6-23-12 ~ PSALM 4: 1-8 ~ ALL THAT ARE IN THE LORD JESUS ARE SAFE
Despite all the many problems that David found himself in, he found comfort in the safety of the Lord, the same is true, or should be true for we that are saved as well.
In David's confidence that he has been set apart to God, assures him that the Lord will hear when he calls unto him. A godly person, saved and set apart by God, has the same certainty in any generation, there was gladness in David's heart, the type of gladness that a farmer "in our text" might have at harvest time, and according to verse 8 this Psalm was probably an evening prayer.
David says in;
Verse 8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. -- God's children have nothing to fear when we are in a right relationship with our Heavenly Father.
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> Listen as I read today's text found in PS. 4: 1-8
1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. 2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity,* (empty and worthless things) and seek after leasing? *(falsehood and Untruth) Selah. ** (pause & consider what was just said)
3But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
4 Stand in awe,*(with Godly fear and reverence) and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. ** (pause & consider what was just said)
5Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
6There be many that say, "Who will shew us any good?" LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance *(Thy face) upon us.
7Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. -- More than a farmer when he has a good crop.
8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
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David was sure that nothing could ever destroy the relationship that he enjoyed with God.
In this Psalm David has confidence that his relationship and his safety with God had nothing to do with who he was or what he did. He knew that his eternal protection and safety was completely from God.
He declared, verse 8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
Today, let us be reassured that we who have trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior no matter what might come our way in life we are safe in Him.
Isaiah 26: 3-4 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in THEE. 4Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength: --
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* I am safe because God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ and He alone has SAVED me.
John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
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The one and only condition for receiving eternal salvation is faith (trust) in the Lord Jesus Christ, Who died a substitutionary death on the cross for our sins.
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John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. --- A lost sinner will not be condemned at some future time; he or she is presently condemned.
Acts 16: 30-31 Sirs what must I do to be saved? 31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. -- If they'll believe as well.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
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Listen, there is nothing no one can do that merits salvation; there is nothing any one can do that will keep them saved, nothing may be added too, or considered as a part of faith as a condition for receiving eternal salvation.
Have you ever considered that if there were works that we could do that had a bearing on our salvation, if that was the case, then when we arrived in heaven we could pop our spiritual suspenders and boast of how we helped God save us, as If Christ death for our sins was not quit sufficient?
This saving transaction between God and the sinner is simply the giving and receiving of a free gift
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Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of ourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast.
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Rom. 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
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Gal. 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
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Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness (good living) which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; --
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John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
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Rev. 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely
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John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish; neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
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It's much like the illustration of the two skydivers who jump from a plane at 15,000 feet, both are wearing parachutes, one of them folds his arms, ignores the ripcord, and says to himself: "I'm perfectly safe because of my parachute." He is still saying these words as he hits the ground.
The other skydiver knows he will be safe only if he actually pulls the ripcord, so he pulls the ripcord and lands safely.
That is where all of us are today, either we pull the cord and have a safe landing or we ignore the instructions and die.
We may not agree with the manufacturer of the parachute, and we may not like the color, the style, or the texture but it still is a fact, the ripcord is the only choice to avoid destruction.
I can insist that the ripcord is just too narrow and I don't believe it will work, but I can be and will be "dead" wrong.
Many people are falling rapidly with a closed mind, they gain speed as their looking for peace and safety in the things that promise life with gusto, while ignoring the "Manufacturer's" instructions. -- The Word of God is our manual.
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> I remember asking a friend of mined a while back to go to Church with me and he said, "I'm not going, I'm glad that you go but I'm not going", so I have never ask him again. I hope and pray that one day he'll be saved.
> I recall another friend that I talked to about the Lord and how important it is to be saved, this was back a number of years ago when we both worked, back then I had a habit of going by this fast food place as many others did and still do, before we went on to our job,-- I was sitting there one morning looking at the news paper and in he came, he said, " I saw your truck and I just wanted to stop and tell you that I got saved and started to Church", so that tells us that we never know when our witnessing will pay off. It was only a short time later that he fell out of a tree as he was cutting limbs off and was killed, but he was killed saved by the grace of God.
> And another time I stopped at this same fast food store before going on too work and there sit another friend I knew well back then, and he said, " you need to go talk to Garvin he's in bad shape and their looking for him to die just any time he has cancer, he's at his home in a hospital bed."
Garvin and I both used to go to places that we had no business, so I went that evening after work, all of his hair was gone, he was bloated real bad, after a few words of small talk I ask him if he'd like to be saved, and he said he sure would, so I led him to the Lord, only a couple of days later he died.--but he died saved by the grace of God, One day I'll see both of these dear brothers again.
Listen, in his home there was a number of family and friends just sitting around, and yet it seems that no one had talked to him about being saved, I just wonder if any one ever would have, or would they have sit around and let him lay there and die in his sins, he knew that he didn't have much longer to linger and he was ready to be saved.
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* These instructions we're about to read was to Israel, but we can apply them to us today as well.
Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, --
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John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: ---
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1 John 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
> And that is the truth whether a person accepts it or not.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now (present tense) no condemnation (none whatsoever) to them which are in Christ Jesus, --
* So from the very get go our salvation is by Christ and Christ alone.
> And that is also the truth whether a person accepts it or not.
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* Also I am safe because the Holy Spirit has SEALED me.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest * (a pledge, a guarantee) of the Spirit in our hearts.
After we're saved the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our heart.
Ephesians 1:13 In whom (Jesus Christ) ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom (Jesus Christ) also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, --
Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. -- The redemption of our bodies, never forget, our bodies are not redeemed as yet, but will be at the rapture. -- you just remember, as long as you have to lay your tired body down at night to rest, your still in this old body, as long as we have to wear glasses and go to the doctor, we're still in this old body.
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> The Holy Spirit is God's mark of ownership, authority, and security over us. No one can remove us from His ownership.
Hebrews 13:5 --: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
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* Listen to this illustration; when a piece of registered mail is mailed from a post office, it is sealed until delivered, and only two persons can open registered mail - the sender (if it is returned to him) and the designated recipient.
To draw a parallel for believers, God is the One who sends us on our way to heaven, and God in heaven is the Recipient on our arrival.
As with registered mail, only God can break the seal of our redemption, however, he had promised not to do so - and the guarantee of that promise is the presence of the Holy Spirit, who is the One in Whom we have been sealed by God.
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* I am safe because the Father SHELTERS me.
John 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
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Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
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Psalm 37:24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
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Jude 24-25 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
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> There may be many times when our faith may become weak & wavier, but He never wavers.
2 Timothy 2:13 if we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
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No one can know what tomorrow has in store, there will not be a tomorrow for many, sinner friend, asks God in child like faith to forgive you of your sins and invite Jesus to come into your heart and life and be your Lord and Savior.
