Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. John 17:17 CSB.

Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence. Psalm 42:5 NASB.

As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: In great endurance, in troubles, hardships and distresses…sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. 2 Corinthians 6: 4, 10.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess His name. Hebrews 13:15.

Yesterday in the sermon we learned about the flesh and it’s desires in us that bring all the warnings we read in Scripture, because the “flesh” denies God and is hostile to all God is. We see it in the warnings of our chapter, Amos 4; we see it in our world being torn apart by the results of following the flesh. Think of every negative thing in this world and you have the results of the flesh ruling mankind and each person. We can choose to live that way – or – we can choose the way of the Spirit. When we choose the way of the Spirit, we see and partake with Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, in the life we were created for. A life that is Good. Strip away all external things – religion, no religion, nationality, race. What you are left with is the basics of all things – Creator God and His children created in His image. When Jesus, the Son, returns, all external things will be stripped away and we will behold Almighty Creator God. What are we doing here and now to prepare for our eternity with Him? Will we be ready as we are now? Ready or not, He will return. Ancient Israel and Judah, or ancient Rome, or any other empire, wasn’t ready by their choices. Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, “Bring us some drinks!” The Sovereign Lord has sworn by His holiness: “The time will surely come when you will be taken away with hooks, the last of you with fishhooks…Go to Bethel and sin; go to Gilgal and sin yet more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three years. Burn leavened bread as a thank offering and brag about your freewill offerings – boast about them, you Israelites, for this is what you love to do,” declares the Sovereign Lord. v. 1-2, 4-5. God lists the things that should have drawn them back to Him in great need…“I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to Me…I also withheld rain from you when the harvest was still three months away…People staggered from town to town for water but did not get enough to drink, yet you have not returned to Me…Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards, destroying them with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you have not returned to Me…I sent plagues among you as I did to Egypt, I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps, yet you have not returned to Me…I overthrew some of you as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire, yet you have not returned to Me,” declares the Lord. v 6-11. Imagine if they or we returned to Creator God. One day we will. “Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, Israel, prepare to meet your God.” He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals His thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth – the Lord God Almighty is His name. v. 12-13.

Who reveals His thoughts to mankind…Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth…I looked up the word sanctification: “In Christian theology, sanctification refers to the process of being made holy or set apart by God, a process that begins at salvation and continues throughout a believer’s life. It’s about becoming more like Jesus, living in obedience, and being transformed by the Holy Spirit. Sanctification is often described as a progressive, ongoing work of God in believers, leading to growth in holiness and conformity to Christ.” And further down…”Sanctification is not a one-time event, but a continuous process of spiritual growth and transformation. As believers learn from God’s Word, pray, and fellowship with other Christians, they are increasingly conformed to the image of Christ…The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in sanctification, empowering believers to resist sin, produce good fruit, and live in a way that pleases God. The Spirit guides, convicts, and enables believers to grow in holiness.” Choosing the way of the Spirit brings Life that Creator God always intended for us. If we can read Scripture with the help of the Spirit, we can begin to see God’s heart of love for each one of us. He knows that the way of the flesh leads to all of the woes we suffer. And when we ask the Spirit to come and help us, He is there. Always. Because we are loved. We need God’s help to understand. It’s too big for us to grasp without Him helping us. Because of Christ’s work on the Cross, we are saved. To continue to sin by the “flesh”? What would be the point? But to live by the Spirit? A whole world of the love of Creator God opens up to us! And we can begin to truly love God and to love one another. The beauty of God’s Holiness is more than mere words can describe….one day we shall behold Creator God in all His Holiness. Can you imagine? As we continue to live in this world ruled by the flesh, trust Creator God and His love and His work now. It is so Good and so needed in you and me and all of His children dearly loved! Take heart…you are loved by our Creator God who is Everything! Pray for His will that is Good for every one of us. That’s how we return to our Sovereign Lord God Almighty!