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If you’ll
open up to Daniel
Chapter 6, that’s where we’re going to begin with the lesson this morning.
Here recently, the Sunday morning class out here in the auditorium has started
a study series on the topic of Satan. And recently we talked about how Satan
is compared to a roaring lion (I
Peter 5:8), that he walks about— and we talked about that this morning—
how he seeks whom he may devour. Because of that topic, it gave me the idea
for this sermon. Because I remember when I was little and growing up, going to
Bible classes and hearing some of the classic Bible stories: the creation,
Noah and the flood, Jonah and the great fish, the story of Moses, the story of
Jesus, the apostles, and so on, in terms of some of the very common stories
for children in Bible classes. But of all of the stories— of those in the Old
Testament anyway— I think one of my favorites was always Daniel in the lion’s
den, and so we’re going to talk about this familiar story this morning. We’re
going to read quite a few verses , if you’ll bear with me, in Daniel Chapter
6, to read the account of Daniel in the den of lions. Let’s begin in verse
1. We see that,
“(Daniel
6:1) It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty
princes, which should be over the whole kingdom.”
We see here
that Darius is one of the rulers at the time during the captivity of those of
the southern kingdom of Judah. Remember that God’s people had formed a
kingdom. They then divided into the northern kingdom of Israel and the
southern kingdom of Judah. The northern kingdom of Israel was eventually
carried away into captivity by the Assyrian empire. Following that, later, the
southern kingdom of Judah was also carried away into captivity, but at the
hands of the Babylonians.
Now, the
Persians and the Medes, then, had later joined forces against the Babylonians,
and they overthrew the Babylonians. And as you see, in Daniel
Chapter
5 verse 31, it says, Darius the Median. Darius was a Mede.
And so we find that Darius is the rule at this time; he is Darius of the
Medes. And so we see here that he appointed an hundred and twenty princes
to help him in his governing of the kingdom. We see in verse 2, “And over
these three presidents....” And so he had an hundred and twenty princes
; he had three presidents, of which one was Daniel. Let’s read verse 2.
“(2) And
over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes
might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.
“(3) Then
this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an
excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the
whole realm.”
And so we
find that Daniel finds himself in an exalted position here under Darius.
Darius respects Daniel. He is a friend of Daniel. We’ll see, as the passage
continues, that they had a good relationship, because Daniel could be trusted.
Because he had a good spirit in him, and because of that, he was favored above
all the others. And guess what the others didn’t like. And so in verse 4,
“(4) Then
the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning
the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he
was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.”
Here we
find out quite a bit about Daniel, about his character. Much is said here, in
these few short words, that there was nothing that they could find to use
against Daniel, because Daniel was a good, good man.
“(5) Then
said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we
find it against him concerning the law of his God.”
You see, it
was obvious that Daniel was dedicated to God. And so when they sought
something to hold against him and they couldn’t find anything, they said,
We’re going to have to figure something out in regards to his God, because
they knew of his dedication.
That’s a
good lesson for us, and hopefully, we’re going to see that we can draw some
lessons out of this account to help us in our life today. But when others look
at us, whether they’re co-workers, classmates, neighbors, folks we see in the
community, our families, do they know of our dedication to God? Is it evident
in our lives and the way we live, in the way we conduct ourselves? Is was with
Daniel. And also it should be with us today. Notice then in verse 7— actually,
let’s back up to verse 6.
“(6) Then
these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus
unto him, King Darius, live for ever.
“(7) All
the presidents of the kingdom....”
Which is a
lie, because Daniel wasn’t involved in this decision-making process; this is
against Daniel. So they go to the king, and they lie.
“(7) All
the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the prices, the counsellors,
and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to
make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for
thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
“(8) Now, O
king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed,
according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.”
That is an
interesting statement, because historical records show that the Persians and
the Medes, when something was signed into a law or a decree, they did not
change it. It was actually against the law to change their law, and so once
something was signed into place, it remained there. Now then, in verse 10,
“(10) Now
when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his
windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees
three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did
aforetime.”
Again, a
wonderful comment here made of Daniel. We see his devotion to God. Notice
that. When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he knew this decree had
been made. He knew the consequences of it, but yet he still maintained his
dedication to God. He was not ashamed of it, nor did he try to hide it, but he
prayed in his chamber with the windows open.
Now, that’s
another important lesson for us. We have no reason to be ashamed of living as
a Christian. And Paul said in
Romans
Chapter 1 verse 16, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. We
shouldn’t be either. And there are times in which we sometimes may find
ourselves acting differently, given our surroundings. Do you act differently?
When you’re gathered together in this building, amongst Christians, brothers
and sisters in Christ, when it’s easy to be a Christian? Do you act
differently then that you do, perhaps, at your work or when you’re around
friends that, perhaps, aren’t Christians? Do we try to hide our Christianity
sometimes, or do we leave it out in the open so folks can see that, yes, we
are a Christian. Not to gain attention to ourselves or to exalt ourselves, but
to simply do what we are supposed to be doing and to glorify God in heaven.
Daniel knew
that this writing had been signed, but yet he still prayed to God and he did
it in an open fashion. He was not ashamed of the fact that he was following
his God in heaven— our God in heaven. We shouldn’t be ashamed that we are
following God either.
“(11) Then
these men assembled”— we see that they’re plotting and planning— “Then these
men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his
God.
“(12) Then
they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast
thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of
any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into
the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to
the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
“(13) Then
answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children
of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that
thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
“(14) Then
the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with
[Daniel]....”
Is that
what that verse says? That’s not at all what that verse says. The
king realized that he’d been tricked. And he doesn’t tell us the details, the
way in which they approached the king; that is, these other princes and these
other presidents, but I would imagine that they tried to play to, perhaps, the
pride of Darius, really talking Darius up, exalting him. After all, they said
that there shouldn’t be anyone that would make a petition to anybody except
you, O king. And King Darius fell victim to their trap, and so now he
realizes that Daniel is the one who has violated this decree. It is Daniel now
that will suffer the consequences, and King Darius doesn’t like that, because
he had great respect for Daniel. And then notice it says he was sore
displeased with himself. He knew that he was the one to blame, because he
never should have put that into writing. He shouldn’t have made that decree.
So we find that he is displeased with himself and he,
“(14) ...[S]et
his heart on Daniel, to deliver him: and he laboured till the going
down of the sun to deliver him.”
Darius was
searching for a way, so that he would not have to cast Daniel into the lions’
den. But as we’ve already said, once something was signed into a decree by the
Persians and the Medes, it stood strong. So notice in verse 15,
“(15) Then
these men assembled unto the king”— evidently, they knew that the king was
trying to find a way around this— “and said unto the king, Know, O king, that
the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which
the king establisheth may be changed.
“(16) Then
the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den
of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou
servest continually, he will deliver thee.”
Notice
here. Darius shows a measure of confidence in the God of heave: he will
deliver thee.
“(17) And a
stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it
with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might
not be changed concerning Daniel.
“(18) Then
the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were
instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.”
Darius
seemed to be confident at one point, but now he’s awful nervous and he’s
thinking about Daniel and the things that are taking place. He cannot sleep.
And so we find, the next morning,
“(19) Then
the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of
lions.
“(20) And
when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and
the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is
they God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?”
So he went
from saying he will be able and sent him to the den of lions. Now he’s
asking, Was he able to deliver you?
“(21) Then
said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.”
So Daniel
responded. King Darius knows that he is okay. Notice the reaction of Darius.
First of all, verse 22.
“(22) My
God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have no
hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before
thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
“(23) Then
was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take
Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner
of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.”
And so we
find, if we continue reading, that those who accused Daniel are actually the
ones now who are cast into the den of lions. And notice verse 25.
“(25) Then
king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all
the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
“(26) I
make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear
before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for
ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his
dominion shall be even unto the end.”
What an
impact that Daniel had. One individual. What an impact he had and what an
example he serves for us in his dedication to God and his willingness to
remain faithful amidst all circumstances.
Let’s see
if we can draw some conclusions from this. Let’s see now if there are some
good lessons in this. Actually, there are many; we’ll only look at a few this
morning. Lessons to us today. In IPeter Chapter 5 verse 8, a verse that
we’ve looked at on several occasions in our class on the study of Satan,
“(I Peter
5:8) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
Satan here
described as the lion. Now, back in the book of Daniel, he had a hundred and
twenty princes and two presidents and others against him. We have one prince
that’s against us, the prince of this world. In
John
Chapter 14 verse 30, that’s how Jesus referred to Satan, as the prince
of this world.
II
Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 4 refers to Satan as the god of this world.
Ephesians
Chapter 2, in verse 2, Satan is referred to as the prince of the power
of the air.
Revelation
Chapter 12 verse 9, talking of Satan, says that Satan is the one who
deceives, or deceiveth, the whole world.
Yes, this
world was created by God through Jesus Christ. Yes, God is in ultimate control
of this world. But yet, this world has been subjected to the influence of
Satan. Because of Satan’s influence, sin has entered into the world, and
because of his continuing influence— because he does walk about seeking whom
he may devour— we have much sinfulness within this world today. And so since
Satan is referred to as the prince of this world, the god of this world, and
we see that he has subjected his influence upon it, are we not, in some
measure, in the den of the lion... because we ourselves are in the world?
If you go
to I John Chapter 2 verse 15, that’s a verse we have referred to a
couple of times here recently.
“(I
John 2:15) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the
world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
“(16) For
all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
“(17) And
the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of
God abideth for ever.”
If you go
to The Gospel According to John,
John Chapter 1,
of course we find information regarding Jesus and his being sent from his
heavenly home to this earth. We know that the reference made to The Word in
this passage refers to Jesus, because in
John
Chapter 1 verse 14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us....”
Of course, it was Jesus that took upon the form of flesh, the form of man, and
lived the life of a servant, went to the cross of Calvary to give himself as a
sacrifice for our sin. Because of our sins, Jesus came and died upon the
cross.
But notice
in verse 1, John Chapter 1,
“(John
1:1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God.
“(2) The
same was in the beginning with God.
“(3) All
things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
“(4) In him
was life; and the life was the light of men.
“(5) And
the light shineth in darkness”— notice this— “and the darkness comprehended it
not.”
They didn’t
accept Jesus and they rejected Jesus. Overall, in verse 10,
“(10) He
was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.”
If you go
over to I
Corinthians Chapter 2, Paul here is writing of the mystery. Mystery: that
which once was hidden and is now revealed. And of course, we’re talking about
God’s plan of salvation, the gospel of Christ.
“(I
Corinthians 2:7) But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the
hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
“(8) Which
none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not
have crucified the Lord of glory.”
Jesus was
not accepted; he was rejected. The truth of the word, the message that he
brought from the Father, unfortunately, wasn’t received by all people. There
were those who received it. But there were those who didn’t. And Paul says
here, had they realized it, they wouldn’t have crucified him.
In I John
Chapter 3, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us....”
John here is writing to the Christians.
“(I
John 3:1) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not,
because it knew him not.”
You see,
we’re in the den of the lion. That’s not the place we should be. That’s where
we shouldn’t feel at home, we shouldn’t fit in. And that’s why, in II
Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 17, “(II
Corinthians 6:17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,
saith the Lord....” We should separate ourselves from the ways of the world.
Now, we
cannot separate ourselves from being in the world. Paul dealt with that in
I
Corinthians Chapter 5, when he was dealing with the subject of fornication
and he’s warning the Christians to stay away from those who were guilty of
such things. But he said, You know, we can't ’void all fornicators of the
world and all sinfulness of the world, the people who are in the world,
because we ourselves are in the world. But that doesn’t mean that we should
belong in the world, and that doesn’t mean that we should fit within the world.
What Paul was saying is, even though we are in the world, even though we are
in the den of the lion, we shouldn’t follow the ways of the world. But we
should stand strong for that which is right and follow after the will of God,
doing His instructions, being a good influence and setting the example for
those around us.
So again,
Daniel stood out in his time. That’s because he was following God. Do we stand
out, in today’s society, as Christians? We should— and we will— if we follow
God’s instructions, because we will be different from the world. We will do
things that the world does not do, and we will keep from doing things that the
world does— if we’re separated from the ways of the world.
But even
though we are in the world, even though we are surrounded by all types of
sinfulness due to the influence of Satan, the lion, even though we are in his
den, that doesn’t mean we have to be harmed by the lion. Just as Daniel
escaped the lions’ den unharmed, we can too. And it’s been promised us if
we’ll follow the commandments of God.
If you go
back to Daniel Chapter 6, let’s notice again that there was a good
relationship between Daniel and the king. In
verse 16
of Daniel Chapter 6, we see again that Darius, when he was going to put
Daniel in the lions’ den, said, “Thy God whom thou servest continually, he
will deliver thee.” And Darius wanted him to be delivered. Remember, he tried
to find a way around having to put Daniel in the lions’ den. He didn’t sleep
at night. He wasn’t comfortable. He was nervous. He was worried about Daniel.
He got up early in the morning and he went with haste to the lions’ den, and
he called out with a lamentable voice, “Daniel.” And the king was very, very
happy. He rejoiced. He was exceeding glad when he found that Daniel had
escaped.
And notice
also, though, that Daniel doesn’t show a poor attitude toward the king. He
doesn’t respond with, What do you think you are doing, casting me into this
den of lions? That’s not how he responded at all. But instead, he
responded with a statement of respect and honor toward the king. Did you
notice that?
“(Daniel
6:21) Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.”
That is to
the man that just threw him into the lions’ den the night before. But yet,
Daniel maintained his honor and respect for the king. There was a good
relationship between King Darius and Daniel.
Well, we
have a king on our side as well. And not only do we have a king on our
side, we have the king on our side, the King of Kings and Lord of
Lords. (Revelation 17:14) Jesus himself, our King, is on our side. And we can
have a relationship with him. We need to have a relationship with him.
If you turn
to Acts Chapter 4 verse 12,
“(Acts
4:12) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name
under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Yes, we
need a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah who died
upon the cross for us and because of us. But yet, he serves as the King of
Kings, Lord of Lords, for you and me, and he’s willing to accept us because
the King of Kings and Lord of Lords died upon that cross so that we could have
life everlasting.
“(John
3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Jesus came
to bring us life. Remember, in John Chapter 1, he’s the life and the
light of man. In Luke Chapter 19 and verse 10, we’re told,
“(Luke
19:10) For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was
lost.”
That’s us.
Jesus came to seek those who were lost, to give us the opportunity for
salvation. If you turn over to John Chapter 10 verse 11, Jesus said,
“(John
10:11) I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd”— does what?— “giveth his
life for the sheep.”
We can be
his sheep. In verse 14,
“(John
10:14) I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
“(15) As
the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for
the sheep.”
Earlier in
this passage, we’re told that the sheep recognize the voice of the shepherd
and they follow the shepherd. We need to recognize the voice of our Savior, of
our Shepherd. We need to recognize his teachings, the truth that he brought
from God’s word, and abide by them and, therefore, follow him. In I Peter
Chapter 2, I’d like to begin reading in verse 21.
“(I Peter
2:21) For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
“(22) Who
did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
“(23) Who,
when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not;
but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
“(24) Who
his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to
sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
“(25) For
ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and
[the] Bishop of your souls.”
Jesus came
to lay down his life to serve as our shepherd. Yes, the King, the King of
Kings and Lord of Lords, is on our side. And he wants to have a relationship
with us. He wants us to enter into his family, to be considered his brethren.
As a matter of fact, if you turn back to Matthew Chapter 12, from which our
scripture reading came this morning— remember, Jesus is teaching, and his
earthly family is trying to ask him some questions; they want to talk to
Jesus— and so in Matthew Chapter 12 verse 46.
“(Matthew
12:46) While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren
stood without, desiring to speak with him.
“(47) Then
one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring
to speak with thee,
“(48) But
he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? And who are my
brethren?
“(49) And
he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother
and my brethren!
“(50) For
whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my
brother, and sister, and mother.”
Who was it
that he extended his hand out to? The disciples. Those who were following
after him. He says, These are my family members. Of course, talking
about his spiritual family.
In John
Chapter 20, following the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, we find
that Jesus appeared to Mary. And in John Chapter 20 verse 17, he said,
“(John
20:17) ...Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to”—
who?— “my brethren....”
His family.
Which brethren are you talking about here? Is he talking about his
physical family? He’s talking about his spiritual family. Notice,
“(John
20:17) ...[G]o to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and
your Father; and to my God, and your God.”
Who was it
that Mary went and told, verse 18?
“(18) Mary
Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that
he had spoken these things unto her.”
Yes, we can
be the brethren of Jesus Christ himself, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, who’s
on our side and who wants a relationship with us— if we’ll follow after his
instructions. In Hebrews Chapter 2 verse 11, in talking about Jesus, that
verse ends by telling us that he is not ashamed to call us brethren.
That is a
wonderful verse . And think about it. There’s a day in which we will stand
before the judgment seat of Christ, we will look upon him and he’ll look upon
us. Us. The ones who sinned. The sins that caused him to leave his home in
heaven, to come to this earth and to die an agonizing and horrible death.
Because of us. And now he’ll look upon us... but if we follow his
instructions, he will not look upon us with vengeance. He will not reject us.
He will not turn us away. But instead, with open arms, will invite us into a
home in heaven for all of eternity as his family. He’ll call us family.
Yes, Jesus,
the King, is on our side. Even though we’re in the den of the lion, we’re not
alone. We’re far from being alone... because we have the King and his
sacrifice for us. But we must do his will.
If you go
back to Daniel Chapter 6, in closing quickly, let’s notice one more aspect in
this lesson of Daniel. Notice in verse 22,
“(Daniel
6:22) My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they
have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also
before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
“(23) Then
was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take
Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner
of hurt was found upon him, because”— see, there was a reason— “he believed in
his God.”
A few weeks
back, we did a lesson on Biblical belief, and we saw that in the scriptures,
Biblical belief is one that takes action. It is one that is faithful. It is an
obedient faith, an obedient belief. That’s what Daniel was doing, he was
obeying God. We must do the same.
In Matthew
Chapter 7 verse 21, Jesus said,
“(Matthew
7:21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but”— he that does what?— “he that doeth the will of my
Father which is in heaven.”
In Romans
Chapter 12 verse 1,
“(Romans
12:1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is
your reasonable service.
“(2) And be
not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,
will of God.”
Let’s read
this from our scripture reading this morning. Matthew Chapter 12 once again.
Again, Jesus extending his hand to his disciples, referring to them as his
brethren. And notice, he says, in verse 50,
“(Matthew
12:50) For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven,
the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
In Hebrews
Chapter 13, in the closing in the book of Hebrews, notice the instructions.
“(Hebrews
13:20) Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord
Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting
covenant,
“(21) Make
you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is
wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for
ever and ever. Amen.”
Notice how
the scriptures close in Revelation Chapter 22 verse 14.
“(Revelation
22:14) Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may
have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the
city.”
Those who
do his commandments.
But no, I’m
not teaching salvation by works. Not teaching that we earn our salvation, that
we merit our salvation, that God owes it to us. Because He doesn’t. But
because of His grace and His mercy, He offers it to us. And because of the
willingness of Jesus, our King, to die upon the cross, we have the opportunity
to receive the grace and the mercy of God. Thereby, we can be saved and have a
home in heaven.
Notice what
Jesus said in Luke Chapter 17 verse 10, making a point here on what he’d been
teaching the people.
“(Luke
17:10) So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are
commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was
our duty to do.”
Notice,
Jesus doesn’t say not to keep the commandments. He says, When you have done
the commandments.... Still, we are to say we are unprofitable servants,
because we are not perfect, because we do make mistakes, because we have
sinned. (Romans
3:23, all have sinned.) But following the commandments of God is, simply,
our duty. It’s simply what we’re supposed to do. And why would we want to do
anything else while we’re in the dangers of the lions’ den. But yet, we don’t
have to be fearful, because we know that we will be delivered if we will do as
God has said, if we will turn to His commandments and His word and follow the
instructions that He has given. Because we have a king— we have the
King— on our side. And He has made the effort and gone beyond His duty to die
upon the cross for us. Now it’s our duty to follow His instructions, knowing
that if we put our faith into action, if we live in obedience to God, we too
will escape the lions’ den with no hurt and no damage.
How about
you? You’re in the den of the lion. Are you escaping. Remember, he seeks, he
walks, and he wants to devour. He wants each and every one of us separated
from God, and he will try to do so. But if we stay in the relationship with
the King, there is absolutely nothing that he can do about it. So what about
you this morning? Are you following the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords?
Have you responded in obedience to the gospel, believing in Jesus as the Son
of God, as we saw in
John 3:16;
confessing that belief,
Matthew 10:32; repenting of your sins,
Luke 13:3;
being baptized into Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,
Acts
2:38; becoming a child of God and having an inheritance awaiting us,
having Jesus Christ himself as a brother? Have you remained faithful?
Satan tries
to lure us away. He tried to influence us to sin, and in so doing, we separate
ourselves from God. We need to be careful that we continue to follow after God
and seek His commandments and try to please Him and do His will, separating
ourselves from the ways of the world and the influence of the world. Following
God.
But you
know, we do make mistakes, and if we allow sin back into our lives, we need to
correct that by praying to God, asking for His forgiveness. And we’re told, in
I John
Chapter 1 verses 7 through 9, that the blood of Christ continues to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Let’s all work together and, together,
escape from the lions’ den, so that we, one day, when we stand before the King
of Kings and Lord of Lords, will have Him accept us and claim us as His family
and, with open arms, invite us into a home in heaven.
If you’re
subject to the invitation in any way, then we plead with you, please, correct
that by coming as we stand and sing.
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