His Righteousness Never Fails

Listen to the Audio

Quick Summary

We have been talking about Revelation 3 where Jesus says Wake Up! Strengthen What Remains. The promise of entering God's Sabbath rest in Christ still remains and the day is called TODAY. Faith, hope, and love remain and the greatest of these is love. The righteousness of Jesus and the kingdom of God also remain forever. Today we are discussing Isaiah 51 where it says that not only does righteousness remain forever but it also never fails. The things of God last forever and they never fail. For example, 1 Corinthians 13 says love never fails. If God is love that means God never fails. A couple of keys to stepping into our righteousness in Christ are drawing near to God daily and taking the time to listen to him. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I pray for all those watching, listening, or reading this and their families, friends, and all those connected to them along with our church and governmental leaders.

Thank you for releasing us from darkness and transferring us into the light, into the kingdom of your dear son. Thank you for your purpose and grace given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

I ask that you the father of glory would give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation so we would know you better. That the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened to know the hope to which you have called us, and the riches of your glorious inheritance that is in us, and the immeasurable greatness of your power to us who believe. The same power that you exercised in Christ when you raised him from the dead, and seated him at your right hand in heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion,and every name that is named. Not only in this age but also in the one to come. And you put all things under his feet and made him to be the head of all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Heavenly Father, bless us and make your face shine upon us. Let us find grace and favor in your eyes.Expand our borders and our territory. Expand our capacity to receive your purpose and grace, and all that you want to do in our lives, and to let it flow through us so that we do good and are a blessing to people all over the world. Keep your hand on us and help us do TODAY what is right and best in your eyes. And to do it with peace and joy, and confidence in you. And as we do stretch out your hand to heal and do signs and wonders. And keep us from evil and pain.

Through the mighty name of Jesus. Amen

The Other Half of Prayer and Communion

After praying it is important to take some time to listen to God. This is the other half of prayer. I was reading yesterday in Proverbs 8 and it says "blessed is the person who listens daily for God and waits at his gates. If we draw near to God he will draw near to us. As we take communion it is important to examine ourselves. Are we taking time to listen for God each day? When we take the bread in communion it is a reminder that the sacrifice of Jesus made us righteous and holy forever ( Hebrews 10). 

As part of our New Covenant with God, we have been given the righteousness of Jesus. This means we have peace with God and he has promised to give us everything he has and help us. Our role is to seek him, listen, follow his leading, and love people. 

God's righteousness never fails. The things of God are enduring, they last forever and they never fail. Here is what Isaiah 51 says...

Everlasting Salvation for Zion
51 “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness
and who seek the Lord:
Look to the rock from which you were cut
and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
2 look to Abraham, your father ( In Galatians it says we are Abrahams children),
and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was only one man,
and I blessed him and made him many.
3 The Lord will surely comfort Zion
and will look with compassion on all her ruins;
he will make her deserts like Eden,
her wastelands like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the sound of singing. (When our hope and trust are in God's steadfast love for us it leads to joy, thanksgiving, and singing.)

4 “Listen to me, my people;
hear me, my nation:
Instruction will go out from me;
my justice will become a light to the nations.
5 My righteousness draws near speedily,
my salvation is on the way,
and my arm will bring justice to the nations.
The islands will look to me
and wait in hope for my arm.
6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
look at the earth beneath;
the heavens will vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment
and its inhabitants die like flies.
But my salvation will last forever,
my righteousness will never fail.

In these verses it says the earth will vanish. This reminded me of Hebrews 12 talking about God's kingdom.

Hebrews 12:25-29 AMP says...

The Unshaken Kingdom
25 See to it that you do not refuse [to listen to] Him who is speaking [to you now]. For if those [sons of Israel] did not escape when they refused [to listen to] him who warned them on earth [revealing God’s will], how much less will we escape if we turn our backs on Him who warns from heaven? 26 His voice shook the earth [at Mount Sinai] then, but now He has given a promise, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the [starry] heaven.” 27 Now this [expression], “Yet once more,” indicates the removal and final transformation of all those things which can be shaken—that is, of that which has been created—so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain(His kingdom remains forever and in the AMP it says God's kingdom is his way of doing things). 28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, and offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship with reverence and awe(this is the fear of the Lord); 29 for our God is [indeed] a consuming fire.

Let's continue with Isaiah 51....

7 “Hear me, you who know what is right,
you people who have taken my instruction to heart:
Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals
or be terrified by their insults.
8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment;
the worm will devour them like wool.
But my righteousness will last forever,
my salvation through all generations.”

9 Awake, awake, arm of the Lord,
clothe yourself with strength!
Awake, as in days gone by,
as in generations of old.
Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces,
who pierced that monster through?
10 Was it not you who dried up the sea,
the waters of the great deep,
who made a road in the depths of the sea
so that the redeemed might cross over?
11 Those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

12 “I, even I, am he who comforts you.
Who are you that you fear mere mortals,
human beings who are but grass,
13 that you forget the Lord your Maker,
who stretches out the heavens
and who lays the foundations of the earth,
that you live in constant terror every day (putting our hope and trust in God's steadfast unfailing love for us leads to security rather than terror)
because of the wrath of the oppressor,
who is bent on destruction?
For where is the wrath of the oppressor?
14 The cowering prisoners will soon be set free(Isaiah 61 says Jesus came to set the prisoners free);
they will not die in their dungeon,
nor will they lack bread.
15 For I am the Lord your God,
who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—

the Lord Almighty is his name.
16 I have put my words in your mouth
and covered you with the shadow of my hand—
I who set the heavens in place,
who laid the foundations of the earth,
and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”

The righteousness of Jesus makes us God's people. Draw near to God and listen for him daily because his love, his righteousness, and his kingdom last forever and they never fail.