And we will know and continue to know the Lord

STUDY: # 903 CHURCH IN THE HOUSES FROM: JULY 12 @ 18, 2016

Topic: "And we will know and continue to know the Lord" Jeremiah 9:23, 24 "Thus says the Lord: Let not the wise man boast in his WISDOM, let not the mighty man boast in his MIGHT, let not the rich man boast in his RICHES, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices STEADFAST LOVE, JUSTICE and RIGHTEOUSNESS in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord." Human beings strive for wisdom, courage and riches; while God delights in mercy, judgment and justice. Blessed is he who understands the Lord, so that he finds delight in what delights Him. This is to meet God, and know His heart. Jeremiah, the prophet, struggled for people to understand this. Up to this point, Jeremiah’s struggle was to leave a mark among those people, for them to have a holy fear of God and His judgments. Of course they still resorted to pretexts. They gave excuses to escape their obligations; dodging, escaping from their commitments to God. This is so of human nature. They were living in their stubbornness. They were keeping excessively firm in their unwise ideas; not wanting to see what was best. They were making excuses for their evilness. But now Jeremiah, the prophet, is available to get them out of these shelters of falsehoods. When the men of Israel understood that the judgments of God would come, and they were inevitable; they wanted to take refuge in the wisdom of experts, in the courage of their warriors, and the richness of their nobles. They thought that with these things their city would be invincible and unconquerable. But in response to this, God Himself let them see their nonsense, their lack of good judgment in relying on such things when they WERE NOT WELL WITH THE GOD OF THE COVENANT! The only thing that man can boast of is in KNOWING GOD AND IMITATING HIM! Someone said: "Having acquired this knowledge (of God) we will then always be determined to seek mercy, justice and righteousness, and thus imitate the ways of God. The only confidence in the day of trouble is that having fulfilled our duty somehow with the help of God's grace, we shall find in God: THE GOD "ALL SUFFICIENT" FOR US!" Hosea 6:3 "Let us know; let us press on (continue with an activity that has begun, continue, proceed with what has already started) to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth." From what we know of God, we must continue seeking to know more of Him; for more growth and fear of God. Every human being should strive to know the Lord, because God comes to meet with those who look for Him with the same certainty with which there is a sunrise every morning, and as the early and delayed rain. The grace of God in Christ is like the early rain, and as the delayed. Because of it not only does our good work bear fruit, but also CONTINUES! John 8:31, 32 "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” To those who believed in Him, He said "If you ABIDE IN MY WORD, you are truly my disciples..." A disciple is anyone who professes to be an apprentice. But a true disciple is one who has given himself truly to the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who are true believers have these characteristics, and ABIDE IN HIS WORD. This means that they CONTINUE IN THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST! They do not stray from Him. True faith always has the quality of PERMANENCE. They are not saved abiding in His Word, but remain in His Word because they are saved. All true disciples are given the promise that they will know the truth, and the truth will set them free. Those who truly know the Lord Jesus are free from sin, they walk in the light, and are led by the Holy Spirit.

You should know how your continuation in God is through the Holy Spirit. John 17:3 "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." This is how you achieve eternal life. It is the only way to acquire eternal life. Do not continue fighting for the vanities of the heart. IT IS KNOWING GOD THE FATHER AND JESUS CHRIST! The only true God! If you stop, you perish. If you follow Him, IF YOU CONTINUE, YOU WILL ARRIVE! Amen.