Hello Kind Reader,
As I have been meditating on, reading over, and praying through Exodus 20 and the application of The Ten Commandments, in my own life and in preparation to speak each Sunday, it has been my earnest desire that our time spent together in this portion of Scripture will awaken us to pursue holiness in a deeper way.
The pursuit of holiness is a beautiful picture of God’s work and man’s responsibility. I have often mentioned this—and will continue to: God makes us holy, and then calls us to be holy.
God’s work in making us holy begins when he redeems sinful man—when he saves us, which we realize through faith in Jesus Christ. Titus 3:4-7 says:
“when the mercy and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not by works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
As I study and prepare in Exodus each week, I am looking widely across the pages of Scripture at references to “The Commandments.” This week I encountered Romans 13:10-11, which says:
“Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.”
The part that caught my attention was this: “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep.” Romans 13:12-14 goes on to talk about putting away the sinful acts of the flesh and the deeds of darkness. These things lull us to sleep and cause our love to grow cold to God and the things and people of God.
The saving, washing, and justifying work of God, that Titus 3:4-7 speaks of, makes us holy. With this work, our spiritual alarm clock begins ringing and it is time, as Romans 3:11 says, “to wake from sleep.”
Sometimes it’s hard to get out of bed. Who dislikes like being comfortable in bed? Who doesn’t hit the snooze button at least once? Who doesn’t have to grind gears some days to wake up and get going? However, just as your day won’t get going until you wake up and get out of bed; neither will you be holy until wake up from the slumber of worldliness and get on with pursuing “righteousness, faith, love and peace” (2 Timothy 2:22).
Christian, are you sleeping? Do you hear the alarm clock but keep hitting the snooze button? Are you being lulled to sleep by the distraction of the world? Through faith in Jesus god has made you holy; it’s time to wake up and arise from he comfort of the world’s bed and pursue holiness, “For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.” Christ is coming. Don’t be found asleep when he arrives.
I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday, as Pastor Collins opens God’s Word to Galatians 3:23-29. Lord willing, I’ll see you then.
Grace & Peace,
John White
You can reach the elders anytime by email, call, or text at:
Jon Collins, jcollins@thevillagemi.com, (810) 869-3949
John White, jwhite@thevillagemi.com, (810) 275-4267