"For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness." 1 Cor 10:1-5
It seems that more and more these people are concerned with appearances. Perhaps it is human nature to wear a mask and protect that which is behind it with all of one's might. Sadly, we are not nearly as consumed with having the inner man and woman and the outer man and woman be reflections of one another or better, of Jesus. Sometimes the masks we wear are made up of the religion in which we clothe ourselves. Far too often however, it is just that, clothing.
Beloved, there is no such thing as salvation by association. Each of us must develop our own relationship with the Lord and cultivate it as no other. Showing up at worship on Sunday, dropping large sums of money in the collection, quoting scripture and the like, are all useless and fruitless displays without the inner love, obedience and truth of Christ. Jesus himself said, "Not everyone that says unto me 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" Matt 7:21.
This may appear to be a judgment of others. In fact it is a call for each to judge self. The word surely does. The Lord surely shall. Let us all endeavor to be what we have been called to be: true children of God.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Showing posts with label Child of God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Child of God. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Friday, January 28, 2011
Are You a Child of God?-DD 1/28/2011
"And I shall give them one heart and shall put a new spirit with the. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do the. The they will be My people and I shall be their God."
Eze 11:19, 20
God has always loved us but we have not always loved Him. From the beginning, He created, nurtured and provided for us. And from the beginning, we have rejected His ways and therefore Him. The love of God is steadfast and everlasting, however. Every time His people departed, He made a way back to Himself for them.
Beloved, how many times have we departed Him from whom comes our help? Whether it is a brief indiscretion or an outright turning away to return to the things of the world, we have all done it at one time or another. As it was with our ancestors in the faith, His love and patience is with us to this day.
In order to return, however, we must have the desire to be identified as His and the willingness to do what it is required. To be considered an employee of your company, you must obey the policies and procedures and do the things you are paid to do. To be a student at your learning institution, you must be in attendance and complete your assignments. To be a child of God, you must live a life that is consistent with His ways and laws and not just talk the talk, but walk the walk. It is only then that He puts His stamp of approval upon us and calls us His own. Based on the life that you are living, are you a child of God?
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Eze 11:19, 20
God has always loved us but we have not always loved Him. From the beginning, He created, nurtured and provided for us. And from the beginning, we have rejected His ways and therefore Him. The love of God is steadfast and everlasting, however. Every time His people departed, He made a way back to Himself for them.
Beloved, how many times have we departed Him from whom comes our help? Whether it is a brief indiscretion or an outright turning away to return to the things of the world, we have all done it at one time or another. As it was with our ancestors in the faith, His love and patience is with us to this day.
In order to return, however, we must have the desire to be identified as His and the willingness to do what it is required. To be considered an employee of your company, you must obey the policies and procedures and do the things you are paid to do. To be a student at your learning institution, you must be in attendance and complete your assignments. To be a child of God, you must live a life that is consistent with His ways and laws and not just talk the talk, but walk the walk. It is only then that He puts His stamp of approval upon us and calls us His own. Based on the life that you are living, are you a child of God?
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
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