However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.
John 6:37-38 NLT
http://bible.com/116/jhn.6.37-38.NLT
I am His. I know this because He draws me near to Him. I can trust that He will not forsake me. And He gave me the example to follow – to do God’s will and not my own.
So the next logical question is, what is God’s will?
Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.
1 John 3:21-22 NLT
http://bible.com/116/1jn.3.21-22.NLT
I’m learning that guilt is a corruption of conviction and a trap of the enemy. Yes, I’ve known this intellectually, but I’m beginning to understand it in my heart. You see, guilt is dwelling on past things that we cannot change, just like anxiety is dwelling on the future that we cannot yet affect. Guilt and shame paralyze us and bring no honor or glory to God. They are perversions of God’s wonderful gift of conviction.
But conviction is one of those amazing gifts and blessings from God. Conviction identifies those dangerous and poisonous things in our lives so that we can:
1) Ask forgiveness for past shortcomings
2) Accept Christ’s atoning blood that washes away our sins
3) Ask for deliverance and guidance as we repent and resist temptation
4) Believe. Know that He will overcome.
5) Trust Him to prove himself faithful and true, even when in His time and not ours
6) Rest in the peace of our faithfulness, remembering the price He paid, and the value and purpose of our life as part of His Kingdom
Conviction is an opportunity for transformation now, in our hearts. It moves us forward, it presses us on toward our goal. Conviction leads to prayer, to communication and a drawing into the presence of God in that humble position before God that allows us to worship God and receive His grace and mercy fresh and new.
And His grace poured out upon these old bones, as our hearts cry out to Him, “Great are you, Lord!” What a blessing is this conviction that leads us to praise our Lord and rely upon Him as our comforter, as our protector, as our Savior, and as our Lord.
So I encourage you, friend, do not run from conviction – for it is the light that shines down and offers us the blessing of His touch. Do not fear the light revealing your imperfections, because His refining fires will burn away the imperfections, His blood will wash over the wounds and heal and restore you. Stand with confidence in His presence, friend. Not because you are worthy or proud, but because He is worthy and His promises are true, and He will forgive you. He will restore you. He will redeem you and deliver you.
Let Him make you brave, friend. Know that He is for you and not against you, friend. Even as the waves crash against us, He is our rock and our foundation, and He will not be overcome.
Receive everything that you need to walk in the path that He has set before you. Walk in His will and see the enemy conquered and defeated and see His hand upon the lives around you as you learn to love and serve, as you grow to be more like your teacher, as you accept the imprint of Christ who lives in you upon your life choices and actions.
Live, bride of Christ. Arise to meet your Love in the heavens. Come, Lord Jesus, come. Rescue us into your presence. Release us from our waiting, from our yearning for your face, deliver us together as one into your eyeball courts, to sing your praises eternal.
We are no longer lost, we are no longer blind, we can see the love in your example, Lord – in your grace you are revealed to us, and we are humbled at your feet. Amazing grace, that saved a wretch like me – so sweet a sound, to be found in your arms, even a prodigal like me. Your mercies reach so deep into the darkness to rescue even me, Lord. Even me.
Even me.
Even you, friend.
“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.
Luke 11:23 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.11.23.NLT
This passage, from Luke 11:14-28 is talking about two things. First, it is confirming that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is working against evil, because there were those who would twist the truth to the point of accusing Him to be the enemy of God. This is the same anti-Christ spirit we are warned of that does not acknowledge that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and is from God.
By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
I John 4:2-3 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/1jn.4.2-3.NKJV
Second, it is teaching us that if we are not actively working with Christ, then we are in opposition to God’s will. We reach have an active purpose and a calling in His Kingdom. We are each called to belief and action.
Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.]]
Mark 16:14-20 ESV
http://bible.com/59/mrk.16.14-20.ESV
Jesus found them reclining and rebuked them for their inaction and their lack of belief, their lack of faith. If He appeared to you today, would He find you reclining? Would He find you in lack of faith? Would He find you proclaiming the gospel to the whole world? Would He find you active and alive in good works being done to bring honor and glory to His name?
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16 ESV
http://bible.com/59/mat.5.14-16.ESV
I encourage you to life, friends. I encourage you to action. I pray that my encouragement, or even my words of correction of that is needed in your life will be received as a valuable message from Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior – rather than you find yourself dead and lacking the very Holy Spirit that brings life.
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
James 2:14-17 ESV
http://bible.com/59/jas.2.14-17.ESV
Would He have a rebuke for you, or would He welcome you as His good and faithful servant?
I encourage you today into action. Be blessed as Jesus explains in the end of this passage in Luke 11 that we began examining –
But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Luke 11:28 ESV
http://bible.com/59/luk.11.28.ESV
The blessings are in serving and loving others. Don’t miss out on the blessings, friends, thinking that you’ve bought your ticket to heaven and your salvation is complete. Test yourself and prove yourself worthy.
Live a life that brings honor and glory to His name. And do it under the power and authority of Christ who lives in you, not just under your own striving for rewards or titles or self exaltation.
Choose today to serve God even more committed than you have before, and not just in words, but in actions.
We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.
1 John 3:16-19 NLT
http://bible.com/116/1jn.3.16-19.NLT
I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.
I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, children, because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
1 John 2:12-14 ESV
http://bible.com/59/1jn.2.12-14.ESV
Scripture makes a distinction between babes, young men, and fathers. And this is not a distinction made by age, but by spiritual maturity.
Little children
RECEIVE their sins are forgiven FOR HIS SAKE
BECAUSE they know the Father
Fathers
Know Him who is from the beginning (Jesus Christ, Word of God)
Young Men
Have Overcome the Evil One
Strong, Word of God abides in you (Holy Spirit)
How do I make the right choice?
Our day is filled with decisions, one after the other. Opportunities to choose, to make decisions, is as constant as the breaths we take to remain alive. And some decisions we make can have life altering consequences and either lead to life or to death. This is true of both physical life and spiritual life.
So the freedom to choose comes with a risk, because of the resulting consequences, and our decisions are important. How then do we make the right decision?
1) Pray for wisdom and guidance
2) Listen to instruction and guidance
3) Choose to follow and obey
http://bible.com/116/mat.6.7-8.nlt
When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
http://bible.com/116/1jn.1.8-10.nlt
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.
Observation
Why am I praying? Am I praying because I think that I know what I need and I’m telling God what I need?
Really?
Really?
Do I even hear what I am saying if that is my perspective?
Much of my life, I walked a treacherous and thorny path. I was not wise and I was not prepared, I just stumbled my way through life from one fun time to another, encountering unexpected obstacles along the way. I also didn’t think about the example that my life choices set for those around me.
Proverbs 22:5-6 NLT
Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road; whoever values life will avoid it. Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.
Aren’t there so many times when we hold back, when we procrastinate, when we either become trapped in our complacency or our indecision when we could be helping?
Proverbs 3:27-28 NLT
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”
1JN 4:20 ESV
If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
1JN 2:1-6 ESV
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
PERSONAL COMMENTARY
——————————————–
We know that we know Christ if we keep his commandments.
If we say we know him but do not keep his commandments, we are a liar and the truth is not in us.
But if we keep his word, His Love is perfected in us.
And if we do stumble and sin, we have an advocate.
We can know that He abides in us if we are walking like He walked.
So walking like He walked is our goal. Since we are imperfect and will stumble, this means that we should always be seeking God and growing and learning, because we are not yet perfected – we are still in the flesh.
This Grace is sufficient to cover any and all sins. But grace is not continuing to live in lawlessness without repentance – it is not a free ticket TO sin. Neither is grace a salvation by works or legalism without forgiveness – it is a gift freeing us FROM sin.
So the questions are:
1) Have I accepted and received this grace?
2) Have I experienced this Grace as a change in my life FROM sinning TO keeping his commandments?
3) Am I sharing this Grace with others through a fruitful life of serving God and serving and loving others?
We are not perfected. We are still in the flesh. And a battle rages on. But there should be a struggle. If we have Christ in us, He is stronger than the temptations and trials of this world, and He will win the battle. He will overcome. If there is no battle. If there is no light and life in us, if we are content living in our sinful ways, not being convicted to make any changes, not being corrected and disciplined when we are outside God’s will for our lives – shouldn’t we be sure that we have actually received this Grace and that we have Christ alive in us?
This morning, are you sure?
If not, He is only a prayer away, friend. He promises if you seek Him, you will find Him.
This morning, are you obeying his commandments?
If not, He is only a prayer away, friend. He promises that with Him, no weapon formed against you will prosper. He offers forgiveness, renewal, and healing. His mercy and peace is there for you to receive it.
Today, will your life reflect Christ’s love that lives inside you?
YES, IT WILL! Open fellowship with Christ this morning, and walk with Him today. Be mindful of Him, keep His Word close to your heart, keep your eyes open for the opportunities to love and help others, let His light shine, tell people that Jesus lives them – first with your actions and your example, and then even use words if necessary. I hope that I can do the same.
Joshua 24:15 NLT
But if you refuse to serve the lord , then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the lord .”
Whose will is apparent in my life today – my own sinful desires, or obedience to God’s commandments?
Who am I serving today?
God?
Satan?
Me?
Galatians 5:13-15 ESV
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
Harold J. Ballinger 