Samson: Follow the instructions

By Pastor Jon Enter

In Judges 13, Samson’s parents received special instructions on how to raise their soon-to-be-conceived son. “You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor” (verse 5). Before he was even born, Samson was set apart by God as being different. 

You aren’t commanded by God to grow your hair out to be a real-life, long-haired Rapunzel. But God does have very specific instructions for you. Are you ready? Brace yourself. “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching” (John 14:23). God’s Word is not a choose-what-you-want buffet. If the Lord placed commands in his Word, he expects us to follow his instructions perfectly, not to ignore them. 

What clear command of God do you struggle to follow? You sin. You repent. You keep failing and falling back into its tempting clutches. 

That’s why God sent his Son, our perfect Savior, to obey God’s laws in our place. 

The stakes were high. Our eternity and Jesus’ eternity were on the line. If Jesus sinned, not only would we all be in hell, but so would Christ. He’d cease to be perfect. God took a colossal, eternal risk when Jesus came to this world. But he did it because that is exactly what you mean to him. Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly in our place, so that means I can tell you confidently that your sins, your failures, are gone, forgiven … forever. Have peace with God because God has peace with you.

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About the Author

Pastor Jon Enter

Jon Enter is the campus pastor at Saint Croix Lutheran Academy in West Saint Paul, Minnesota. He previously served 14 years in West Palm Beach, Florida. Jon lives with his wife, Debbi, and their four daughters. “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).

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