughts on chapter 14 of Luke in the New Testament (KJV).

Continue reading “Luke 14 – commentary”

In this post I share my thoughts on chapter 13 of Luke in the New Testament (KJV).

Continue reading “Luke 13 – commentary”

In this post I share my thoughts on chapter 12 of Luke in the New Testament (KJV).

Continue reading “Luke 12 – commentary”

I saw a post on Facebook about the feasts of the Old Testament and how much we can learn from them. One commenter asked whether Christians are supposed to be celebrating these feasts. I thought how Paul spent a great deal of his ministry trying to convince Jewish Christians that it was not necessary for them, or for gentile converts, to follow the Mosaic law. It was something they just couldn’t give up easily.

This morning I was listening to Luke 5, and I thought of the scribes and Pharisees and their strong desire to continue in the observance of Mosaic law. Though it had taught them to look for a Messiah, the messiah they were looking for didn’t look like Jesus. They couldn’t ignore what Jesus was doing, yet they saw him as an interloper rather than their Shepherd.

Luke 5:27-39
27 ¶And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.

28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.

29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.

I really wish I could have heard the words he spoke when he taught them.

30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

The scribes and Pharisees appealed to tradition and questioned Jesus about it. They could clearly see the flaws of others, but they couldn’t see their own. Jesus was calling sinners to repentance and the publicans and sinners were responding.

33 ¶And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?

34 And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?

35 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

Jesus was also not asking His disciples to follow after John the Baptist because He, the bridegroom had come. John the Baptist was a forerunner. He had prepared the way for Christ. His duty had been fulfulled.

36 ¶And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.

37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.

38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.

The Mosaic law had also been a forerunner to Christ. It was to point the children of Israel to the coming of the Messiah, and it was about to be fulfilled. Instead of building on the foundation of the Mosaic law, Jesus was creating a different structure. Instead of choosing his apostles from the groups who currently had stewardship over the law and the spiritual instruction of the people, Jesus was choosing his apostles from those who were humble receptive, and able to see that He was the promised Messiah.

39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

Even the Jews who would become converts to the gospel of Christ would have a difficult time giving up the traditions that had become such a part of their culture.