Are You Blessed?

You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said. [Luke 1.45]

Are you blessed?

How do people know they have believed what the Lord said He would do? They are blessed. In the case of Mary, Elizabeth declared over her the universal truth of God's blessing on all who believe...

But what if one is not blessed? Can they still say they have believed the Lord? Oh, we want the answer to be yes, but it is not! God's Word is fixed. God's character is unchanging. God's blessing is reserved only for the obedient faithful and curses are the telltale sign of the disobedient unfaithful.

In a dark and formless world, God's Word always brings light and order. God's Word brings crisp contrast. God's Word distinguishes truth from error.

Any doctrine of man that teaches suffering apart from sin is woefully in error. These dangerous doctrines undermine man's knowledge of, and therefore, confidence in the character of God. Their danger lies in the absence of humility and repentance. These doctrines are the necessary and calculable result of man's pride in refusing to acknowledge God's indisputable Word about sin and suffering. These doctrines must avoid Deuteronomy 28 to ensure their acceptance.

Mary believed God and was blessed for it.

If we believe God, we will be blessed for it.

If we truly believe God, and we are not blessed. then we will repent in agreement with God's Word that suffering is the result of sin (and, those who truly believe will repent until they are blessed).

Is all suffering the result of sin? Yes, of course. However, it is especially worth noting that "whatsoever is not of faith, is sin." There is sin, not of commission, but of omission - the sin of unbelief.

In a world rife with knowledge and explanation for almost everything, real Bible believers are faced with the truth of God's Word about sin and suffering in stark contract to the world's reasoning.

Father, may we accept the truth of Your Word over our feelings, pride, knowledge and reasoning. May we be found genuinely repentant because we are genuinely believing. And may we enjoy Your blessing (tangible and intangible) when we do.