Matthew 6:7 And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

The length of these posts are usually about 500 words. Not many as word counts go because when we listen to preachers they use more than 500 words, many more.

Sit in a seminar and it won’t be long before our minds will start thinking, “Get to the point!”

I’ve been doing this since January 1st, 2014.  That is over 2,000,000 words. Here is my point.

God loves you.

If many words do not express our love of God in prayer, then many words do not prove God’s love for us.

1 John 4:7-8

God Is Love

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Hebrews 1:3

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

Combine these two passages and we come to an understanding that His love abides in us and through us He loves all of us, He who sits on the throne is expressing His love for us, through us.

We all want to be loved perfectly and we want to love perfectly, but the expression of perfect love can only be made if the love of God abides in us and is put first before our own personal wants and desires.

These words, these many words, are all about expressing basic information upon which the power of God can reveal to lost souls two distinct truths. God does exist and He does love us. All the rest is a road map about how to come to those conclusions.

If these words used over the last 11 years have not fallen on at least one lost soul and led to their salvation, then all is truly vanity and vexation of spirit.

But if just one was reached, then it has been worth it. 

Romans 1:16

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

I have studied the Word for decades and I admit to everyone here, right now, that my thoughts have been wrong about the meaning of this passage. I held the notion of the Jews and Greeks as having preeminence in seeking God.  I was wrong. It just dawned on me as I concluded yesterday’s post. “I am no longer ashamed.”

The Jews had one approach to a right relationship with God. They held the law in high esteem even though they could not keep it. The Greek believed intellect was the key to having a right relationship with God. They were both wrong and they both needed to be ashamed. The reason they were listed 1 and 2 in the order was to point out the two approaches to a relationship with God the Father were full of pride and vanity. They are the worst approaches to salvation.

• Romans 5:2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
• Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
• Ephesians 3:12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

We have access to the Father through the obedience of the Son to be our sacrifice for sin forever.

Zechariah 3:7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here.

There it is, that big little word again, “if”. The only one that accomplished that “if” is Jesus Christ. He rules the house, has charge over the courts and grants access because He and He alone was faithful to do all the will of the Father. Even to His own death on the Cross.

Philippians 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

The Jews and the Greeks did not humble themselves before God the Father. They failed to listen and understand. Pride and vanity stood in their way.