“In that day, sing about the fruitful vineyard. I, the LORD, will watch over it, watering it carefully. Day and night I will watch so no one can harm it. My anger will be gone.” Isaiah 27:3 NLT
The prophet Isaiah is speaking of the day when the nation of Israel will be like “a fruitful vineyard.” The nation has forsaken God, but God had a plan to restore it! The nation was suffering under the rejection of God and reaping the consequences of their decision.
“They have made it a wasteland, Desolate, it mourns before Me; The whole land has been made a wasteland, because no man takes it to heart.” Jerimiah 12:11 AMP
Before coming to the cross we were living in a wasteland of our sin. The Apostle Pau wrote to the church at Rome,
“for if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever.” Romans 8:13 AMP
“When we were living in the flesh [trapped by sin], the sinful passions, which were awakened by [that which] the Law [identifies as sin], were at work in our body to bear fruit for death [since the willingness to sin led to death and separation from God].” Romans 7:5 AMP
The Scriptures are clear that the wages or rather the payment for sin is death. As newly created life in Christ, the believer is call new to live life from a different perspective. For years we lived in bondage and deception controlled by the desires of out flesh. The process of sanctification brings us to an understanding now of how God desires us to live and what His will is for our lives. Paul continued his discussion of this is to the church at Rome with these words,
“for if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever.” Romans 8:13 AMP
As we learn to yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit we are strengthened to win the battle over our flesh. It is interesting that there is no redemption mentioned in the Scripture for the body. We are not to reconcile with our flesh in some type of compromise, no! The Scripture is clear that we must learn to crucify the flesh! The epistle to the Galatians tells us,
“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the [l]sinful nature together with its passions and appetites. 25If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage--our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit].” Galatians 5:24-25 AMP
Sanctification isn’t about becoming holier than those around us for the Scripture declares that there are none righteous, no not one! It is however a process to conform us to the image of Christ ion our lives so that Christ may be glorified in us! The process is not easy. It is at times painful and challenging. Jesus told His disciples,
“Jesus called the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].” Mark 8:34 AMP
In and of ourselves we cannot fix the problem. Only by living through the controlling power of the Holy Spirit can we hope to overcome that which has overcome us in our previous lives! God desires to restore the wasteland of our lives if will but just surrender to Him!
"Fruitful Vineyard"
“In that day, sing about the fruitful vineyard. I, the LORD, will watch over it, watering it carefully. Day and night I will watch so no one can harm it. My anger will be gone.” Isaiah 27:3 NLT
The prophet Isaiah is speaking of the day when the nation of Israel will be like “a fruitful vineyard.” The nation has forsaken God, but God had a plan to restore it! The nation was suffering under the rejection of God and reaping the consequences of their decision.
“They have made it a wasteland, Desolate, it mourns before Me; The whole land has been made a wasteland, because no man takes it to heart.” Jerimiah 12:11 AMP
Before coming to the cross we were living in a wasteland of our sin. The Apostle Pau wrote to the church at Rome,
“for if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever.” Romans 8:13 AMP
“When we were living in the flesh [trapped by sin], the sinful passions, which were awakened by [that which] the Law [identifies as sin], were at work in our body to bear fruit for death [since the willingness to sin led to death and separation from God].” Romans 7:5 AMP
The Scriptures are clear that the wages or rather the payment for sin is death. As newly created life in Christ, the believer is call new to live life from a different perspective. For years we lived in bondage and deception controlled by the desires of out flesh. The process of sanctification brings us to an understanding now of how God desires us to live and what His will is for our lives. Paul continued his discussion of this is to the church at Rome with these words,
“for if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever.” Romans 8:13 AMP
As we learn to yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit we are strengthened to win the battle over our flesh. It is interesting that there is no redemption mentioned in the Scripture for the body. We are not to reconcile with our flesh in some type of compromise, no! The Scripture is clear that we must learn to crucify the flesh! The epistle to the Galatians tells us,
“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the [l]sinful nature together with its passions and appetites. 25If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage--our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit].” Galatians 5:24-25 AMP
Sanctification isn’t about becoming holier than those around us for the Scripture declares that there are none righteous, no not one! It is however a process to conform us to the image of Christ ion our lives so that Christ may be glorified in us! The process is not easy. It is at times painful and challenging. Jesus told His disciples,
“Jesus called the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].” Mark 8:34 AMP
In and of ourselves we cannot fix the problem. Only by living through the controlling power of the Holy Spirit can we hope to overcome that which has overcome us in our previous lives! God desires to restore the wasteland of our lives if will but just surrender to Him!
Have a blessed day, Pastor Ken