There is No Final Test

Twice a year students face the dreaded final test. It is stressful because the test covers all the material covered by the daily testing for months. Some Christians behave as if we will have one final test at the end of our life so they ignore the daily testing. They are making a terrible mistake because there is no final test. Jesus has already taken and passed the final for us. It is very important that we accept our daily testing seriously because God is recording how we do on each and every one of them. The Scripture says; you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. 1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT) Our testing is cumulative. The results will be added together to give the Lord a good picture of our life for Him. Our continual testing is the method the Lord uses to move us toward the maturity that is required to please God. We should consider how well we are maturing in our spiritual life because daily testing is so important to our Lord.

There are different types of testing and it may be helpful to recognize their different origins. The first one may be odd but it seems that we test ourselves! Take a look at this verse; And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. James 1:13-14 (NLT) Most of us know that God requires us to give up our old life in order to focus on our new life. But at times we will go some place or hang-out with someone that we know will lead us into a test. At times like these we are acting in a way that makes us directly responsible for our own testing. Not only is this activity a waste of time but it is counterproductive to our desire for pleasing God. If a believer is not proactive (down to serious business) in their spiritual life they are setting themselves up for self-testing. We need to spend our time and energy serving others as the Lord leads us.

Of course, the testing we usually talk about is from the Devil. Many people like to say that “ the Devil made me do it” which is not always true. The Devil only watches us as we enter into our own temptations in most cases. The clearest case of temptation from the Devil was during the 40 days that Jesus was in the desert. It seems that Satan likes to attack at our weakest time. However, the Devil comes at certain times that God has allowed for him. When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came. Luke 4:13 (NLT) When the Devil is testing us it is always about destroying our life and sending us to Hell. He will offer fame to people that will ignore God. He will offer power to people that will act like a God. Here is a popular one; He will offer riches to people who will forget about God. Everything Satan offers is on a path of rebellion against the Almighty. This differs from self-temptation where we usually are looking for a good time to brighten a boring un-saved lifestyle. Serving Jesus is the most exciting life-style, even if there are trials.

James told us in chapter one that God never tempts anyone to do wrong but He will give us a trial to prove our faith. It is a trial of righteousness with the purpose of growing closer to God. An example is Abraham and the offering of his son. James refers to him in chapter two; Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. James 2:21-22 (NLT) The physical trial God gave to Abraham had great spiritual benefits for him and even for us today. Testing is the way we build our faith and it is a day-by-day life that counts. There really is no final test. God has sent his Spirit to live with us. This enables us to have victory in our trials as they arise. When talking about Lot, Peter said; the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. 2 Peter 2:9 (NLT) Knowing that God wants to help us find victory in our testing should give us strength to face each day.

We may not always understand the source of our testing but God will always help us with any of them. Paul tells us; God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Cor 10:13 (NLT) This promise is almost as important as the promise of our Savior because testing is what can lead people away from God. Jesus said; they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. Luke 8:13 (NLT) This is not about who these believers are. The point of this paper is only that we should recognize that testing is an important part of life. James begins his book like this; Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete James 1:2-4 (NLT) Sometimes it seems impossible but we need to keep a good attitude about our trials in order to please the Lord.

 

Absolute Necessity

Humility is a very tricky subject. A few people have pursued it only to find they would be proud of themselves if they achieved it. However, Jesus said; those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Matt 23:12 (NLT) This means that humility is something that our Master has recommended in order that we may achieve a good standing in His eternal Kingdom. Because we cannot achieve this virtue by ourselves it must be a gift from God. James gives us the idea that it comes from above; But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. James 3:17 (NLT) If we substitute the word humility in the place of wisdom we begin to get the picture. This grace will only produce gratitude when it becomes rooted in our life because it is a gift. Humility is a part of Love which makes it an absolute necessity for proper Christian living. Proper acceptance and application of God’s spiritual gifts is what the Christian life is about.

The gift of humility can be understood when we look at some of the activities it promotes in our life. One passage that will help break it down was written by Paul; Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Col 3:11-12 (NLT) The four   qualities surrounding humility in this verse are all parts of a humble life. It is noteworthy that these virtues are only possible when Jesus lives in us and we are producing the fruit of the Spirit. We must remember that humility is the correct attitude for a real believer’s life. Humility is not an outward behavior or a relation with others and it is certainly not a natural disposition. Basically it is our attitude about the agreement we have made with God. We could also say that it is His grace operating in our soul. Our best example is the life that Jesus lived many years ago. His caring Spirit was continually reaching out to others while He maintained his attitude of humility. This is easy to see in the story where He washed the feet of His friends.

A Bible dictionary says that humble mindedness stems from a deep realization of a person’s unworthiness to receive the grace that God is offering. We might note that this opinion of one’s self is correct. The real difficulty is when we compare ourselves with others. This is what Paul had to say; Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Phil 2:3-5 (NLT) By worldly standards we may be better than someone else but they may be far greater when we live in eternity. To start with they may have a far more humble attitude toward us. This is why James said that we should “yield to others”. This is part of the way that we can find ourselves exalted by Jesus some day. It seems that people respond to the message of Jesus when the messengers have a humble attitude. Many Christians have failed in their outreach because people detect a superior attitude in our mindset.

Many times other believers become a problem for us to deal with. Because the love of God has become part of our life we must learn to respond in our attitude of humility. Paul begs us to live up to the standards lived by our Savior. Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Eph 4:1-2 (NLT) Here we see that gentleness is part of our humility. Gentleness is the way that Jesus came to earth and lived His life. If we are gentle with people they can see the Grace of God at work on this earth. This virtue is very close to meekness which the world calls weakness. As usual, they are dead wrong about Spiritual matters. To be gentle and meek require the maximum amount of strength and courage a human can muster. Jesus and his martyrs show us these qualities when they give up their lives for Christianity and for their God.

The grace of God is the basis for humility and all its parts. Kindness on our part is the main reason we tell others how to repent and follow the master into heaven. The divine mercy that reached out to us in kindness is available to everyone we might tell. Our humble attitude is the best way to show kindness to people when we are telling them about the love of God. Of course when we work with others a great deal of patience is necessary. This means that we must cut people some slack even when we want to give them a slap upside the head. Trying to push people into a commitment when they are reluctant usually has a bad outcome. Learning to be patient is a good step forward to reaching the humble attitude that our Lord wants for our life. People will many times mistake humility for something else. Look at this letter; Now I, Paul, appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ—though I realize you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away. 2 Cor 10:1 (NLT) These people were wrong to think Paul was timid. He was humble but not afraid of anyone.

Our humility can only thrive if we keep our heart pure. A pure heart allows the Spirit to lead our lives and this is the way to receive God’s approval. It’s interesting that humility is not listed with the nine fruit of the Spirit which are; the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Gal 5:22-23 (NLT) Once again we see that humility is not an outward behavior or a relation with others. It is the condition of our soul and mind that yields to the Spirit led life in us. Just as our natural soul leans toward self-importance, the new spiritual soul that the savior gives us leans toward a humble life. Of course it is our duty to seek the ways of our new life. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Gal 5:24-25 (NLT) Putting to death the old life is important so that we may dedicate ourselves to our new life. Humility is a necessity for a successful new life in the Lord.

Revealed Logic

Christians are usually aware that we must live by faith. However, to have faith in a logical God means that we should reflect His sound judgment in our lives. The fact that we might not see His logic at times does not mean that He is not logical. It is God’s reality that all our values must be based on and not some earthly knowledge we have acquired. When we become a Christian, our logic will change into a reasoning of faith that is reliable to the principles of God. Validity must be produced when we live by the logic of God. In other words, the consequences of our Christian actions will always be verified by the Spirit of God. Because our universe was created by the Almighty, His laws are “always” logical. For some strange reason people like to take actions that are not logical. Usually, as time passes their actions will bring grief into their life. Ignoring the laws of God is ultimately a fatal mistake. There is only one way to bring the understanding of God’s logic into our mind. We must yield to the revelation of the Spirit of God.

God’s laws naturally reflect His thinking and like everything else He creates we can see great beauty in His logic. Most Christians don’t like to talk about the law because we want to feel we are the owner of our freedom. Somehow people think that obeying God will be a negative influence in their life. Maybe we should look closer at the Laws of God because they contain the greatest logic in the universe. Actually, everything seen or unseen is about the Laws of God. Nothing could exist if there were no Law or God’s logic. Because our very existence depends on Laws, they “must” be logical. Laws are the principles which are applicable to our lives, which are established by God or his various authorities. In order to have a decent life they must be correct or right. Righteous laws are the will of God for every Christian. This is the reason that a decent society is totally dependent upon the children of God. A moral and useful society is directly related to the observance of God’s laws. Hopefully we can see that even the Grace of God does not violate any part of the Law.

There are many different types of laws but we will consider only a few. First we look at “a rule or principle of proper conduct sanctioned by conscience or the will of deity” which is called a moral law. We know that God included morals in the Jewish Law of Moses and they have been extended to Christians in the Law of righteousness. Another type of law is “any written rule or collection of rules prescribed under the authority of the state or nation.” This is called the statute law. A believer should know that these laws are also authorized by God.  Paul tells us; Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. Romans 13:1-2 (NLT) All laws, whether good or bad, have been established by the authority of God. The Lord has arranged or set in order everything in the universe. This order is called the natural law of our world. But it is the Spiritual laws of God that must be revealed to us if we want to have hope.

Our faith must be in response to the Grace of God. His Grace was even being applied when God implemented His own righteous Law for the rule of human beings. Because of the evil world around us we sometimes forget that people were not created sinful. The Scripture says; Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. Romans 2:14-15 (NLT) It is evident that God’s laws were given to humans at their creation. Our problem is not having or knowing the Law, it is obeying the Law. Somewhere in our nature lurks the spirit of rebellion (sin). Rebelling against any righteousness is to rebel against God himself. Because we are born in sin it is necessary to be freed from its chains. Yes, we have a dual nature, the one from creation and the one from birth. In order to understand the logic of a dual nature we must surrender our whole life to the Spirit of revelation.

The law of sin which lives in our sinful nature promotes a struggle every true believer must face. Paul was a Christian but he knew that rebellion was a part of his nature.  I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Romans 7:22-23 (NLT) He is not saying that he lives as a sinner, God forbid, he is saying that he wants to live a righteous life but the temptation of sinning is something he must continually take into account. When the Spirit of Jesus comes to live in us, He does not remove the law of sin and death but He gives us the power to put it in its place. Laws can be superseded by the power of a stronger law. We may have seen a test car that is following the laws of motion but when it hits the concrete wall the laws of motion are canceled by the  law of heavy objects. In the same way, the law of sin and death is at work in all of us but when the Law of the Spirit works in our life it can override the power contained in the weaker law of sin. The world cannot understand our hope but every real believer knows that the Law of the Spirit will cancel their trip to Hell at death.

One way to view the laws is to put them into two groups. First there are the laws that we are born into. These laws all relate to our life on earth. Some laws pertain to our fallen nature and are a problem for us. For example, laws of sin and death along with the Law of Moses (laws of righteousness). The problem with the good laws is that many people think if they keep the Law of Moses they are ready to live with God but that will never work. The Scripture says; no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. Romans 3:20 (NLT) The Bible does point out that the Law of righteousness is of this earth; the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. Romans 9:31-32 (NLT) This brings us to the second group of Laws which are spiritual. It is important to remember that all spiritual laws work through our faith. Spiritual Laws are about divine operations and these are the laws that God uses to save a human from eternal death.

Faith is the main spiritual law but in addition to faith we have been given another spiritual law that can make our faith successful. It is the law of the Spirit and this is how Jesus is able to live in humans. We cannot fail at the Christian life when the law of the Spirit lives in us and we are; letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. Romans 8:6 There is no more peaceful feeling in life than to have spiritual laws at work in us. The Scripture says that we must completely rely on God; Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. Romans 3:27-28 (NLT) If the Law of righteousness will not get us to Heaven but the Law of faith can allow us to live with God, then faith is stronger than our good works. Because a stronger law will overpower a weaker one it should be clear that we need spiritual laws at work in our life. If a Christian will develop the ability to hear and obey the voice of the Spirit they will have the strength of God showing them success in their Spiritual life. We know that the Spirit usually talks to us through the Scriptures.

The Law of faith and the Law of the Spirit must rule the mind of a Christian. It is not possible to live the life described in Scriptures without them; using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. 1 Cor 2:13-16 (NLT) This passage does not say “our” behavior cannot be evaluated. It says that the spiritual truth from the Spirit of Christ that is acted out in the life of a true believer cannot be evaluated. The logic found in the laws of God cannot be understood by unbelievers but it is real for eternity. Although everyone will understand God’s logic on Judgment day it will be too late to make a change. May God grant us a revelation of His logic today!

Deliver Me into Thy Kingdom

The life of a new Christian is joy unspeakable. There is a heavenly euphoria caused by our release from the burden of sin...the sin that we all live in from birth. Some people tell us that it feels better than getting out of jail. Others are so happy that there are times when the tears of their bliss run freely and drip on the floor. In fact, one person lost their English language for several hours because the elation they felt carried them away from all present-day feelings. We could listen to thousands of people tell us of the wonder and awe of their jubilation. But no human can maintain a state of elation forever. At some point Christians reach a time where they will come down to earth for some testing. There will be times when we actually worry that we are not right with our God or that He is unhappy with us. At these times we must survive on our hope. The Lord knows us completely and He will always “make a way for us” if we simply call out for His help. God really wants to deliver us into His Kingdom.

Most of us know that our efforts to be good will never get us to Heaven because we are sinful. In fact, the disciples were surprised when they found out that no human will be in Heaven because of their own worth or position. The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Matt 19:25-26 (NLT) It is plain that every human must seek divine deliverance from our situation on earth. Even after we are saved from this sinful life it is essential that we learn the ways of God for a complete deliverance. There is no way we will live in the Kingdom of Heaven if the Spirit is not allowed to change our life and show us the way. The Bible says this about a Christian; You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) Romans 8:9 (NLT) Our deliverance is continually available if we rely on the Spirit of Jesus.

Over the years people have looked many places for God’s Kingdom but have never found it. Even when Jesus walked the earth it was hidden. “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you. ” Luke 17:20-21 (NLT) Jesus taught us that He was the beginning of the Kingdom but that it was invisible to unbelieving humans. People will always have trouble believing in things that are invisible and this is why salvation is all about our faith. Without faith no one will ever be delivered into the Kingdom of Heaven. When Jesus came to earth most people did not want to believe that He was the Son of God and we still have the same problem today. After God went to the great effort of creating humans, it seems natural that He would want to save some of them for Himself. The Scriptures make it clear that God even sent His Son down from Heaven to deliver humans into God’s eternal Kingdom someday.

Although the baby Jesus arrived in humble circumstances, He always had the authority of the Almighty contained in Him. This authority was unlimited. One time when the Religious Leaders attacked He gave this answer; “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Luke 5:21-24 (NLT) When Jesus healed the hundreds of sick people He was simply trying to teach humans that He has the authority to deliver any person from any situation on earth. This included the temporary world of sickness or the eternal world of salvation from sin and deliverance into His Kingdom. It is plain that Jesus had the greatest authority dwelling in Him because not only did every one of His commands get answered but He fulfilled every prophecy in the Scriptures.

It is beautiful the way a Christian can trust Jesus and his power to deliver us from any situation. Remember the little lady that had been struggling with sickness for years. After learning about Jesus she took all her strength and forced her way toward the Master. She touched the fringe of his robe, for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment. Matt 9:20-22 (NLT) Nothing in this world could change her life but when she placed all her faith in Jesus her life changed in an unbelievable way. No one who ever trusted completely in the Son of God has been disappointed. This includes the most negative person in the world if they will make Him the Lord of their life. The fact is that Jesus can and will deliver us into the Kingdom of Heaven if we trust Him with our life.

There are times when our life is tough and it is hard to see anything good in our future. Unseen to us during these times, the power of our deliverance is still at work. During these situations we find out whether our faith in Jesus is complete or just partial. Paul had many trials that would possibly have ruined our faith in God. These trials always seemed to make Paul trust in Jesus more than ever. When writing to Timothy he said; But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And he rescued me from certain death. Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! 2 Tim 4:17-18 (NLT) Yes, Jesus has the authority and the power to deliver any one of us into the Kingdom of Heaven. All we must do is continue to trust him with our life no matter what troubles we have or how terrible our future looks. God will deliver us into His Kingdom.

Hope of the Call

The average man in this world is acting out a loss of hope. Once there was a man named H.D. Thoreau who rejected most worldly pleasures. His lack of hope apparently entitled him to make many snide remarks about hard working Americans. Thoreau said, for example, that most men lead lives of quiet desperation and if they are resigned to their lot in life they are simply confirming their own desperation. He is saying that all well adjusted workers have a false hope because there is really no hope in this world. This incorrect line of reasoning can hurt good workers because the truth is; great hope is available to all people. This great hope is found only in the Spirit life that God is calling us to.  For God wanted them (Jews) to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. Col 1:27 (NLT) All unbelieving people are missing the secret--- that an eternal hope is available to every person in this world.

Every Christian has answered "yes" to the call of Christ and hope is part of this call. As a Christian begins their new life they should realize what is waiting for them in the next life. Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven. (This is) where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. Col 3:1-4 (NLT) These facts make it impossible to live a hopeless Christian life. We are like a young person that has not yet come of age and taken possession of their great inheritance. As R.L. Stevenson said in his famous novel “there is a treasure not yet lifted.” When the Spirit, which lives inside of a Christian, promotes us into the next world we will be absolutely amazed. Some day Jesus Christ will share His position and His possessions with those of us that serve Him.

Hope is the fuel that helps a Christian keep going when things are tough. Because our hope is in another world we should not let anything in this world diminish it. The harder this life gets, the brighter our hope should shine. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Heb 12:1-2 (NLT) The Bible tells us to keep our eyes on Jesus who is in Heaven but He also lives inside of us by His Spirit. We have the power to maintain our hope living in us. Paul said it this way; God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. Eph 1:22-23 We should accept the fact that great power resides in a real Christian life.

A Christian life in this world actually is proof of the great hope that is available. The Scriptures talk about the plan of God to remove us totally from sin. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. Heb 1:2-3 (NLT) It is amazing that the character of the Almighty and the creation of the entire universe was used to sacrifice his Son, in order to cleanse a Christian from their sin. To repeat, a Christian life in this world is certainly proof of the hope that is available to people. We could say that everything God recorded in the Scriptures was done ultimately for the purpose of cleaning up a few people to live forever as His family.

There are many people that have desired to go to heaven but will never live with God. These people have gone down the aisle of a church and believed that Christ died for them. They sit in the pew and ignore the scriptures they hear week after week. They are refusing to live their life totally for Jesus Christ. Some of these folks have even tried to follow Jesus under their own power. They will never be successful because we are too weak spiritually. The Bible says; “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. Acts 2:32-33 (NLT) There is only one way to live a life that pleases God; a person must allow the Holy Spirit to be poured into their life. The hope of our calling is contained in the power of the Spirit of Jesus living in us and directing everything in our lives.

The more we are controlled by the Spirit, the more eternal hope we have.

From White Knucklers to White Washing

Humans have an uncanny ability to resist God in a thousand ways. We may not even be aware of our own ploys when we want to avoid what Jesus is asking us to do. Older Christians can remember when the preachers used to present God’s gospel message to those in the pews so rigorously that conviction would be all over the person that was avoiding the call of Christ. When they were asked to make a decision the convicted person griped the pew in front of them until their knuckles would turn white. Preachers are afraid to preach sternly today so the message has been watered down to make people feel comfortable. They claim they are teaching the way of love but preachers have forgotten that our God is merciless when it comes to a sinful or unbelieving life. The fact that nobody is convicted of their worldly life style is proof that the Gospel message is now being white-washed. Maybe we should call our reluctance to serve God the “White Plague”. White washing is dreadfully insidious. It causes people to misunderstand the Gospel message.

The one commitment that people fear the most is leaving the life that they love and living a life dedicated to God alone. The fact that the Church person today is normally living an ungodly life is repulsive to God. There are many passages presenting this truth, for example; They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires… They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them. Jude 1:18-19 (NLT) This verse even gives us the remedy for our worldly lives, God’s Spirit in us. No matter how righteous we think we are, all our lives are ungodly until the Spirit is obeyed. If we know how we should be living but are doing something else then we are not obeying the Spirit. Our old nature is always demanding that we please ourselves rather than God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. Eph 2:2-3 We must have a change of nature (which will change our life) or we will face God’s wrath.

Justifying ourselves has become a way of life for Church people. Today loving our family is considered a life of righteousness along with other noble pursuits. Doing good deeds is being used as another way to resist what God actually wants for us. When Jesus walked this earth this was part of His message; If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. Matt 10:37-39 (NLT) Jesus did not white-wash his message because it is dangerous to risk losing an eternal life with God because of the pleasures of our short life here. Many people say we have no right to talk to them like this. They feel that they deserve new cars, boats, houses and all the pleasure they can find in life. They cannot understand that we really worry about their soul because replacing God with things today will result in Hell forever.

Another way that we resist God is to simply ignore Him. This is very popular among non-believers as well as Church members attempting to gain heaven without giving up this world. We are warned about this mental white-washing; For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? Heb 2:2-3 (NLT) This verse makes it clear that if we ignore the new life provided by Jesus, we will be punished. It is difficult to live by the truth when it has been white-washed by the organized Church. When we stand up against the Church we will be persecuted the way Paul was in his day. Although it is unpopular let us take a pledge to obey the truth and refuse to put up with the white-washing.

Most of us are aware that the truth has fallen in our country. But God gave us the Scriptures and Jesus has sent His Spirit so that we could live by the truth. Paul said to us; Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Eph 4:21-24 (NLT) Yes, it is hard to believe but our new nature was created to make us like God. This will require us to completely give up the world and not to resist God in any way.

Secret Christian Word

There are some subjects that authors of the past have written about that are so special that a new word must be coined. This happens when a brand new concept is being introduced to the minds of people. Paul wrote about one half of the New Testament and at times he talked about new spiritual ideas that Jesus had given to him. Because no one ever had these thoughts before Paul had to push the Greek language to the extreme limit. In other words, Paul used a word that has never been found anywhere else in the world of written languages. This word means a sort of super assurance in the Spirit. Some Christians know this word as a feeling that they express by saying “I know that I know, that I know, etc.” Of course, the world could never feel or understand this word because it is only given by the Spirit of Jesus when He is living inside a person. It must have been difficult for Paul to figure out how to tell people about this brand new feeling. We will discover that this word only applies to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Nouns can refer to the state of a person. This beautiful Greek noun, pronounced “plee ro pho ria” describes the absolute full persuasion that can be found only in the Spirit of Christ and nowhere else. For example, this is the happy state of a martyr like Stephen when Paul watched him die. The world can never explain or understand the mental state of a happy martyr. Most of us know what euphoria is but to have this feeling while being tortured to death for the Gospel is a supernatural gift from God. The point is that every Christian can have this feeling about Jesus even though we are not being physically tortured. Plerophoria is only used four times in the Scriptures. It is used in two books by Paul and twice in the book of Hebrews. Maybe Paul started thinking about needing a word for this state of a Christian after considering how Stephen had died. The song that describes being filled to overflowing comes to mind as we think of the state of being fully persuaded. When Christians are absolutely persuaded to this level of confidence it can overflow and influence others.

Christians are all about trust and this is something every person must settle in their heart. Paul said; And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. Heb 10:19-22 (NLT) The words “fully trusting him” are translated from the word “plerophoria.” No one could possibly be a Christian and not be fully persuaded that the blood of Jesus guarantees a path into the presence of God forever. The fact that Jesus opened the way through “the veil” is the foundation of all Christianity. With the covering of Christ’s blood over us we can become clean enough to live with God but we must believe it to the point of euphoria. God desires that we trust Him until, we know, that we know, that Jesus will represent us to the Father. This confidence can result in our living forever as a part of God’s family.

As with many of the ways of God it is difficult for us to describe the way the Spirit makes us feel.  Here Paul say’s; For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you. So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. 1 Thess 1:4-7 (NLT) In this passage, plerophoria has been interpreted as “full assurance.” We can see here that when the Spirit brings this “super” persuasion into our life we receive the special power of God to make it a part of our everyday life. The Good News has been endorsed by the Spirit. Our confidence in what the Spirit gives us is a form of imitating Jesus who always relied on the Spirit. Obeying the word of God can cause us to have great assurance in God Himself. We can certainly depend on the love of God when we obey His word and have absolute trust in Him.

In this next verse we are being encouraged to love each other because of our growing knowledge of the plan of God. Paul explains another benefit of plerophoria.  I want you to know how much I have agonized for you …and for many other believers who have never met me personally. I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Col 2:1-3 (NLT) “To have complete confidence” is the interpretation of plerophoria that is given here. These different ways of trying to explain the same word begin to shape our thoughts on this subject. The mysteries of God are referred to several times in the Bible but the Scriptures are alluding to an unsaved person. A Christian will have great confidence because they can understand the plan of God. People who have a lack of persuasion are limiting what God can do in their life.

Living for Jesus takes a lifetime of our trust and obedience. We must stay active in the new life that the Lord has given us or risk running out of oil for our lamp. This passage is to encourage us in the life we have chosen.  For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance. Heb 6:10-12 (NLT) Every Christian hopes to please God and then to live with Him forever. This message wants us to know that with our love, our endurance, our faith and our hope, we can be absolutely and fully persuaded that we are pleasing God. Isn’t it a wonderful feeling to be in the will of our God and know His secrets?

No Need For Sacrifice

Human beings will many times feel the guilt of their sins. When this happens we want to do a good deed or some other self-made sacrifice to make ourselves feel righteous instead of guilty. This type of sacrifice is not a good practice for Christians. We must learn to rely on the righteousness of our Savior. Because of what Jesus has done for us the Bible says; And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. Heb 10:18 (NLT) This means that there is nothing that we can do to be righteous, other than having faith in the righteousness of Christ. Learning that our salvation is not merely a legal transaction between God and man is vital. Salvation includes a life-long spiritual renewal for each individual. The righteousness of Christ’s atoning sacrifice extends itself through the Spirit into the source of our new life. Our relationship with God is based on His grace and OUR FAITH. Here-in lays our problem! Us.

Every human has tried to be righteous at some time or another. Many times it involves some generous act toward other people. Americans tend to think about doing good deeds as a sacrifice for their sins. This is a situation where we really need God’s understanding. So you see, (regular) faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. James 2:17 (NLT) This Bible passage is making it clear that Christian faith produces good deeds as a bi-product. Our deeds are not planned by us but are spontaneous when we are joined with the Lord and doing His will. The type of faith we are talking about is only available to a person who relies on the Holy Spirit to become one with their own spirit. When we join together with God’s Spirit our new nature develops. This new nature, by design, will have the correct type of faith. Now every part of God’s righteousness can be produced in our new life including justification, sanctification and glorification. Our new robe of righteousness is provided by Jesus Christ.

We could say that for us to make a sacrifice that pleases God is impossible for many different reasons. But a simple way to look at it is that the Spirit living in us is turning us into the sacrifice (becoming one with Jesus) that God is looking for. If we become the final sacrifice then how would we make another sacrifice? This explains what Paul was saying; And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:1-2 (NLT) God-like righteousness is our necessary goal. There is no other way to live with God. Righteousness is the state commanded by God and He has commanded that we find our righteousness in Jesus Christ.

The gift of righteousness is greater than we can ever describe. The fact that there is no other sacrifice that can be made to God with any meaning is one way of stating the greatness of Christ’s righteousness. The covering of righteousness for our life was sent down to us when the Holy Spirit came to dwell inside of us. Faith in this righteous covering is necessary if we are to avail ourselves of the free gifts of God. When we received the robe of righteousness it was spotless but in this world we get dirty spots on it. Through our faith we must ask Jesus and the Spirit to forgive us and remove the spots. This verse gives us the idea; If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9 (KJV) In the Old Testament people were required to offer sacrifices for their sins but today it is essential that we keep our robe clean in order to be right with God.

God has always looked forward to the day when humans would find righteousness. When He sent John the Baptist to preach repentance it was a beginning step we need to find righteousness. When Jesus set us free from our past sins it was to find a place that a new life of righteousness could increase. We seek to find the perfection of God in our life. We become the sacrifice but we do not make sacrifice. We must become truth and not merely find truth. John said it this way; Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 1 John 3:7 (NLT) This is all possible when the Holy Spirit becomes one with our spirit. The Spirit makes Jesus real in us and “Christ is righteous. If we allow our spirit to become one with Jesus today we will never have the need for another sacrifice. (That is asking God for righteousness)

 

 

 

 

We Are Not Our Own

Remember, in every situation of our life we actually belong to a higher power. Our natural way of thinking is that we are alone and no one really understands or cares about anything in our life. A worldly person may be right but this cannot be true for a person of real faith. Paul says to us; Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. 1 Cor 6:19-20 (NLT). We have been purchased twice although we do not think of it this way. The first time when God created us as his own and the second time was when Christ was sacrificed on the cross so that the Spirit could come to live in us. If we built something with our own hands and then were to purchase it a second time, we would certainly feel that it belonged to us. This paper will attempt to show how unreasonable it is for Christians to live for themselves. Because we belong to God, his Word is clearly asking us to spend our complete life serving Him.

The world around us has been developed over the years to impart a powerful attraction to our natural senses. In fact, it is impossible for any natural person to resist every worldly appeal that is offered to them during their life. The denying of earthly desires is our main obstacle to the righteous life God desires. When we include the denying of self-will, which is also impossible, there is certainly no way to please God. Fortunately, the Spirit can provide the power to overcome every impossible thing in our life. You are now a slave of Christ. God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. 1 Cor 7:22-23 (NLT) In this verse Paul includes a warning about the world that is not in the first verse. We must not allow ourselves to be enslaved by the world for any reason because a Christian has been purchased again by their original owner. Because we are born in sin, the world owns us for a while but if we ask God to redeem us the world no longer has the legal right to ask us to be part of its plans.

Jesus first began his ministry with an outline of the way people should live their lives here on earth. This is one small part of that sermon; “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Matt 6:24-27 (NLT) Because a true Christian does not belong to himself, our owner will take care of all life’s problems. This wonderful truth is difficult for us to accept in our everyday life. This new life of doing God’s will is going to bring reproach and unpopularity into our life at times. Truly, Christians do not belong to themselves and we must always follow the leading of the Spirit.

 God accomplishes his care of us by sending his Spirit to live inside of us. As we recognize that we belong to Him rather than ourselves, He begins to change our natural ways. Many modern Church members do not understand the power that is intended to guide their lives. The best passage explaining this power is located in the first part of Romans chapter eight. Let’s look at some highlights. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you. Romans 8:2 (NLT) Even a beginner Christian understands that being free from the power of sin is salvation 101. Having knowledge that the power in us is greater by far, than the power of sin is good but we must act it out in our lives. In this next verse we see; The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. Romans 8:11 (NLT) It is hard to imagine but the same power that brought Jesus back to life is living in us. He is called the life-giving Spirit.

We are never forced in to a relationship with God. It is a privilege that we are allowed to become a child of God. This is why it is so important for us to make the correct decisions for God. For example; But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. Romans 8:13 (NLT) We like to blame anything else for our sins but very plainly it is “YOU” that are instructed to put sin to death. Yes, the power comes from God when we are successful at killing sin out of our life. This is why allowing the Spirit to operate on our behalf is absolutely necessary when we want to please God.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. Romans 8:14 (NLT) God’s children must not direct their own paths. Our nature without the leading of the Spirit is a recipe for disaster. The worst part is that we will deceive ourselves into believing that we are doing so well when we are not listening at all. 

In fact, the Word of God says that without the leading of the Spirit we will never see God. The Scripture says; (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) Romans 8:9 (NLT) This is why many people will not accept the teaching of the Spirit; they want to continue believing that anyone acknowledging the Savior is eternally saved and everything else in the Bible is simply a suggestion. Obviously, if the Spirit is living in someone they will want to live a life of service to God. Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. Romans 8:5 (NLT) When we please the Holy Spirit, it automatically pleases Jesus and the Father. It’s great that we can please all three at one time. There are many church people today that are planning and living their life to fulfill their own goals. These fence riders are usually spiritually unfulfilled.

When we are adopted into God’s family it means that by the Spirit we can become one with the trinity. No part of God is withheld from his commitment to humans. You received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. Romans 8:15-16 (NLT) We cannot fully grasp the idea that the Almighty is offering us a chance to belong to his family. Our adoption  means we are welcome in His house and to everything He owns. Living our life for Him is not much of a price to pay. In fact, once a person gives the Spirit control of our life, our commitment seems to be a wonderful privilege. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Romans 8:17 (NLT) Suffering for the cause of Jesus Christ is the life a Christian must be ready to accept. Is this the life that we are living every day, knowing that we belong to another?

Above All Else

When we look at our life there is always “one thing” that will be above everything else. People may not even know what their life is about in many cases. Even having to think about the most important thing in their life is offensive to many people. The fact that we do not want to think or know what our life is about will make no difference on judgment day. What our life was about will be explained to us in detail. The best way to focus our life is to get ourselves right with the Creator. Here is an example of an important man and what he wanted his life to be about.  O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live. Psalms 63:1-4 (NLT) King David felt that the love of God was above everything else in his life. The amazing thing is that the more we desire God as number one, the more he makes it possible.

This is the reason that the Lord said he really loved David in spite of the times David failed to act Godly. If we want to serve God we must have a relationship with him. We should know the name of God and what He is like. The Scriptures instruct us to love Him so it is important that we respond to our Creator in the correct way.  I want you to show (Me) love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6 (NLT) God has always been worthy of our sacrifices because He is our Creator and without Him we cannot even take a breath. But in this verse God says that He wants us to know Him above anything else in our lives. There are no other Gods that have ever made such a request. They are all hiding something from their followers but our God wants us to know everything about Him. What a huge difference this makes in the relationship we can have with God. The first part of this verse says “I want you to show love” to Me. There is no way to ignore God and not have to answer for a bad attitude. He wants us and we must want Him.

God has always reached out to help people who desire him to be first in their lives. In the old days names had great meaning. We don’t fully understand how important a name was but we do know that in the beginning of our history it was very important. The first time you met someone their name would tell many things about who they were. As God reached out to humans he gave his name as an introduction.  And God said to Moses, “I am Yahweh—‘the Lord.’  I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty’ —but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them. Ex 6:2-3 (NLT) Here we see God telling something about himself that Moses needed to know. In Abraham’s time the people were being introduced to the “Almighty” who had created everything including each individual. But when Moses was in big trouble, attempting to rescue the Israelites from Egypt he prayed and God gave his personal name so Moses could serve Him better. The additional meaning contained in the name Yahweh is interpreted as “the God who provides redemption for His people.” This greatly reassured Moses.

One of our problems today is that many people decide to put God above all else but they want to do it in their own way. They look at the covenant God has provided for our salvation and they pick and choose the things they want and then ignore the things they don’t want. This will never work. God’s gospel plan was designed to bring people into his likeness while forming one body that works in unison. When God brought Israel out of Egypt, he did it as one great body of people. Some of them complained and were lost. God intends to deliver Christians as one great body and those that do not conform will be left behind. Above all else we must keep our lives true to the covenant of our salvation and fellowship. Jesus Christ is our new covenant and we know a lot about him simply by learning his many names. Here are some examples, Advocate, Bread of life, Eternal Judge, King, Lord of all, Master, Redeemer, True Vine and etc. In fact, Jesus is referred to by more than 200 names in the New Testament.

We have a wonderful God who not only created us but then later revealed that he would rescue every one of His people who loved him. It makes sense that God said “I want you to show love” to Me because he first showed love to us. Today the people of this world can only know God as the “I AM” but if they approach God asking His help He will reveal the redemption plan to them. When we do love God, He expects us to honor the covenant that applies to us. Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. But he does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject him. Deut 7:9-10 (NLT) We have a loving and faithful God who wants to rescue us from the destruction that we deserve. Our God is the great “I AM” and he wants to provide for our redemption through the Savior Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit as Lord of our daily life.

Above all else, seek God in the way he has provided.

Obeying the Word

Sometimes it seems that the men, women, and children that God created and procreated have all forgotten how good it is, to know and utilize the word “obey.” To obey is a proper and eternal response to all righteous requests. There are times that we do not want to obey but it is still necessary for us to follow instructions. Everyone knows that we must tell a child not to put his hand into a fire. Some of them will obey and be happy but others decide to disobey and receive a painful burn. It is not that simple to obey the Word of God because life is very complex. But if we want to qualify as a member of God’s elite family we must learn to obey.  Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. Heb 5:8-9 (NLT). People like to say “I believe in Jesus” and they proceed to live their life any way they choose. What would have happened if Jesus had not obeyed the Father and had simply lived anyway He wanted?

Jesus is willing to be our source of eternal salvation only when we obey the word of God. Maybe we should explain that every single human on this earth is born with their own death and eternal punishment to be paid. Because of our sinful ways we can never live around God who is perfect. Most Americans know that Jesus came to earth and provided a solution for our redemption. It seems that they do not know that in order to be part of God’s eternity they must deny themselves (pick up their cross) and learn to obey the Lord. Every human is born with a chance to live in eternity forever if we are willing to obey God’s Word. Of course, many people say that they don’t obey anybody but they are actually wrong. The Scriptures say; Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Romans 6:16 (NLT). If these people could only see that they are already obeying their sinful nature maybe they would see the need to reject their present evil master.

There is one big reason why many people do not live a life dedicated to God. It is because all humans are born with a naturally bad way of thinking. The Scripture says; The Lord knows people’s thoughts; he knows they are worthless! Psalms 94:11 (NLT) This may seem offensive to some people but it is true. The New Testament spells it out for us; Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.  Eph 4:17-19 Our natural thinking is never going to be Godly. This is why Paul said; Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Eph 4:21-24 (NLT) If we want to join God some day it is necessary to put on the new nature which will allow us to successfully obey the Word of God.

Today we have a choice to obey the Savior. This will not always be the case; at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil 2:10-11 (NLT) Someday it will be compulsory to confess that Jesus is our Lord because it is true. There will be no reward if we are forced to say it. We must love God and confess our Lord now.  Jesus is the Word of God therefore he is the one we must obey; So the Word became human and made his home among us… And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. John 1:14. One time Jesus told his disciples; “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 Jesus is the only way that any human can find eternal salvation. Jesus told his disciples; the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest Mark 4:20 (NLT) To accept God’s word means that we will obey words of Jesus as our Lord.

After we have heard the Word of the Gospel and obeyed our call, we will begin to learn about trusting or having faith as most call it. Trusting is necessary so that our obedience can be wholehearted because we learn that everything He asks of us is right.  This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith (trusting) that a righteous person has (eternal) life.” Romans 1:17 (NLT) We can begin to see how that all the elements of salvation must work together. Our salvation is not about doing just one element but everything in our life must fit together in its proper place.  We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. Eph 2:21-22 It may be difficult to believe but we are being put together so that we may become a suitable part of the body of Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, the bottom line for people who do know God but they do not obey Him, is exactly the same as it is for people who never accepted God at all. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. 2 Thess 1:7-9 (NLT) The only divine punishment for eternity is to suffer torment and the only way to escape this terrible situation is to obey every part of God’s Word. This means that our natural thinking must be changed and that can only be done by the Spirit of Jesus. God will give us the greatest hope in the universe if we will surrender our thinking to Him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NLT) If you want to be saved let God change you into the type of person that can live with Him in eternity. Living with God is why we must obey the Word and in addition we will receive the greatest reward ever imagined by a human.