“To Call Upon Him In Truth"

(Friends:  Most Saturdays for the duration of this year, I plan on sharing a message that relates to the character and nature of God, and our response thereunto.  I hope you will find it helpful, and as always, thanks for allowing us to send the devotionals to you.  Glen).

The Saturday Series - 39

"To Call Upon Him In Truth"

   God's character and nature are such that He can only establish and maintain relationship with those who come to Him in accordance with truth, as defined by Him.

   "The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth" (Psalm 145:18).

    Our Heavenly Father sets the terms for relationship with Himself.  We either come His way, namely, the grace and truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, or we do not come at all.  Moreover, we must make our approach in accordance with the Christ of the Bible, as opposed to the possibility of being deceived by "another Jesus" who bears little or no resemblance to the true and authentic Savior.  "He that believeth on Me as the Scripture hath said, our of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" (II Corinthians 11:4; John 7:38).  "Narrow is the way" declared the Lord Jesus, as based on the integrity of a perfect God who cannot violate His holy character and nature in anything He does (Matthew 7:14).  "The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works" (Psalm 145:17).

    Grace, the freely given favor of the Lord Jesus as purchased by His atoning sacrifice and resurrection, constitutes the only way God can be "both just and the justifier of him  which believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3:26).  The matter of sin must be addressed before good relations can be established between God and humanity.  Our Heavenly Father cannot simply ignore the fact and consequences of our unbelief and disobedience.  Such neglect would violate His perfection, casting Himself and His creation into destruction and oblivion.  By definition, this is impossible for a Being who cannot be other than who He is.  "I am the Lord; I change not" (Malachi 3:6).  Thus, God made a way to justly deal with our sins, while joyfully providing living fellowship with Himself.  Christ is that way, that truth, and that life (John 14:6).  As we "call upon Him in truth," our Lord draws near to us in such proximity that He dwells within us.  "Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father" (Galatians 4:6).  Only by grace is such redemption and subsequent relationship possible, because only by grace can God call us to Himself without violating who and what He is.

    Our Heavenly Father desires relationship with human hearts, but not at the expense of compromising His own heart. He must remain Himself while redeeming our selves.  Only by His glorious grace and truth in Christ can such justice and justification unite to glorify God in even greater measure by calling sinners to Himself.  The suffering and death of God's beloved Son was required to fulfill such mercy, and to maintain such integrity.  How then could there be any other way?

"Justice and judgment are the habitation of Thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before Thy face."

(Psalm 89:14)

Weekly Memory Verse 

    Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

(Philippians 1:6)