Why does the Bible command us to delight in a being that is infinitely delightful if we are already Christians?

Dr. John Snyder addresses the spiritual aspect of our condition before and after regeneration. Prior to experiencing the new birth, our religious interests may stem from self-centered motives rather than a genuine love for God. However, when God awakens us, opens our eyes, and transforms our hearts, we begin to love what we ought to love and choose Him freely. The new birth brings about significant changes, granting us a new nature where it becomes natural to delight in God. Yet, this delight requires effort and intentionality due to the remnants of our old nature and the fallen world we inhabit.

After experiencing the new birth, delighting in God becomes a natural response of our new nature. However, it is not without effort. We must actively stir our hearts, preaching to ourselves and reminding ourselves of God's character and the benefits of knowing Him. Like the psalmist in Psalm 103, we need to consciously direct our affections towards God and not forget His goodness. While our new nature inclines us to delight in God, we must consistently reorient ourselves to Him amidst the distractions and allure of our fallen world. Delighting in God requires intentional focus and a continuous choice to set our affections on Him.

Psalm 37:4 (NKJV): "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart."

When the scripture tells us to delight ourselves in God, and as we've been thinking about the Westminster Confessions really great summary of the Christian duty that our ultimate goal in the little things we're doing is to glorify God and to enjoy Him. How, why does the Bible have to command me to delight in a being that is infinitely delightful if I'm a Christian? And I think that you know that goes to the the spiritual nature of our condition here. Before regeneration, before the new birth, I might be very religious. I might be very interested in religious things, but not because of love for God.

More of a love for me. But when God awakens us, when He opens our eyes and we understand for the first time all these wonderful things we've been reading and hearing, when He frees our heart and we love what we ought to love instead of what we shouldn't love and when he breaks the chain on our will and we are we are now able to choose him and to say all that Christ is I want to grab hold of by faith and all that I know of me I hand over to Him. The new birth and the great changes that flow from that. You have a new nature and in the new nature it is natural to delight in God, but it is not effortless. Because our new nature has, while it has a wonderful beginning in the new birth, it has not yet reached every pore of our skin, every part of our body.

There are still old lies that we are quick to believe, doubts that we have, selfishness that is still attractive. We still have in a sense the clinging of the old nature. And we live in an environment that is quite poisonous. Our world is a fallen world. We live for a king that the world rejects.

And so while it is natural now for me to love and delight in God, it does take effort. I have to stir my heart sometimes. I have to do what Martin Lloyd-Jones the English preacher said, you have to preach to yourself and not listen to yourself. You have to take yourself in hand like the psalmist in Psalm 103, you know, praise my soul. You know, praise God.

Do not forget any of his benefits. We kind of have to shake ourselves and say, look at who he is, set your affections again there. So while it is natural to delight in God with a new nature, it's not effortless. Thanks. Thanks.