Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 4,390
“In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
‘We have a strong city;
he sets up salvation
as walls and bulwarks.
Open the gates,
that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
For he has humbled
the inhabitants of the height,
the lofty city.
He lays it low, lays it low to the ground,
casts it to the dust.
The foot tramples it,
the feet of the poor,
the steps of the needy.’” (Isaiah 26:1-6 ESV)
When Jesus Christ was crucified on that cross, nearly 2000 years ago, it was to put our sins to death with him so that, by God-persuaded and God-gifted faith in Jesus, we might now die to sin and obey God and his commands, in the power and wisdom of God, and not in our own strength and wisdom. For Jesus gave his life up for us on that cross so that we would be crucified with him in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God and to his righteousness.
At that same time, Jesus Christ, in his death and resurrection, opened the door for the Gentiles to be his chosen people, too. And he made both Jew and Gentile one person, one people of God, the chosen of God, the Israel of God by faith in Jesus Christ. Since that time Jew and Gentile have not been separate people groups. The division now is between the truly saved and those who are not of biblical faith in Jesus Christ, whether Jew or Gentile by physical birth (see Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:1-6; Galatians 3:29).
So what happened to all the Jews who did not believe in Jesus Christ? They were cut out of biblical Israel (Romans 11:1-36). But any Jew who believes in Jesus now can be grafted into Israel in the same manner in which all who believe in Jesus Christ today are included in spiritual Israel, the church, the body of believers in Jesus Christ who are of genuine biblical faith in the Lord Jesus. So all Jews who do not believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord are NOT heirs of the promise God made to Abraham and to his seed, Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16).
“But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.” (Romans 9:6-8 ESV) And “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29 NIV)
[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; John 8:18-19,38-47; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:1-6; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13;1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:22; Jude 1:5; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]
So, the City of God today is not physical Jerusalem (see Galatians 4:22-31). The City of God today is not a physical city at all with physical walls, but it is a spiritual city, the City of God, with salvation from sin as its walls and bulwarks (protections, defenses, safeguards). It is spiritual Jerusalem, the church, the body of believers in Jesus Christ who have died with Christ to sin and who are now walking in obedience to our Lord’s commandments in daily practice, in daily living, by the grace of God, and in his power and wisdom.
And what this teaches next is what the New Testament teaches, as well. Those who are of genuine biblical faith in the Lord Jesus are those who are putting sin to death, by the Spirit, and who are walking in obedience to the Lord in righteous and holy living, in the power of God, in lifestyle. We are the called of God who keep faith, who persist in obeying our Lord and in putting sin to death and no longer making sin our practice. It doesn’t mean we will never fail, but sin should no longer be what we practice.
For if our minds are truly stayed on the Lord, then we are not those who are wandering, deliberately and habitually making sin and disobedience our practice. And if our trust is biblical trust in the Lord, our reliance and our dependence are on the Lord for daily living and for the wisdom to know what he has for us to do to be in service to our Lord, according to his calling and purpose he has for our lives. We will not be those who go our own way, doing whatever we think is best, but we will be guided and directed by God.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
Caution: This link may contain ads
Because We Trust in Jesus Christ
An Original Work / October 6, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
‘We have a strong city;
he sets up salvation
as walls and bulwarks.
Open the gates,
that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
For he has humbled
the inhabitants of the height,
the lofty city.
He lays it low, lays it low to the ground,
casts it to the dust.
The foot tramples it,
the feet of the poor,
the steps of the needy.’” (Isaiah 26:1-6 ESV)
When Jesus Christ was crucified on that cross, nearly 2000 years ago, it was to put our sins to death with him so that, by God-persuaded and God-gifted faith in Jesus, we might now die to sin and obey God and his commands, in the power and wisdom of God, and not in our own strength and wisdom. For Jesus gave his life up for us on that cross so that we would be crucified with him in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God and to his righteousness.
At that same time, Jesus Christ, in his death and resurrection, opened the door for the Gentiles to be his chosen people, too. And he made both Jew and Gentile one person, one people of God, the chosen of God, the Israel of God by faith in Jesus Christ. Since that time Jew and Gentile have not been separate people groups. The division now is between the truly saved and those who are not of biblical faith in Jesus Christ, whether Jew or Gentile by physical birth (see Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:1-6; Galatians 3:29).
So what happened to all the Jews who did not believe in Jesus Christ? They were cut out of biblical Israel (Romans 11:1-36). But any Jew who believes in Jesus now can be grafted into Israel in the same manner in which all who believe in Jesus Christ today are included in spiritual Israel, the church, the body of believers in Jesus Christ who are of genuine biblical faith in the Lord Jesus. So all Jews who do not believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord are NOT heirs of the promise God made to Abraham and to his seed, Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16).
“But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.” (Romans 9:6-8 ESV) And “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29 NIV)
[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; John 8:18-19,38-47; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:1-6; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13;1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:22; Jude 1:5; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]
So, the City of God today is not physical Jerusalem (see Galatians 4:22-31). The City of God today is not a physical city at all with physical walls, but it is a spiritual city, the City of God, with salvation from sin as its walls and bulwarks (protections, defenses, safeguards). It is spiritual Jerusalem, the church, the body of believers in Jesus Christ who have died with Christ to sin and who are now walking in obedience to our Lord’s commandments in daily practice, in daily living, by the grace of God, and in his power and wisdom.
And what this teaches next is what the New Testament teaches, as well. Those who are of genuine biblical faith in the Lord Jesus are those who are putting sin to death, by the Spirit, and who are walking in obedience to the Lord in righteous and holy living, in the power of God, in lifestyle. We are the called of God who keep faith, who persist in obeying our Lord and in putting sin to death and no longer making sin our practice. It doesn’t mean we will never fail, but sin should no longer be what we practice.
For if our minds are truly stayed on the Lord, then we are not those who are wandering, deliberately and habitually making sin and disobedience our practice. And if our trust is biblical trust in the Lord, our reliance and our dependence are on the Lord for daily living and for the wisdom to know what he has for us to do to be in service to our Lord, according to his calling and purpose he has for our lives. We will not be those who go our own way, doing whatever we think is best, but we will be guided and directed by God.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
Caution: This link may contain ads
Because We Trust in Jesus Christ
An Original Work / October 6, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
