In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
God's purpose in visiting and redeeming His people and delivering them from their enemies is that they may serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of their life. This lifelong life of holiness and righteousness continually before God is truly possible for His people. It is made possible by His merciful plan in giving His only Son, and as sinners accept the grace offered and look to Jesus in close relationship, He delivers them from evil and frees them from sin and Satan's bondage. That service is no slavery and no irksome burden or forced restraint, but a willing, loving, precious and purifying service chosen with understanding of the Lord's will and held in strong purpose and comfort of hope, faith and assurance. It is expressed in obedience to His commandments, in duties faithfully done as stewards of His grace, and in good fruits of a life rooted in His Word, shown before the world in words, spirit and Christlike walk.
Setting and Promised Deliverance
The words belong to the account of Zechariah's son John, whose long-offered prayers for the Redeemer were about to be answered when an angel announced John's birth and work. They were spoken by Zacharias when filled with the Holy Ghost concerning Christ's advent into the world in the gracious character of Instructor of those in gross darkness, to be viewed as the Dayspring calling forth the highest exaltation of Christ. They are part of the prophecy that God would visit and redeem His people and that John would go before the Lord to prepare His way as the Messiah's herald.
John hoped the promise would be fulfilled through the coming of a righteous King and the establishment of Israel as a holy nation. His mission as a preparatory call was rejected by the Jewish people, leaving them unprepared to receive Christ. God's purpose in delivering His people from their enemies is that they may serve Him without fear, living in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of their life.
Life of Holy Service
A life of holiness and righteousness before God all the days of life is possible, and it is the life His people are to live continually before Him. This life is enabled by God's promised deliverance, by which those He delivers are freed to serve Him without fear. It flows from His merciful plan in giving His only Son, so that by accepting the grace offered people may serve Him free from fear in holy and upright living before Him all their lives.
That service is made possible through close relationship with Christ, for as believers look to Jesus they are delivered from evil. He frees them from sin and from Satan's bondage and leads them into holiness and godly living. The service itself has no slavery in it and no irksome burden or forced restraint, but is chosen willingly with understanding of the Lord's will and with the heart while pressing on in the blessed hope. It is loving, precious, sanctified, uplifting and purifying service that gives love, praise and thanks from heart and lips for His goodness and great displays of grace, whose strong purpose and comfort of hope, faith and assurance only the true child of God knows.
It is expressed in obedience to His commandments and in duties faithfully carried out as stewards of His grace. It bears the good fruits of a life rooted in His Word. It shows itself before the world in words, spirit and Christlike walk that are distinct from those taught and led by Satan. No one holding this hope toward God leaves His stated will or turns away from the warnings, pleadings and drawing of the Holy Spirit.
God's purpose in visiting and redeeming His people and delivering them from their enemies is that they may serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of their life. This lifelong life of holiness and righteousness continually before God is truly possible for His people. It is made possible by His merciful plan in giving His only Son, and as sinners accept the grace offered and look to Jesus in close relationship, He delivers them from evil and frees them from sin and Satan's bondage. That service is no slavery and no irksome burden or forced restraint, but a willing, loving, precious and purifying service chosen with understanding of the Lord's will and held in strong purpose and comfort of hope, faith and assurance. It is expressed in obedience to His commandments, in duties faithfully done as stewards of His grace, and in good fruits of a life rooted in His Word, shown before the world in words, spirit and Christlike walk.
Setting and Promised Deliverance
The words belong to the account of Zechariah's son John, whose long-offered prayers for the Redeemer were about to be answered when an angel announced John's birth and work. They were spoken by Zacharias when filled with the Holy Ghost concerning Christ's advent into the world in the gracious character of Instructor of those in gross darkness, to be viewed as the Dayspring calling forth the highest exaltation of Christ. They are part of the prophecy that God would visit and redeem His people and that John would go before the Lord to prepare His way as the Messiah's herald.
John hoped the promise would be fulfilled through the coming of a righteous King and the establishment of Israel as a holy nation. His mission as a preparatory call was rejected by the Jewish people, leaving them unprepared to receive Christ. God's purpose in delivering His people from their enemies is that they may serve Him without fear, living in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of their life.
Life of Holy Service
A life of holiness and righteousness before God all the days of life is possible, and it is the life His people are to live continually before Him. This life is enabled by God's promised deliverance, by which those He delivers are freed to serve Him without fear. It flows from His merciful plan in giving His only Son, so that by accepting the grace offered people may serve Him free from fear in holy and upright living before Him all their lives.
That service is made possible through close relationship with Christ, for as believers look to Jesus they are delivered from evil. He frees them from sin and from Satan's bondage and leads them into holiness and godly living. The service itself has no slavery in it and no irksome burden or forced restraint, but is chosen willingly with understanding of the Lord's will and with the heart while pressing on in the blessed hope. It is loving, precious, sanctified, uplifting and purifying service that gives love, praise and thanks from heart and lips for His goodness and great displays of grace, whose strong purpose and comfort of hope, faith and assurance only the true child of God knows.
It is expressed in obedience to His commandments and in duties faithfully carried out as stewards of His grace. It bears the good fruits of a life rooted in His Word. It shows itself before the world in words, spirit and Christlike walk that are distinct from those taught and led by Satan. No one holding this hope toward God leaves His stated will or turns away from the warnings, pleadings and drawing of the Holy Spirit.