There seems to be an unmistakable link between the last verse of Ps. 32, and the first verse of this one. Psalm 32 was about ‘forgiveness’—-the ‘New Song’ is the song of ‘redemption’ and follows the forgiveness of sins (Ps. 32) and belongs to all who have been cleansed by the precious blood of Christ.

But this song will be sung in a very special way at the outset of the Millennium (Rev. 14:3).

In this song there is no mention of ‘active enemies,’ of persecution, of tribulation,—-it is rather a peaceful scene with Israel dwelling in safety and the Lord acknowledged as the universal Sovereign. Thus, this Psalm connects us to the beginning of Christ’s kingdom, when Gentile oppression has been smashed and the time of Jacob’s trouble is past.

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This morning as I spent time in the Word, I was reading in the Psalms—-a wonderful place when we are ‘troubled’ or maybe having a hard time ‘closing out’ the ‘noise of the world’ in our lives——a place that always allows us (leads us) to focus upon the Lord God—-and shows us so many ways to praise Him—–to lift our hearts and voices in adoration and worship in thanksgiving for His provision for us in His Son, Jesus Christ!

If you view the 31st Psalm as a Messianic Psalm with Christ on the cross, it really opens your heart. This perfect man, in His life here on earth maintained total dependence upon God the Father—–and in His time of sacrifice on the cross, He called out to Him. What a beautiful example He left for us.

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We are so fortunate in America, we can express our faith in the Lord, and ‘generally speaking’ do not ‘have to bleed for it,’ so ‘persecution here’ is not near the horrible situation it can be in other countries, or as it was in the times of the early church.

Still, we must realize that when we ‘step out, and stand up’ and present our Lord, and the reasons for our faith, and what we believe in Him, that we can and will ‘come under assault’ that is initiated ‘of Satan.’

The insidious (treacherous, deceitful) aspect of this, is when the attack comes from someone that ‘claims to be’ of God, a person professing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. (I have a saying, “I don’t mind the ‘arrows’ shot at me from the front, but the ones shot into my back really hurt.”) And isn’t it horrible to see our culture denigrate to where if someone has an ‘opposing position’ or ‘doesn’t agree with us’ that we ‘demonize them’—-as really was demonstrated during our recent Presidential election!

By this I mean, that we ‘have our guard up in the front’ for the ‘competition’ or adversaries, or attackers, but those who are ‘close to us’ or ‘team mates’ or in this instance, those who claim to be followers of Christ, which would then make them of the same ‘family of God,’—-who ‘attack us,’ that is like getting shot in the back, because we do not have our defenses up there.

And also, for that ‘attack’ to be launched because of a discussion of Biblical doctrine, as happened in my situation, when I had attended a Bible study, and had dialogue, or discussion, concerning my belief and understanding from the Scriptures that we can ‘be saved’ and have ‘complete assurance of our salvation’—–and that ‘once saved, always saved’ — that the miraculous moment of our salvation by Christ is eternal and secure — that nothing can change it, nor take us out of Him — that we are ‘positioned’ in Him forever!

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Recently, I attended a Bible Study in which a couple of the attendees really do NOT believe ‘that once saved, always saved.’ They believe in a ‘version of salvation’ whereby one repents and confesses and accepts Jesus Christ as Savior—–but then, it is then ‘up to the individual believer’ to ‘maintain their salvation by their works and performance and obedience’ or ‘they will lose it.’

Two of the Scriptures they placed as evidence of this were Matt. 7: 21-23; and Rev. 3: 1-6; which I have already commented upon, and also sent that ‘study’ to you.

Now, one of the participants has emailed me a long dissertation in response made by someone to ‘disprove once saved, always saved’——–and it would seem this person is really not only ‘stuck’ in his position, but wants to dearly protect that position—which is natural—-but there is also a saying, ‘The mind is like a parachute, it only works when it is open.”

It is hard to study something, if we already are ‘locked in a closed position on it.

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I originally wrote much of this last May, but today, listening to Charles Stanley, a conservative Scriptural teacher, his message helped to ‘clarify’ what I was trying herein to present.

Scofield has a saying that is so true: “Anything may be proved by the ‘Bible’ is both true and false——true if isolated passages are used; utterly false if the whole divine revelation is in view.” We see over and over, people using “isolated passages” to develop their doctrine, and getting lost, and worse, leading others to be lost. The Bible is inerrant and absolute truth—-man in our errant pride can ‘misinterpret.’ In reading the Bible, we need to be sure we are referencing properly ‘in context’ to what the Scriptures are presenting. I believe the key word above is God’s Laws, which are the 10 Commandments—-and we need to separate them from the Mosaic Laws of Israel. Then, this title becomes more manageable, and we can discuss more in the context of how it relates to the ‘believer today.’

First and foremost, I believe we need to make clear that the only absolute authority on which to base our truth is the Bible. Some of the things (certainly not the only things) that struck my heart in relation to helping me to see the Bible as God’s revelation of Himself to His creation, and thus being His inerrant and infallible Word, and the only source of ‘absolute truth’ are: 1. The Bible is one book. 2. From Genesis the Bible bears witness to one God. 3. Whenever He speaks or acts, He is consistent with Himself, and with the total revelation of Him. 4. The Bible forms one continuous story—the story of humanity in relation to God. 5. The Bible hazards the most unlikely predictions concerning the future, and when the centuries have brought around the appointed time, records their fulfillment. 6. The Bible is a progressive unfolding of the truth. Nothing is told all at once and once for all. The law is, ‘first the blade, then the ear, after that full corn.’ 7. Without the possibility of collusion, often with centuries between, one writer takes up an earlier revelation, adds to it, lays down the pen, and in due time another man moved by the Holy Spirit, and another, and another, add new details till the whole is complete. From beginning to end the Bible testifies to one redemption. From the beginning to the end the Bible has one great theme—the person and work of Jesus Christ. And these writers, some 44 in number, writing through 20 centuries, have produced a perfect harmony of doctrine in progressive unfolding. This is to every candid mind, the unanswerable proof of the Divine inspiration of the Bible.

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In spending time in the Word this morning, as always, I am reminded of how much God loves us, and desires to ‘interact’ with us in a personal and unique relationship with each of us. That is so awesome, that he has an individual relationship unique to each of us! How can that be? Because He is God!

Just a couple of thoughts to reflect upon, realizing some things in the Word are like ‘milk’ to our souls, and some are like ‘meat.’ Often, the ‘meat’ takes ‘more to digest.’ You decide:

The book of Genesis,  the first phrase in the Hebrew text of Gen. 1:1 is bereshith (“in [the] beginning”), which is also the Hebrew title of the book—-and it is comprised of 50 chapters—-‘it opens with God’s perfect creation and closes with a coffin in Egypt. It is a book of biographies. Whereas two chapters are devoted to an account of the creation of the heavens and earth, forty-eight chapters are largely concerned with the lives of men and women. God is interested primarily in people. What a comfort and challenge for those who know Him!’ (taken from William MacDonald’s Believer’s Bible Commentary)

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Those of you who ‘know me’ realize I am ‘weathered by life’s storms’—–that I am ‘scarred by the choices I’ve made’ outside the will of God for me—–that I am a sinner clothed in a ‘garbage pail of human carnality.’

This morning, as I spent some quiet time in the Word of God, and reflected on this, and also on some things I heard others say, again, I am ‘humbled.’

To use the culture of the computer, when we have our ‘system’ all ‘hung up’ or ‘locked up’—–we can hit: ‘control, alt., delete,’ and ‘reset our computer.’

Spiritually, that process is called ‘REPENT.’

We serve a God of ‘second chances.’ He never ‘gives up on us’ nor deserts us (Hebrews 13:5—the last sentence, ‘for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.”)

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