THE WORD

Psalms 23:3 He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him--not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake.

We have looked at psalm 23:1&2 now let's dwell on the riches of verse 3.

I want to bring out a point in verse 3
it says “...HE leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with HIM--not for my earning it, but] for HIS name's sake...."

1) you would notice that there is nothing here that hinges the responsibility of leading the sheep, on the sheep... Sheep cannot lead sheep, shepherd has to lead sheep.  Notice terms like “HIM, HE, HIS" all possessive pronouns used to show that the responsibility rests on the lord and not on us.

2) It is Jesus that LED us through the path of righteousness. you would notice I did not say, Jesus will “lead” us I said he “led" us already. Those who are born again have been led in the path of righteousness.

See this:
Ephesians 5:25-27 A husband should love his wife as much as Christ loved the church and gave HIS life for it. HE made the church holy by the power of HIS word, and HE made it pure by washing it with water. CHRIST did this, so that HE would have a glorious and holy church, without faults or spots or wrinkles or any other flaws.

Notice, that all the words used here are in past tense not futuristic. Words like “...Christ LOVED..., GAVE his life..., he MADE the church holy.... he MADE it pure... Christ DID this... " why, because the laws and the prophets where full of promises of what God would do for us in Christ. Now that we are in the faith, all the promises of God are in Christ “yea and amen" or of you like Fulfilled and fulfilled.

it is Christ doing all the work here concerning righteousness and holiness. We are to walk in his finished works.

Even for the bearing of the fruit of life it is hinged on him not on us or what we do it how do what we do!

John 15:5 "I am the vine, you [are] the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

We cant bear much fruit or even bear fruit at all if we are not in him... The responsibility of fruit bearing is on him... No wonder it is called the ‘fruit of the spirit's not the ‘fruit of our labours'.


 To say Jesus' work is not enough is like the sheep saying the shepherd is not fit enough to lead him...

Selah...
PS: 😎concerning the contemporary bible version we have been experiencing writing difficulty we would be back shortly with more interesting stories. 😇