Darold Edwards

Certainly two essentials of knowledge are presented in [Amos 5:14-15] in the preceding paragraph, but these have to be acknowledged, studied, and meditated on to get the substance of them anchored and grounded in our sensibilities, awareness, and consciousness. There are large amounts of scripture dealing with God’s attitude and response to mans sinful atrocities of evil and detestable abominations and spelling out the results of such evils and wicked ways. We are directly counseled and commanded to repent, turn from, and cast these things away from us in [Mark 1: 15], “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye and believe the gospel”. We find the recipe, or directions for repentance provided in [2 Chronicles 7: 14], “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; THEN will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”. It would seem as though God has placed some conditions on his “hearing from heaven, forgiving their sin, and healing their land”. It also appears that, though God’s love may be unconditional, there are conditions placed on our receiving his approval and blessings. For instance: in [Acts 10:35], “fearing” or reverencing God and “the working of righteousness” are prerequisites to being accepted by him, [Acts 10: 34-35], “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, AND WORKETH RIGHTEOUSNESS, is accepted with him”.

There are some things, classified as “good works”, [Ephesians 2:10], that we must, as professing Christians, learn, embrace and do, [James 1:22-25], to grow and advance as “practicing Christians”, then advancing on to being mature, meat eating Christians, [Hebrews 5:14], “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even to those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil”. This is all part of the “conditioning and diligently keeping of our heart” so it has the Biblical, God ordained abundance to “issue forth life”, [Proverbs 4: 23], “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life”. This is in conjunction with [Romans 12: 1-2], “I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, HOLY, ACCEPTABLE UNTO GOD, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God”. The “renewing of the mind” is essential to “diligently keeping the heart” enabling and assisting us in “presenting our bodies as living sacrifices unto God” in the manner he prescribes, “Holy and acceptable, which is our reasonable service”.