Psalm 48 says, “I desire to do thy will, O Lord.” The bondservant of His lord says, “My wish, my delight is your command. I live to serve you Lord from a heart of love.” We love Him because He first loved us. He loved us enough to send His son, Jesus Christ to pay our debt of sin... For he who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf, that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.
Submission in obedience to the Lord is a daily, moment by moment decision. God allows us a choice to love our Lord by obeying His command. In John 14:15 Jesus said, if you love me you will keep my commandments. Galatians says, nothing really matters except believing faith that works in love. According to Matthew 16, he who loses his life shall find it.... What shall it profit a man if ye gains the whole world but loses his soul? Jesus said, if anyone wishes to be my disciple, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. Following him is not a chore if motivated by love. Love energizes believing action in obedience to the Word of God.
The Christian walk does not mean that we will be sinless. However, we will sin less and less. We still have to deal with the sin nature of the fallen flesh. However, there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus ... For the spirit of life in Christ has made me free from the law of sin and death. Worldly men and women feel uncomfortable around strong Christians. For he that does evil hates the light, neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his works may be made manifest that they are wrought of God.
The truth of the Word of God is paradoxical to the world’s logic. To find life, we most lose it. To gain the abundant life, Jesus said, blessed are the poor in spirit. For God to lift us up, we must become lowly. To be set free, we must surrender our hearts in captivity to Christ. To be filled with His Spirit, we must empty ourselves. We must decrease for Him to increase. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. As Bonhoeffer said, “When Jesus bids a man come, he bids him come and die.” For I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live, I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
Ezekiel 33:31 says, “And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goes after their covetousness.”
Like I said before, casual Christians become casualties in the spiritual battle. Casual Christians are lukewarm and “on the fence”. They are undisciplined, double-minded, and unstable in all their ways. Therefore, be careful who your enemies are, but even more careful who your friends are. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Evil company corrupts good morals.” Who are your three and who are your twelve? Do you want to learn to become just like Jesus? You’re most like the men or women with whom you affiliate ... with whom you spend time. Men and women whose heart’s desire is to serve the Lord find other men and women who are in hot pursuit of their Lord Jesus Christ.
The Christian walk is intentionally following in Jesus’ steps with a heart of love, respect, reverence, and joy. They are blessed to choke in the dust of the Rabi. For what does the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. It’s important to remember those who loved us enough to demonstrate the love of God with the Word of God ... those mentors who have their bibles shod with shoe leather. I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day. We’re the only bibles some people will ever read ... For we came not unto you with enticing words of men’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and with power of the Holy Spirit ... that together, we may live to the praise of the glory of Thy grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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