The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Warrior's Prayer, #29

I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity (verse twenty-three).

If David, under the old covenant, was able to keep himself from his iniquity, how much more are we obligated to do the same!

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. (Romans 8:12)

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)

Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. (I Corinthians 15:34)

To state that the members of the Body of Christ can be compelled to sin is to greatly diminish the spiritual prestige of the Lord Jesus. Is Satan so great He can overcome God's Christ?

The reason Christians sin is that they choose to sin. But the believer who follows the Spirit of God will achieve victory over sin. Christ came to break the yoke of Satan. He will do that for every person who follows Him in faith and obedience. We do not achieve victory over all sin in a moment, but little by little we do gain total victory. Christ is leading us to total victory. The fullness of the inheritance goes to the conquerors.

The Lord's warriors achieve victory over the accuser. They do so by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and by loving not their lives to the death. They do achieve victory!

The concept of worthiness needs to be preached much more than it is. The Scriptures are a record of men and women finding favor in God's sight, and of God delivering them and blessing them because of His love for them. God rewards us according to our righteousness and holiness in His sight. This is what the Scripture teaches but it has been ignored because of overemphasis on the role of "grace" in redemption.

We know God will meet man only at the cross. We cannot substitute our own program of salvation in place of the Lamb whom God has provided.

But to conclude from this that it is impossible for a believer to show himself worthy of his calling is not scriptural. Several times Paul exhorted and warned us to behave in a manner worthy of our vocation as saints. To not do so is to incur the displeasure of the Lord who has called us to righteousness, holiness, and obedience.

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, (Ephesians 4:1)

Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: (II Thessalonians 1:5)

To be continued.