To Be Least

²⁴ " 'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. ²⁵ I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. ²⁶ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. (Ezekiel 36)

      I talked a lot about living according to the Holy Spirit on yesterdays post. This verse sums up why the Holy Spirit was given to us. So we can follow God's decrees and be careful to keep God's laws. That is the point of the Holy Spirit, so we can be obedient.

Why does he want us to be obedient?

'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. ²³ I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD , declares the Sovereign LORD , when I show myself holy through you before their eyes. (Ezekiel 36:22-23)

      The Israelites had been disobedient again and again. Finally, God had enough and allowed the nation of Israel to be taken into exile. Because God's chosen nation was in exile it profaned God's holy name. Because of their constant disobedience, God decided that he would give them the Holy Spirit so that they could walk in obedience. Was it for Israel's sake? No, it was for God's sake. Why? So that His name will not be profaned.
      As we know, God gave the Holy Spirit to those who follow Christ. Jesus, the Son of God, taught that all men could be saved. God's forgiveness for those who repent was not only the Jews, but for the Gentiles as well.

      Well, I am going again on a family vacation. We will be gone from Saturday, July 24 to Saturday, July 31. So I most likely will be unable to post until next Sunday.

See you all then.