"We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, 'I know Him,' but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him; Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." 1 John 2:3-6 (NIV)
Although the particular audience was not identified, this general epistle written by the Apostle John, was a call to return to the fundamentals of their faith. His concern was with their obedience to God's commands.
It is easy to claim to be a Christian, especially today when there are no serious consequences beyond the effect on one's popularity. The challenge is to live like a Christian, not just saying that we are one. Avoiding or resisting the sinful temptations that we used to give in to. Holding our tongue instead of saying something hurtful. Demonstrating love for our fellow man when we are being shown something other than that. Sharing with others when we do not have very much ourselves. Being kind to someone even when we know that it is being mistaken for weakness. Telling the truth even when it makes us look bad when telling a lie would make us appear much better than actually we are. Speaking like our pastor is present when we are talking with our non-Christian friends. Taking the time, before we act or speak, to ask ourselves: "What would Christ do or say in this situation?" None of us is perfect, and we will never be, but we need to do a better job of walkng the Christian walk and not just talking the talk.
Showing posts with label obedient. Show all posts
Showing posts with label obedient. Show all posts
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
Condemnation By One Man Justification By One Man
"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned ... For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous." Romans 5:12 & 17-19 (NIV)
To the Christians in Rome the Apostle Paul taught that because of Adam's trespass and disobedience all men were made sinners and condemned. And because of the righteousness
and obedience of Jesus, all men who believe were justified and made righteous.
Adam's sin condemned all men. Jesus Christ afforded justification and salvation to all men by His crucifiction, death, burial, and resurrection. He who was without sin, took on all of the sins of the world to justify all men. He paid the price for us. Justification is available for each of us, if we only believe.
To the Christians in Rome the Apostle Paul taught that because of Adam's trespass and disobedience all men were made sinners and condemned. And because of the righteousness
and obedience of Jesus, all men who believe were justified and made righteous.
Adam's sin condemned all men. Jesus Christ afforded justification and salvation to all men by His crucifiction, death, burial, and resurrection. He who was without sin, took on all of the sins of the world to justify all men. He paid the price for us. Justification is available for each of us, if we only believe.
Friday, March 16, 2012
You Are Also A Leader Of God's People
"Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law My servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:7-9 (NIV)
After the death of Moses, The Lord said to Joshua, "Moses my servant is dead. Now then ... As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Joshua 1:1-5) Joshua was to lead the people into the promised land. These were the words of encouragement and the directions that The Lord spoke to Joshua. God chose him to lead the people.
If anyone follows you, listens to your advice, and if what you say or do influences anyone, then you are also a leader, and as such you have the responsibility to say and do the right thing, so as not to lead them astray. The best way to do that is to be sure that you follow The Word of God. Read, study, meditate, think about, recite, talk about, and live God's Word, and you will be prosperous, successful, and a good leader because God will be with you wherever you go.
After the death of Moses, The Lord said to Joshua, "Moses my servant is dead. Now then ... As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Joshua 1:1-5) Joshua was to lead the people into the promised land. These were the words of encouragement and the directions that The Lord spoke to Joshua. God chose him to lead the people.
If anyone follows you, listens to your advice, and if what you say or do influences anyone, then you are also a leader, and as such you have the responsibility to say and do the right thing, so as not to lead them astray. The best way to do that is to be sure that you follow The Word of God. Read, study, meditate, think about, recite, talk about, and live God's Word, and you will be prosperous, successful, and a good leader because God will be with you wherever you go.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The Voice Of The Lord Is Speaking To Us
"The boy Samuel ministered before The Lord under Eli ... One night Eli ... was lying down in his usual place ... and Samuel was lying down in the temple of The Lord, where the ark of God was. Then The Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, "Here I am." And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down. Again The Lord called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." "My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." Now Samuel did not yet know The Lord: The word of The Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." Then Eli realized that The Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if He calls you, say, 'Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for Your servant is listening." 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (NIV)
Because he did not yet know The Lord, Samuel did not recognize the voice of The Lord. When you know The Lord, you know His voice. Jesus said My sheep know Me and know My voice. (John 10:4 & 14) When The Lord speaks to us, His voice is described as "a still small voice." (1 Kings 19:12) Multiple times throughout Deuteronomy the people were told to "hearken unto the voice of The Lord" but frequently they did not listen or obey.
Years ago, some cartoons would depict a character with a miniature devil standing on one shoulder whispering in one ear, and a miniature angel standing on the other shoulder whispering in the other ear. The cartoon character knew which was which, but frequently first listened to the devil and got in trouble before he listened to the angel. Most of us are just like that character, we hear the voice of The Lord, but we do not listen to it, or obey it.
We need to read our Bible more and listen to the voice of The Lord and obey it. We should respond as Isaiah did when he heard the voice of The Lord, "Here am I; send me." (Isaiah 6:8) The Lord is speaking to us, the question is are we listening to Him?
Because he did not yet know The Lord, Samuel did not recognize the voice of The Lord. When you know The Lord, you know His voice. Jesus said My sheep know Me and know My voice. (John 10:4 & 14) When The Lord speaks to us, His voice is described as "a still small voice." (1 Kings 19:12) Multiple times throughout Deuteronomy the people were told to "hearken unto the voice of The Lord" but frequently they did not listen or obey.
Years ago, some cartoons would depict a character with a miniature devil standing on one shoulder whispering in one ear, and a miniature angel standing on the other shoulder whispering in the other ear. The cartoon character knew which was which, but frequently first listened to the devil and got in trouble before he listened to the angel. Most of us are just like that character, we hear the voice of The Lord, but we do not listen to it, or obey it.
We need to read our Bible more and listen to the voice of The Lord and obey it. We should respond as Isaiah did when he heard the voice of The Lord, "Here am I; send me." (Isaiah 6:8) The Lord is speaking to us, the question is are we listening to Him?
Sunday, October 30, 2011
If You Want To Be Prosperous
A lot of people talk about prosperity and a lot of people want to be prosperous. However, as David told his son Solomon, "Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statues and judgements which The Lord charged Moses with concerning Israel; be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed." 1 Chronicles 22:13
If you want to be prosperous, you must obey and follow The Word of God. Don't worry about the evil and wicked who prosper by doing wrong, God will deal with them. (Psalms 37:1-10) The way to true and lasting prosperity is by obedience to The Word of God.
If you want to be prosperous, you must obey and follow The Word of God. Don't worry about the evil and wicked who prosper by doing wrong, God will deal with them. (Psalms 37:1-10) The way to true and lasting prosperity is by obedience to The Word of God.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Being Blessed And Having God With Us
"Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and I will bless thee ..." Genesis 26:3 Isaac was obedient and he was blessed.
Sometimes blessings come from going when and where God tell us to go. Some blessings come from being in the right place at the right time. Obedience to God's word and direction will result in our being blessed.
God is everywhere, all at the same time, but having God "with" us is special. God was "with" Isaac, when he sowed, he received a one hundred fold increase. Genesis 26:12 God blessed him. There are twelve other examples of God being "with" men in the Bible. God was "with" Ishmael, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Solomon, Jeremiah, Jesus, and Paul.
If we obey God's word, the same can happen to us, we will be blessed and God can be "with" us.
Sometimes blessings come from going when and where God tell us to go. Some blessings come from being in the right place at the right time. Obedience to God's word and direction will result in our being blessed.
God is everywhere, all at the same time, but having God "with" us is special. God was "with" Isaac, when he sowed, he received a one hundred fold increase. Genesis 26:12 God blessed him. There are twelve other examples of God being "with" men in the Bible. God was "with" Ishmael, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Solomon, Jeremiah, Jesus, and Paul.
If we obey God's word, the same can happen to us, we will be blessed and God can be "with" us.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Obedience, Sacrifice, And Blessings
Abraham passed his test of faith in God and obedience to God, Genesis 22:1-14 The question is will we pass our test?
"And it came to pass after these things, that God did temp Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham; and he said, Behold here I am. And He said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a brunt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." Genesis 22:1-2
Abraham was obedient and took his son to the mountains to offer him as a brunt offering unto The Lord. Before he actually slayed his son, The Angel of The Lord stopped him and showed him a ram that was caught in the bush.
He was will to give up the son that he loved in order to obey God. What sacrifices are we willing to make to obey the word of God? All too often we choose to please ourselves and our lustful sin nature instead of sacrificing our personal wants, wishes, and desires in order to please God.
Abraham was truly blessed, even his enemies were a blessing to him. If we want to be blessed more than we already are, then maybe we should be more obedient to God's word and His will.
"And it came to pass after these things, that God did temp Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham; and he said, Behold here I am. And He said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a brunt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." Genesis 22:1-2
Abraham was obedient and took his son to the mountains to offer him as a brunt offering unto The Lord. Before he actually slayed his son, The Angel of The Lord stopped him and showed him a ram that was caught in the bush.
He was will to give up the son that he loved in order to obey God. What sacrifices are we willing to make to obey the word of God? All too often we choose to please ourselves and our lustful sin nature instead of sacrificing our personal wants, wishes, and desires in order to please God.
Abraham was truly blessed, even his enemies were a blessing to him. If we want to be blessed more than we already are, then maybe we should be more obedient to God's word and His will.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The Blessings Of God
The Lord can change your name, your direction, and your life. He can bless you in more ways than you can imagine.
"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, The Lord appeared to Abram ... Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but the name shall be Abraham ... And I will make thee exceeding fruitful ... I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee ... As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be ... And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her ... Abraham ... that is an hundred years old ... and ... Sarah, that is ninety years old ... shall bear thee a son ... and thou shalt call his name Isaac ..." Genesis 17:1-19
Abram was faithful and obedient, and God blessed him and his family. He was blessed with a long life and he was fruitful even in his old age.
No matter what situation we find ourselves in, if we are faithful and obedient to God's word, He can bless us and use us in ways that are beyond our wildest dreams, beyond that which we thought was not humanly possible. God is in control of everything.
"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, The Lord appeared to Abram ... Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but the name shall be Abraham ... And I will make thee exceeding fruitful ... I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee ... As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be ... And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her ... Abraham ... that is an hundred years old ... and ... Sarah, that is ninety years old ... shall bear thee a son ... and thou shalt call his name Isaac ..." Genesis 17:1-19
Abram was faithful and obedient, and God blessed him and his family. He was blessed with a long life and he was fruitful even in his old age.
No matter what situation we find ourselves in, if we are faithful and obedient to God's word, He can bless us and use us in ways that are beyond our wildest dreams, beyond that which we thought was not humanly possible. God is in control of everything.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Yield Not To Temptation # 2
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13
We all sin. We are all tempted to sin. However, the temptation itself is not the sin, yielding to the temptation is the sin. The temptation is basically a test to see if we will do right or wrong.
God will not allow more to be put in front of us or upon us that we are able to bear. With each temptation He will also provide for us a way out or a way to avoid giving in to it.
Temptation is like a storm. God did not say that there would not be storms in our life but that He would be with us during the storm and guide us safely through the storm to the other side.
No matter what situation we find ourselves in, there will always be a morally correct option available for us to choose that does not involve disobedience to any of God's moral laws. We just have to pray to God for His help and strength to choose to obey His word.
We all sin. We are all tempted to sin. However, the temptation itself is not the sin, yielding to the temptation is the sin. The temptation is basically a test to see if we will do right or wrong.
God will not allow more to be put in front of us or upon us that we are able to bear. With each temptation He will also provide for us a way out or a way to avoid giving in to it.
Temptation is like a storm. God did not say that there would not be storms in our life but that He would be with us during the storm and guide us safely through the storm to the other side.
No matter what situation we find ourselves in, there will always be a morally correct option available for us to choose that does not involve disobedience to any of God's moral laws. We just have to pray to God for His help and strength to choose to obey His word.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Be Ye Holy
"But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy (Leviticus 11:44)." 1 Peter 1:15-16
As our heavenly Father is holy, and His Son Jesus is holy, we as Christians are called upon to also be holy. There are things in this world that we are to abstain from as we act in a Christ-like manner. We should act like we are the sons of God and not the products of Satan.
"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for grace ... as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in you ignorance..." 1 Peter 1:13-14
We are to protect our mind, reject the sinful pleasures of the world. We are to exercise spiritual steadfastness, self-control, clarity of mind, and moral correctness. Be free from the intoxication of sin. We are to be obedient children of God and not give in to the evils of this world. There was a time when we didn't know any better, but now that we know better, we should do better.
Glorify God by being like Him and imitate His ways and speech.
As our heavenly Father is holy, and His Son Jesus is holy, we as Christians are called upon to also be holy. There are things in this world that we are to abstain from as we act in a Christ-like manner. We should act like we are the sons of God and not the products of Satan.
"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for grace ... as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in you ignorance..." 1 Peter 1:13-14
We are to protect our mind, reject the sinful pleasures of the world. We are to exercise spiritual steadfastness, self-control, clarity of mind, and moral correctness. Be free from the intoxication of sin. We are to be obedient children of God and not give in to the evils of this world. There was a time when we didn't know any better, but now that we know better, we should do better.
Glorify God by being like Him and imitate His ways and speech.
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