Alfio La Spina 2017
Obedience to the Word of God starts in the heart. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 1:7 (NIV) 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 9:10 (NIV) 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Psalms 111:10 (NIV) 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
The fear of our Lord and God is foundational to true wisdom and all knowledge, fearing our God means that we obey and respect Him. If we keep in mind that our heavenly Father is always watching then we will want to act in a way that pleases Him because we are in a relationship with our father and we do not want to hurt Him. It does pain Him to see all of the evil in the world today and the scriptures show us very clearly how our God can be grieved by the actions of mankind.
Genesis 6:5-6 (NIV) ” The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.”
Hosea 11:1-4 (NIV) ” When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me. They sacrificed to the Baal’s and they burned incense to images. It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them.”
We have to ask, why is our heavenly Father talking this way? How wonderful and truly loving he is. Is he at this very moment taking us by the arms and teaching us to walk after his ways?
John 14:15 (NIV) “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”
So, we should always strive to do our best so as to give the Father joy by keeping His commandments and rejoicing in all His ways before his sight. We must also circumcise our hearts and ask our Father daily to help us to guard our hearts because we do not want to fail so we must make our selves aware of what the scriptures teach us about these things.
Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Psalms 51:10 (NIV) 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Psalms 73:26 (NIV) 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
The consequences are too severe if we fall away or do not allow his spirit to burn like it was meant to in us. By quenching or subduing the spirits potential in us or it’s capacities to lead us and mold us in the way that the Father requires we will indeed grieve the Holy Spirit and we may not be forgiven for that.
Ephesians 4:30 (NIV) ” And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
Matthew 12:30-32 (NIV) ” He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will NOT BE FORGIVEN, either in this age or in the age to come.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-10 (NIV) 4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.
What the Lord is saying above in Deuteronomy is that everything we do must revolve around His laws. This is not just a causal thing like I have seen so many people doing. We need to be consumed by His ways and seek Him constantly we need to be on fire for Him.
Proverbs 2:1-6 (NIV) 1 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, 2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding 3 indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Hebrews 4:12-13 (NIV) 12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
When we read the Word of God and meditate on it and really consider what we are reading if it applies to us then take it and write on our hearts letting it consume us then it will work in us to change us.
John 15:1-9 (NIV) 1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Jesus says to remain in Him as He remains in us. The way we remain in Him is by doing what He says and filling ourselves with His instruction. This way He will make us grow strong and generate much fruit.
Luke 6:46-48 (NIV) 46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.
1 John 2:4-7 (NIV) 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.