Let Us...
Everyone knows to make a good sandwich taste better, you put "lettuce" on it. To make us spiritually better, or be the salt of the earth, "let us" do certain things, the apostles say. Notice the emphasis on "us", as we have been set apart or sanctified by the blood of Christ. We are the chosen people of God.
2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
The apostle Peter says we have spent enough of our lifetime doing the will of the Gentiles, now serve Christ. We have to renew our minds to the perfect will of God and not be conformed to the world, as we are called to holiness. May we put off the old man of sin which ensnares us and put on the new man.
Philippians 3:16
Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
If we walk by the same rule of faith, we will have unity together. In the period of the Judges everyone did what was right in his own eyes, which is what we see primarily in denominationalism. Jeremiah said by the Holy S;irit, it is not in man to direct his own steps. By abiding in the faith which was once delivered for all (Jude 3) we can put to silence the critics that the Bible can't be interpreted the same and glorify God and make people believe that God has sent His Son in the process.
Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
We are to work in evangelism, knowing God's word will not return void, it does exactly as it is supposed to do. Sometimes we can grow weary with a lack of results, or people who are downright mean about their salvation. One reason Jesus gave us the parable of the sower is that we might understand there are different kinds of hearts out there and not to grow weary.
“We are the chosen people of God!”
Galatians 6:10
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Let us be reminded that God expects those who are His to be interested in and do good to their neighbour. The second half of the ten commandments (of which nine have been repeated in the NT) deal with this. Man generally fails in our attempts to do good to our neighbour; that is why God deals with it and stresses it in His word. One way to be better in tune with our fellow man's needs is to eesteem their needs higher than your own. When it comes to treating each other as brothers and sisters, we are to treat each other right, remembering that we all belong to the same household of God. Maybe someone in your own family has become your enemy because you put Christ first, but Jesus reminds us that He will restore a hundred fold in times to come. I think He included your spiritual family in the entire world.
Hebrews 4:11
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
God did not appoint us to wrath, there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ. He put our names in the Lamb's book of life when added to the church (Hebrews 12:23), but if we choose not to live right, He can and will blot our names from the book of life (Revelation 3:5). God is longsuffering and doesn't want any to perish, we above all people should work out our salvation.
These are just a few of the "let us" verses in the New Testament that will make our lives better. I encourage you to read and apply them all. May each one of us see each other in heaven and lift our voices in a new song of salvation. When we have been there ten thousand years may we be thankful for the apostle's doctrine and the "let us verses.
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Answering The Atheist
The Atheist's Complaint:
Who was Moses' father-in-law? Was it Jethro (Exodus 3:1; Exodus 4:18; 18:1, 5) or Hobab (
Response:
Several texts identify Jethro as Moses' father-in-law, perhaps the most pointed being Exodus 18. Five times (v 1, 2, 5, 6, 12), we are told that Jethro was Moses' father-in-law.
And yet, the first time we read about Moses' father-in-law, he is referred to as Reuel (Exodus 2:18). Which is correct? Jethro, or Reuel? Both. This man was known by both names, Reuel and Jethro. A friend of mine is called Keith by almost everyone who knows him, yet his legal name is Louis (Keith is his middle name). Another friend's legal name is William, but he is usually referred to as Tom (his middle name being Thomas). I could provide several more examples where an individual can be known by more than one name.
Who then is Hobab? Was Moses' father-in-law known by three different names? No, this is not Moses' father-in-law, but rather his brother-in-law. In Numbers 10:29, we read:
Now Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, 'We aer setting out for the place of which the LORD said, I will give it to you. Come with us, and we will treat you well; for the LORD has promised good things to Israel.' NKJV)">Numbers 10:29Numbers identifies Hobab as the son of Reuel, and Reuel as the father-in-law of Moses.
But then we find Judges 4:11, which begins:
Now Heber the Kenite, of the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses...Surely this is an error. Yes, a translator error, not an error in the original text of Scripture. The ASV, BBE, WEB, and perhaps other translations correctly render this "brother-in-law". Hobab was the son of Reuel (a.k.a. Jethro), and thus Moses' brother-in-law.
How could such an error appear in so many English translations? The Hebrew word chathan is most commonly translated as "father-in-law" (21 of 33 occasions). However, the word is more generic, appropriately used of any relationship via marriage. It can be use of "marriage" (Genesis 34:9; Joshua 23:12), "mother-in-law" (Deuteronomy 27:23), "son-in-law" (1 Samuel 18:21, 22, 23, 26, 27), "affinity" (1 Kings 3:1;
Although some English translations incorrectly render the Hebrew word chathan< there is no contradiction with regard to who Moses' father-in-law is.
This article is in response to Skeptic's Annotated Bible.