“He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”—Micah 6:8.
THROUGHOUT all dispensations, and transcending all legal regulations, we see in Scripture the precious truth that eternal salvation is only through the matchless grace of God in Christ Jesus. But different tests have been put upon men in the various ages of time, in order to show them their own unworthiness and inability to earn divine favor. Nevertheless, whether before or after the cross, all who profess to have entered into relationship with God are called to walk in obedience to His revealed will. In the legal dispensation no one was ever justified by either the law itself (Rom. 3:20) or by the sacrificial system (Heb. 10:4) which foreshadowed the one offering of our Saviour. But the practical righteousness of believers consisted in obedience to the commandments of God. In this present dispensation of grace we are saved through faith alone, but are now called to walk as obedient children, glorifying God in our daily lives. If we fail in this, we come under divine discipline (Heb. 12:6-12).
“Thou sweet beloved Will of God,
My anchor ground, my fortress hill,
The Spirit’s silent fair abode,
In Thee I hide me and am still.
O Will, that wiliest good alone,
Lead Thou the way, Thou guidest best;
A silent child, I follow on,
And trusting, lean upon Thy breast.
God’s will doth make the bitter sweet,
And all is well when it is done;
Unless His will doth hallow it,
The glory of all joy is gone.”