This site was last modified on September 28, 2003 and is now being maintained at eachnewday.com

Getting to Know God

 

This course was originally designed for to be taught at Youth Camp as part of the annual Ivanhoe Bible Camp of the Standard Church of America, Eastern Conference. As it was intended merely as a guide to be used in a series of verbal lessons and question-and-answer sessions it has never been fully completed. I have, however, put it on the website in its incomplete form feeling that it would make a good foundation for a guide that would be useful to new Christians as they begin to explore the incredible God we all serve together. This is the first time I have looked at it in about three years and as time goes on I will be updating it to make it more useful, at present I apologize for its condition but pray that it will be useful none the less. Any suggestions on how this could be made more applicable to your own life would be most welcome. Please feel free to contact me at the email address below:

 

peterhebergen@hotmail.com

 

Psalm 139:1-24O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.  Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.  You hem me in-- behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.  Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.  If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.  For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!  Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.  If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!  They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.  Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you?  I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.  Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

 

Isaiah 55:6-7Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.  Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

 

In his book Knowing God J. I. Packer defines five foundational principles which the Christian must understand and which are critical to the issue of getting to know our God:

1 – God has spoken to man, and the Bible is His Word, given to us to make us wise unto salvation.

2 – God is Lord and King over His world; He rules all things for His own glory, displaying His perfections in all that He does, in order that men and angels may worship and adore Him.

3 – God is Saviour, active in sovereign love through the Lord Jesus Christ to rescue believers from the guilt and power of sin, to adopt them as His sons, and to bless them accordingly.

4 – God is Triune; there are within the Godhead three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost; and the work of salvation is one in which all three act together, the Father purposing redemption, the Son securing it, and the Spirit applying it.

5 – Godliness means responding to God’s revelation in trust and obedience, faith and worship, prayer and praise, submission and service.  Life must be seen and lived in the light of God’s Word.  This, and nothing else, is true religion.

There are two types of knowledge we can have with respect to God:

1 – Knowledge about God.  Intellectual, we know some facts or technical information about God.

2 – Knowledge of God.  Intimate, we have a relationship with God.

But even if we know God intimately and do have a relationship with Him it is possible to not know God well enough.  David Wilkerson makes the following points in this regard:

1 – Have you been guilty of putting limits on God’s power and promises?

2 – Have you limited God to intimacy alone and not permitted God to be God to you?

3 – Have you limited God by being satisfied with too little, whereas, if you knew Him in all His power and glory, you would have asked and believed Him for so much more?

In other words: Is your relationship with God an effective relationship in which God’s power is evident in your life or is your relationship with God an ineffective relationship in which the fullness of God’s majesty and power are unknown?

 

WHO AM I?

 

Genesis 1:26-27Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

 

Man is a created being, formed by God in His image.  There is something great about man, something that makes him different from all other things in creation.  He is a creature but yet he is infinitely more than an animal.  He can dream of tomorrow, hope for today, and consider yesterday.  He has been given eternity within his mortal form.  He is aware of himself and is able to set aside his own good for the good of others beyond himself.  He is, alone of all creation, human.

 

Isaiah 51:12 I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass.

 

From God’s point of view we are insignificant, our value comes from the significance He places on us.

 

John 3:16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

 

He is fallen, as Paul states:

 

Romans 3:23For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

 

WHY AM I HERE?

 

Genesis 1:27-31 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”  Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.  And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground --everything that has the breath of life in it-- I give every green plant for food." And it was so.  God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning-- the sixth day.

 

Psalm 8:1-9O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.  From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.  When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?  You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.  You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.  O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

 

Man has been placed on earth by God to rule as His steward the creation in which he lives.  He is unique from other creatures in that he has been designed in the image of God and placed in a position of authority over His creation.

 

John 14:18-23I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.  On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.  Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."  Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"  Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

 

Man is unique from all other creatures in that he has been designed to have fellowship with God in each of His natures (more on this later).  He lives in a universe of God’s creating.  He is unique and his uniqueness lies in the fact that he has been created to have fellowship.  Fellowship with his fellow human and, more significantly, fellowship with God Himself.

 

WHAT IS FELLOWSHIP?

 

Defined in The Complete Christian Dictionary for Home and School as: “Friendly relationship through sharing or doing something together; companionship.”  Fellowship is often what we are meaning when we speak of having a relationship with someone, specifically someone who is either our boyfriend or girlfriend.  Fellowship is different than relationship in the sense that fellowship indicates two or more people going together toward a mutual destination, while relationship shows how they are related.  Fellowship is two people together in harmony of purpose, relationship is the bond that connects them.  We use the term relationship as a statement of the condition that exists between a man and a woman in love but we can with equal validity use that same term as a statement of the condition that exists between a man and a woman who hate each other, fellowship may only be applied to care for and desire to be with each other.

 

WHO IS GOD?

 

The Pre-existence of God

 

Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

 

Steve Zeisler says of this statement that it “is the beginning point. All the other things we will say about how God interacts with his creation, making humans in his image, loving us, redeeming us, and fitting us for heaven, are based on that assertion. The very beginning finds God pre-existent, calling into being all that is.”

 

At no point does the Bible attempt to prove the existence of God, His existence is accepted as a truth that only a fool would dispute:

 

Psalms 14:1The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

 

Many proofs have been put forward to satisfy our reason and provide a factual basis for our beliefs but ultimately we must take God at His word and believe His testimony of Himself that He is there:

 

Hebrews 11:1-3Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  This is what the ancients were commended for.  By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

 

A Glimpse Into the Trinity

 

Genesis opens with God creating the heavens and the earth.  The word here translated into our word God is a plural, giving us our first hint of the plurality of God, or Trinity.  On the sixth day the Trinity of God is again hinted at when He says “Let us make man in our image.”  Other evidence for the Trinity abound throughout the Bible.

 

Matthew 3:16-17As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.  And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

 

Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

 

2 Corinthians 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

 

God is a triune being.  He is one God and yet comprised of three distinct personas each of whom is fully God.  We do not worship three Gods, as some would believe, but in one God with three natures: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  As J. I. Packer has said:

 

God is Triune; there are within the Godhead three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost; and the work of salvation is one in which all three act together, the Father purposing redemption, the Son securing it, and the Spirit applying it.

That our triune God is one God is joyfully confirmed in the great testimony of Moses:

 

Deuteronomy 6:4-5Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

 

The Characteristics of God

 

David summarizes very neatly the major characteristics of God.

 

Psalm 89:5-18The heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.  For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD? Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?  In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him.  O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you.  You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.  You crushed Rahab like one of the slain; with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.  The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it.  You created the north and the south; Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.  Your arm is endued with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.  Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.  Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.  They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness.  For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn.  Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel.

 

The underlying theme of this psalm is that there is among the gods of man’s devising none that can even remotely be considered to be equals of our eternal God.  David notes that God’s throne is founded upon His characteristics of righteousness (moral perfection) and justice (legal authority), and that love (selfless devotion to others) and faithfulness (eternally unchanging) precede Him as heralds who announce their King.

 

WHO IS THE FATHER?

 

Matthew 6:9-13This, then, is how you should pray:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread.  Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.

 

When Jesus told His disciples to pray He did something remarkable, He told them to call their Creator God their Father.  This was continued throughout His teaching as He consistently referred to His followers as His brothers and therefore sons of His own Father.  Even more directly, He continued to emphasize the father-child relationship that exists between God and His followers:

 

Matthew 7:7-11Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.  Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

 

Philippians 4:20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Colossians 1:3-4 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints.

 

WHO IS JESUS?

 

John 1:1-14In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.  There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.  He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.  He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.  The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.   He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

Although some of this world’s man made religions teach that Jesus was not God and began His life through natural processes, this passage from John makes clear that Jesus (the Word) not only predated creation (since all that has been made was made through His power) but that He is also fully God.  Jesus birth was not the beginning of His existence but His shedding of His heavenly glory to take up the form of a man that He might be our appropriate sacrifice and make us right with God.

 

Colossians 2:2-3My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

 

Colossians 2:8-9See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.  For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.

 

Christ Jesus has been preordained from before creation to be our saviour.  Through Him all that exists has been made and for Him all things exist.

 

WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?

 

John 16:7-15But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.  When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.  I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.  But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.  He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.  All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

 

The Holy Spirit is the medium through which the power of God (for personal salvation and outward evangelism) is made available to us.  The Holy Spirit is a personal being as fully God as is the Son.  When we are filled with the Holy Spirit we have within us God Himself!

 

Romans 8:10-16But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.  Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation-- but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.  For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.  For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship .  And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

 

HOW DO I HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD?

 

Genesis 5:21-24When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.  And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters.  Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years.  Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

 

Psalm 94:20Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law, Have fellowship with You?

 

1 John 1:5-10This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

 

WHAT DOES GOD REQUIRE OF ME?

 

Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

 

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

 

Isaiah 58:6-11Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?  Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?  Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.  Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.  The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

 

Micah 6:6-8With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?  Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?  He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

 

WHAT ARE GOD’S COMMANDMENTS?

 

The Ten Commandments

 

Exodus 20:1-17 - And God spoke all these words: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.  "You shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.  You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work,  but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.  For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.

You shall not covet your neighbour's house. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

 

Summary of the Law

 

Deuteronomy 6:4-5Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

 

Leviticus 19:18Do  not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

 

Matthew 22:35-40One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:  "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"  Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

 

Mark 12:28-34One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"  "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'  The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no commandment greater than these."  "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.  To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."  When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."

 

God offers those who sin forgiveness without judgment:

 

John 8:1-11But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.  The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.  In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?"  They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.  When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."  Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.  At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.  Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"  "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

 

SO HOW DO I LOVE GOD LIKE THIS?

 

1 Peter 1:24-2:3F or, All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.  And this is the word that was preached to you.  Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.  Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 Be joyful always; pray continually (KJV: “pray without ceasing”); give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.  Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt.  Test everything. Hold on to the good.  Avoid every kind of evil.

 

2 Peter 3:18 - But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

 

In his book Biblical Principles for Christian Maturity, John Stoll summarizes the entire teaching of the Bible in the following manner:

An understanding of the Grace of God begins with John 1:17, which says, "For the law was given by Moses, but Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ". Then in Romans 8:14 it says, "For as many are led by the Spirit of God, they are the children of God". In other words, the law of Moses was given for two reasons, first to provide the children of Israel with God's requirements for holiness so that Israel would know how to measure up to that holiness, and also to show the inability of a sinful people to be able, by their own works, to measure up. So, the law which was intended to be a guide to eternal life, in essence became a barrier to it, since none could measure up (Romans 7:10). The failure to measure up resulted in separation and alienation from God (Romans 3:19,20). Thus the failure of Israel to live up to the law is what the Old Testament teaching is all about, and the need for the prophetic teaching of the coming of Christ to accomplish for mankind what the law was unable to do.  (John H. Stoll, Biblical Principles for Christian Maturity)

 

BUT WHAT IF I AM THE ONLY CHRISTIAN WHERE I AM?

 

Micah 7:1-7What misery is mine! I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave.  The godly have been swept from the land; not one upright man remains. All men lie in wait to shed blood; each hunts his brother with a net.  Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire-- they all conspire together.  The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen has come, the day God visits you. Now is the time of their confusion.  Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with her who lies in your embrace be careful of your words.  For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law-- a man's enemies are the members of his own household.  But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.