God's Amazing Grace

Posted by Christina Scovone on Thursday, June 9, 2011

King James Bible Study Daily Devotional

Message Title: God's Amazing Grace
Date: Thursday June 09, 2011
Chapters: Nehemiah 9-10
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-june-9
Details of Today's Chapters: The people feast and repent, the confession of the priests and Levites, their covenant and the signers.

Hello My Friend/Guest,

“We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain...But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,.. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” - II Corinthians 6:1,4,16-18.

The word grace is defined as the free unmerited love and favor of God, a state of reconciliation to God. We can do a million things for God, but unless we accept His Son, none of it will take us to heaven and save us from our sins and hell. It is only by God's grace that we are saved through our belief and acceptance in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior not by our works. Now, after we get saved that is when our works begin to count and what determines the rewards we receive in heaven. Therefore, if we want the best that God has to offer it would be wise to separate ourselves from the things that cause us to sin.

The wall surrounding Jerusalem was complete and a revival had just begun, people were eager to know about this God that they have only heard about. There was this book to help them learn about this God, but they could not understand it because it was written in the Hebrew language (which is why the New Testament was written in the Aramaic language). Ezra and several others gathered all who wanted to know about this awesome God and attentively listened to the Book of the Law spoken to them.

“Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.” - Nehemiah 9:1-3.

Those who allow Christ to live in and through them will feel conviction from past or present sins, most immediately begin to seek forgiveness from God. It is an amazing feeling to go to God and ask Him for forgiveness and receive it by His grace, it is as if a huge weight comes off your shoulders and you can not help, but thank the Lord and praise Him for being such a merciful God. Praise God! We must make it a point to read and learn all of God's Word if we want to experience His full blessings. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” - II Timothy 3:16,17.

As the Jews heard God's Word preached they formed vowed to restore the covenant with God that He made with their fathers long ago.

“Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:..And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.” - Nehemiah 9:32,33,38.

A covenant is an agreement made between two people, the second a person asks Jesus Christ to save them they make a sure covenant, an infallible agreement with God. The person agrees to accept that Christ died on the cross, was buried, then arose three days later to save them from hell and their sins, God agrees to save the person for their acceptance of Jesus and their asking Him to save them. “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” - Romans 10:8-10.

The completion of the wall provided protection from the surrounding enemies and provided peace of mind to hear what God had to say. They wanted to know all of God's Word and little by little they learned about the generations before them and how they came to be where they are at present. Upon learning His Word they followed God's commands and promised to observe all of them.

“And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding; They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes; And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons: And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.” - Nehemiah 10:28-31.

"Entered into a curse", means that the people vowed to be connected to the Temple as one, meaning that together they were one body of God and if they were to separate from the Temple they would be cursed (live in affliction). All who accept Christ as their Savior are One Body in Christ, therefore, we too are to be one body of the Church. The second we separate from the body we are afflicted, think about times when you have been away from God for a time, life seemed to be emptier and more oppressed, well imagine that if you did not have God at all. “Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” - II Corinthians 4:14-17. Praise God!