For the Sake of His name

Review:

We started by looking at this as the sheep’s Psalm. It is the experience of the sheep.

It is only for those who are following the Shepherd. This comfort is a mockery to those who don’t know God.

It promises us rest, provisions, and contentment. We will have sufficient in the Lord.

We then saw how God works to restore our souls.

The Lord God almighty will do a work that is impossible for man. He reaches down inside of us and restores.

spring of water springing up into everlasting life....

Psalm 1:3 “3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.”

Paths of Righteousness.

Psalm 23:3 “3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.”

He leads me in paths of righteousness.

Here is the place that He leads me. It is always paths of righteousness.

James 1:13 “13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.”

Psalm 119:9 “9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.”

Psalm 119:105 “105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”

Romans 8:14 “14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

Romans 8:29 “29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

For His name’s Sake

Why does He lead me?

For His name’s sake 29 times this exact phrase is used in the bible.

He doesn’t do this for our benefit, or because He loved us, or He wanted us in heaven, or any reason over our importance…

He did it for the sake of His name. His glory.

Let’s look at a couple of verses that show us why God does what He does. (For His name or for His glory)

Isaiah 43:7 “7 Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.””

1 Corinthians 1:27–31 “27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.””

Isaiah 48:9 “9 “For My name’s sake I will defer My anger, And for My praise I will restrain it from you, So that I do not cut you off.”

Psalm 106:7–8 “7 Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, But rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea. 8 Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake, That He might make His mighty power known.”

Ephesians 1:3–6 “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”

Ephesians 1:11–12 “11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.”

Ephesians 2:4–7 “4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

*** Ezekiel 36:22 “22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went.” (This is the New Covenant of Salvation in Christ’s blood and the promise that one day, God will call Israel back to Himself…)

1 John 2:12 “12 I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.”

This is also a Reason for us to plead with God.

Jeremiah 14:7 “7 O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, Do it for Your name’s sake; For our backslidings are many, We have sinned against You.”

Jeremiah 14:21 “21 Do not abhor us, for Your name’s sake; Do not disgrace the throne of Your glory. Remember, do not break Your covenant with us.”

Exodus 32:10–14 “10 Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.” 11 Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: “Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ” 14 So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.”

1 Kings 19:10 “10 So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.””

Psalm 109:21 “21 But You, O God the Lord, Deal with me for Your name’s sake; Because Your mercy is good, deliver me.”

Psalm 143:11 “11 Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.”

1 Peter 2:9 “9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”

It is the purpose of why we work

Matthew 5:16 “16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

John 15:8 “8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

Revelation 2:3 “3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.”

1 Peter 4:11 “11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 “31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

All of our work is to be for Him, our lives are to be for Him.

Luke 14:25–27 “25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”

Mark 12:30–31 “30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.””

He must be first in our Lives

This is also why the World hates God.

Giving praise to those there. The Maasai.

Matthew 24:9 “9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.”

Luke 21:12 “12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake.”

James 2:7 “7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?”

John 15:18–21 “18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.”

God does all things for the sake of His name, for His glory. Our salvation, our calling, our security in Christ, everything He does is done for the Glory of His name. Any other good, anything that is greater than God is idolatry.

This is why someone who claims to be following the lord, should lead a righteous life. It would be an oxymoron to follow the righteous Lord in paths that are not righteous. It is what our heart crave and long for as He fills them. May we be ready to be lead by Him.