5. Tremble before
Him all the earth
The fifth integral aspect of observing the Sabbaths is to
tremble before the Lord which in effect means to tremble at His word as alluded
to by the prophet Isaiah who wrote; “For all those things My hand has made, and
all those things exist," Says the LORD. "But on this one will I look:
On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isaiah 66:2).
Remember that we have been duly instructed saying; “Let
us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the
same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and
sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and
spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and
intents of the heart: And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all
things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:11-14).
It is an undeniable fact that it is by grace we have
been saved through faith, and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God, not
of works, lest anyone should boast.” But in the same token we have also been
duly instructed saying; “What then? Shall we sin (transgress the laws of God or
being disobedient to His word) because we are not under law but under grace? Another
question has also been asked saying; “What shall we say then? Is the law sin?
The undeniable answers to both questions according to
the apostle Paul are: “Certainly not!” On the contrary, I would not have known
sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the
law had said, "You shall not covet." Certainly not! How shall we who
died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 3:31; 6:2, 15).
The reality or crux of the matter is; “And having been
set free from sin (transgressing the laws of God or being disobedient to Hs
word), we became slaves of righteousness because, when we were slaves of sin,
we were free in regard to righteousness. Because again the crux
of the matter is, “Do we not know that to whom we present yourselves slaves
to obey, we are that one's slaves whom we obey, whether of sin (transgressing
the laws of God or being disobedient to Hs word) leading to death, or of obedience
leading to righteousness (Romans 6:16)?
So the crux of the matter is, one is either a slave of
sin or a slave of righteousness and according to the Psalmist David who wrote; “My
tongue shall speak of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteousness.”
Therefore, righteousness is being obedient to the word
of God and when one is a slave of righteousness he/she is free in regard to
sin, in the same token, when one is a slave of sin (transgressing the laws of
God) he /she is free in regards to righteousness.
Our call of duty now is to present the members of our
body as slaves of righteousness for holiness. This act of righteousness is not
our own righteousness which is as filthy rags before God, nor is it by the
deeds of the law by which no flesh can be saved but by the act of righteousness
which produces holiness.
And so the conclusion is. “For if by the one man's
(Adam) offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive
abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through
the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man's (Adam) offense judgment
came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous
act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life” (Romans 5: 17-18).
And so, the act that produces righteousness, holiness
and ultimately everlasting life (immortality of the body) is the sacrificial
body and blood of Jesus Christ the real food which gives us life.
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With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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