Part 2: What Makes God Delightful?

 2 Timothy 3:1–7 Paul describes the apostasy and Godlessness in the last days—the scriptures guide man to salvation. “Remember this: There are some terrible times coming in the last days. People will love only themselves and money. They will be proud and boast about themselves. They will abuse others with insults. They will not obey their parents. They will be ungrateful and against all that is pleasing to God. They will have no love for others and will refuse to forgive anyone. They will talk about others to hurt them and will have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. People will turn against their friends. They will do foolish things without thinking and will be so proud of themselves. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure. They will go on pretending to be devoted to God, but they will refuse to let that “devotion” change the way they live. Stay away from these people!”

What Makes God Delightful?

6. God is delighted when we walk in Holiness.

"Be holy, because I am holy." 1 Peter 1:16

The command, “Be ye holy; for I am holy,” was originally given in Leviticus 11:45-46. It was an urgent command because there was sin in the camp of Israel and God’s plans were being thwarted because the people of God remained carnal. It is just as true today that if God’s plan is going to be accomplished then God needs human-vessels that are sanctified, (cleansed), through which to accomplish His purpose. Man is that chosen medium through which God's Holy Spirit works to fulfill His divine plans. The provisions of Calvary made it possible for righteousness to be imputed to us who believe Christ Jesus and holiness of heart to be imparted to us. It was not merely an imputed standing before the courts of heaven, but an actual impartation of the divine nature, and a radical cleansing of the citadel of the human heart. It is here that He imparts His very nature in us and restores unto us the moral image that was lost in the fall.

Ephesians 1: 4 says, “He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.”

Holiness is a blessed thing, and when we walk in true holiness (not Satan's counterfeit of legalism), we will take pleasure in God, God will take pleasure in us, and we will walk continually in His presence. Legalism brings bondage, condemnation and misery, but holiness brings life, peace, and fullness of joy, because it‘s only a life of holiness that God honors with His continual presence. God wants us to enjoy ourselves!” The degree to which you sanctify yourself in God’s word, the degree to which you love righteousness, the degree to which you live a holy lifestyle, is the degree to which you’ll be blessed with happiness. Yet, if we are truly walking in holiness (separation from that which is profane and unclean, and consecration to that which is glorifying and honoring to God) we will not take pleasure in things which do not glorify or bring honor to God. In fact, the things which do not glorify God will be despised in the heart of those who are walking in uncompromised holiness, since they won’t want anything to do with something that will grieve the Spirit. “Grieve not the holy Spirit of God” (Eph. 4:30)

God's great primary concern for us is not our happiness, but our holiness.” In His great love, God is determined to bring us to that condition, and He uses many differing means to that end. Scripture says that God will discipline and chastise His children. Hebrews 12:6-8 (Amplified Bible) God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. (1 Thessalonians 4:3) The Bible says that sin brings pleasure for a season, but, that’s followed by pain, destruction, and devastation. So “For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes. You must submit to and endure [correction] for discipline; God is dealing with you as with sons. For what son is there whom his father does not [thus] train and correct and discipline? Now if you are exempt from correction and left without discipline in which all [of God's children] share, then you are illegitimate offspring and not true sons [at all].”

The word "chastise" comes from the Greek word paideia and means, "Education, training up, of children, instruction, discipline, correction, chastisement. To educate, instruct children, Acts 7:22; 22:3; To be taught, learn, 1 Timothy 1:20; To admonish, instruct by admonition, 2 Timothy 2:25; Titus 2:12. To chastise, chasten, 1 Corinthians 11:32; 2 Corinthians 6:9; Hebrews 12:6, 7,10; Revelation 3:19" (Bagster's Analytical Greek Lexicon, 299). "The whole training and education of children. What-ever in adults also cultivates the souls, especially by correcting mistakes and curbing the passions; hence, a. Instruction with aims at the increase of virtue: 2 Timothy 3:16" (Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon, 473).

God will chastise us when we need it. And we should want God to chastise us when we're not doing right, when we're not hearkening to His voice. We don't want Him to wipe us off. We don't want Him to turn His back on us. We want Him to chastise us until we get into the place where we can see our error and confess it, asking for forgiveness, and get that thing out of our lives. God desires to see you happy; He wants to see you glad. When you live a life in the light of God’s word; when you live a life of sanctification, you gain good things in your life, things that God wants you to have.

What Makes God Delightful?

7. God is delighted when we delight in His Word

(Psalms 1:1-3) “Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly; nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law does he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water; that brings forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper”. And then (Psalms 40:8) says “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart”. Psalms 112:1 and 119:16 says “I will delight myself in Your statutes, I will not forget Your word”. Psalms 119:24, 47,174 says “Your testimonies also are my delights,

and my counselors. I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love. I long for Your salvation, O Lord Yahweh, and Your law is my delight”. As we review these, we see that the Lord God is delighted when we delight in His testimonies, in His statutes, in His law and in His commandments. Remember the Bible says “how can two walk together, less they be the same”.

The greatest gift of God to man, next to His Son and His Spirit, is the Holy Bible. Dr. Oswald J. Smith observed, our attitude towards the Scriptures settles everything. All that we see today are temporal, but with one exception—the Bible! Heaven and earth shall pass away but God’s Word shall remain forever (Mark 13:31). All great men of God have been men of the Bible. D.L. Moody was called a man of one Book! There was a great demand for his marked Bible. George Muller was once asked about the secret of his great faith. He replied, "I claim to have no gift of faith, but I have read the Bible on my knees 48 times. Every time I read my Bible my faith grows!" C. T. Studd during his closing years of missionary career in Africa was one day reading in a dim light an old copy of the Bible with great difficulty. "What are you doing?" asked his friend. "I am again turning the pages of the Scriptures to find out if there is any commandment I have not cared for!" was the answer in a faltering voice. Hudson Taylor, that great missionary to China, spent several hours each morning with his Bible. Saint Peter said “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,” (1st Peter 2:2).

What Makes God Delightful?

8. God is delighted when we give Him Glory.

God created humanity for a reason. God created us for His own Glory. Talking about mankind in the book of Isaiah, God says about us, “whom I created for my glory" - Isaiah 43:7. Everything in creation exists for the glory of God, including ourselves. Whatever we do, we are to do for the glory of God. We spread the gospel for the glory of God. We obey God’s word for the glory of God. We submit to those who are over us and we endure suffering and persecution for the glory of God.

In 1st Corinthians 10:31 we read, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."The glory of God is a silver thread which must run through all our actions. 1 Chron. 16:29 "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His Name." 1 Cor. 6:20, "Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit." The glory we give God is nothing else but our lifting up His Name in the world, and magnifying Him in the eyes of others. Phil. 1:20, "Christ shall be magnified in my body."

What does it mean to glorify God? It means to bring Him honor through what we say, how we act, and how we think.To be led by His Spirit.  To glorify God means to acknowledge His glory and to value it above all things. To glorify God means we make it known to others. To glorify God means we have a heartfelt gratitude. We glorify God through our faith and trust. We glorify God through our love. We glorify God through our desire to obey Him (our obedience). We glorify God through our desire to know Him .  

In Jeremiah 9:24 the Bible says “let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord God; exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the Lord”. Remember Psalms 35:27 which says “let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause; yea, let them say continually, let the Lord be magnified,

which has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant”. Proverbs says “dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord , but a just weight is His delight” (11:1) “those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the Lord , but the blameless in their ways are His delight” (11:20) “lying

lips are an abomination to the Lord , but those who deal truthfully are His delight” (12:22) “the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight” (15:8) “righteous lips are the delight of kings, and they love him who speaks what is right”.

God delights when we use our abilities “The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives." (Psalm 37:23 )."He has shaped each person in turn; now he watches everything we do." (Psalm 33:15 )."You have no right to argue with your Creator. You are merely a clay pot shaped by potter: The clay doesn’t ask, why did you make me this way?” (Isaiah 45:9)."God ... generously gives us everything for our enjoyment.“ (1 Timothy 6:17). More than anything else, however, we want to please him," (2 Corinthians 5:9 )."The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who are wise, who want to please God.“ (Psalm 14:2).

What Makes God Delightful?

9. God is delighted when we praise and thank him continually

God is completely self-sufficient and doesn't need our praise and worship. However, He does deserve it... We praise the people we love and admire, and it's not right or good for us to withhold praise from them. God created us for His pleasure (just as we create delightful things for our pleasure). Praising God—acknowledging His goodness, love, perfection, and all the incredible things He has done for us—brings Him pleasure. The right response from us toward God is praise because He deserves it. When we act out our love and acknowledgment of Him in this way, we fulfill our purpose; and when we are rightly fulfilling our purpose, we have the best possible joy—God is pleased, our relationship with Him is enhanced, and He has rightly received what He deserves.

King David said “...I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalms 34:1).

In these "hymns of ascent", David gives three vital life principles on how to be a blessing to God and others at all times. First we should praise God personally, David said, “I will bless the Lord at all times! Second we should praise God vocally. David said His praise shall continually be in my mouth. And third we should praise God continually. David says I will bless the Lord at all times! When we sing and praise it prompts others to do the same. When we praise it becomes a transforming remedy for all our fear, and anxiety. As we sing and praise our God, we begin to exercise our faith. 

The Bible says that God inhabits in the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3). In other words, God “dwells” in the atmosphere of His praise. This means that praise is not merely a reaction from coming into His presence - Praise is a vehicle of faith which brings us into the presence and power of God! Praise and worship is the “gate-pass” which allows us to enter the sacredness of His glory. The psalmist writes, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalms 100:4). Praise elevates us into God’s Presence and Power.

This corresponds with Jesus’ teaching, that His presence will inhabit the gathering of believers who congregate in His name: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). A “gathering in His name” means that Jesus must be the focus, the center of the assemblage. He must be the one preached about, sung about — the one praised and worshiped. “I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee” (Hebrews 2:12). Consequently, Christ’s presence, along with His virtue and anointing, is manifested in this type of gathering.

Have you ever noticed when “gifts of the Spirit” operate in a church service? The power and anointing of the Holy Spirit usually becomes evident, subsequent to a time of worship and praise. Some think that worship is a response after the Holy Spirit moves upon them. However, it’s the other way around. God’s presence responds when we move upon Him with worship! Lifting up Jesus Christ through praise and worship invokes the Lord’s presence and power to flow in our midst. Paul and Silas knew the secret of how to lift their hearts above their troubles and enter into God’s presence and power. Through praise and worship their hearts were raised into the joyous presence and peace of God, and provided God a channel for his power to operate in their circumstances.

Praise means “to commend, to applaud or magnify.” For the believers, praise to God is an expression of worship, lifting-up and glorifying the Lord. It is an expression of humbling ourselves and centering our attention upon the Lord with heart-felt expressions of love, adoration and thanksgiving. Praise transports us into the realm of the supernatural and into the power of God. “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance” (Psalms 89:15).

Praise and worship pleases the Lord. He delights in the love and devotion of His children. According to the scriptures, the various expressions of praise bring blessing to the Lord. He eagerly awaits the fragrance of our affections, desiring to manifest His sweet presence and power in our midst. “...the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seek such to worship him” (John 4:23).

What Makes God Delightful?

10) God is delighted when we do His will.

King David, a sinner saved by the grace of God and discipline by God said in Psalm 40:8 “I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” (ESV) They express the desire, ambition and driving force of every believer's heart. All who are born of God bear this distinct mark of grace in the likeness of Christ. From our hearts we ought to cry, "I delight to do thy will, O my God." Nothing is more important. Therefore the Condition of heart is in direct relation to the will of God. The will of God is connected with what’s in the heart. God’s wisdom cannot function in a wrong heart. Psalm 14:2 says, "The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who are wise, who want to please God."

Psalm 40:8, we know that these words are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, because the Spirit of God has told us so (Heb. 10:7-9).The psalmist foretells that work of wonder, redemption by our Lord Jesus Christ. He came down from heaven to do the will of His father, and this he did by preaching the Gospel, and working miracles; and above all by obtaining eternal redemption for his people, which he effected by fulfilling the law, becoming a sacrifice, and suffering and dying for humanity, all which were the will of God, This is eminently true, of Christ, and is here observed as an act of heroic obedience, that he not only resolved to do, but delighted in doing the will of God, or what God had commanded him, which was to die, and that a most shameful, painful, and cursed death. By his obedience to God in our room and stead the Lord Jesus obtained eternal redemption for us (Heb. 9:12). His obedience to God is our righteousness. His blood is our atonement for sin (Rom. 5:19; Eph. 1:7). We are complete in Christ (Col. 2:10). And we are accepted in him because he delighted to do the will of God as our Substitute. Jesus set a perfect Example for us to follow, “What Did Jesus Do?

Jesus came as a servant, but he clearly was and is the Master. For good reason his disciples called him “Lord”—he is ruler of all. Yet, the example Jesus set for his disciples to follow is that of servant hood. The world, particularly the Gentile world, was very familiar with a leadership model wherein rulers “lorded it over” their subjects. But Christ was emphatic to say that among his followers leaders would be servants of all, and those who held first rank in his kingdom would be the slaves of all. And the precedent for this whole new way of leading by serving was set by the Lord himself (Matthew 20.25-28). “What did Jesus do?” The Lord expects, no, commands, that we are to take careful note of how he lived, what he said and what he did, and does likewise. If he washed feet, so should we. If he fed the hungry, we also need to give them something to eat. If Jesus healed those suffering from affliction or infirmity, then we also are to minister to the broken and the sick. If Christ comforted those who mourned, and lifted up those who were in despair, we better do as he did. If the Lord championed the cause of the oppressed, and liberated those in bondage, our course should be to do the same. 1 John 2:6. Says “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”

In other words “He that says he remains in union with [God] is under obligation himself also to go on walking just as that one [Jesus] walked.”— “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps..” (1 Peter 2:21) “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.”(John 13.14) Christ prayed, and all who follow him still pray, "Not my will, thy will be done."

Let it be our prayer too God Bless you.

Amen and amen.