Holding on Before it's Time

Holding on Before it's Time 

by David Brenneman 

We have a world in which we live that preaches and teaches going after whatever is on our mind, on our hearts, often without regard to the consequences.   If people don't support you then they are to be canceled. Ignored. 

Throughout human history mankind has always found that living for self, apart from a right relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, ends in futility.  Nothing we would strive after lasts.  Nothing we think we want is what we had in mind.  All the sacrifices of the people left behind, possibly stepped on, or over to get what we think we want were for naught.  

Justification is the path we take.  We justify our position, our thinking, our reasoning.  I have seen people manufacture facts to fit their justification. 

Have seen people literally take others apart in order to justify what they themselves have done. 

There's also things like grabbing ahold of something before God says it's time to do so.   The destination is likely indeed in the future of the individual but the timing isn't right.  Defenses go up, justification sets in.  

Romans 12:10 "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;" gets thrown out the airlock.  

We, again, are in a world that says "I want what I want, when I want it!".

This world is not ours, who are in Christ Jesus. 

Our life, according to Colossians 3, is with Jesus. 

"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4.

Always accompanying the revelation that people aren't living life the way they ought to, in having it revealed that they are indeed getting ahead of God, is redirected rage, anger, bitterness, tearing people down, justification of why their choices are right.  Essentially a temper tantrum. 

Unbelievers have them as well as Believers.  They just don't like to see it that way.  The truth is Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever.  The truth, that is Jesus, is the same, yesterday, today and forever.  Our reasoning is irrelevant. Our choosing to justify our position is actually sin.  Our choosing our path our way instead of submitting to the will of God for you is sin.  James 4:17 "Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin."

I have even seen people literally insist that they are obeying God in their selfish decisions!  That God's blessing them so it must be right. If we sin in even one aspect, we sin in all.  If we're not showing the character of Christ in us we are showing ourselves. The highest priority of the Spirit in regards to the life of the Believer is our sanctification.  Nothing else is a priority. Not even our personal happiness. 

I used to know people who were heavy book readers about various things in regards to supposed Godly things...looking back I can see it was to justify their disobedience.  They could quote all kinds of authors but they were not quoting THE Author and the Perfector of their faith. 

Fear is one of Satan's things with Believers.  Fear of loss.  Fear that they won't ever get something back if they don't latch on now. Fear that they, interestingly enough, will miss God's blessings if they don't do this or that!

God's not going to dangle a blessing for any of His children and yank it away at the last minute.  

We should never put our wants and desires before the will of God for us in Christ Jesus. Period. Exclamation point. 

If we are at all engaging anger, rage, justification, or any such thing, those are your warning signs.  If you feel the need to defend your position then you already are on the wrong side, wrong path.  If something is from God, truly from God, there's no need to defend it. Praise will accompany it. Joy will surround it. Peace will accompany it. Nobody will have been left behind in the Lord. 

So many people who claim to be Christians immerse themselves in so much "God stuff" to keep from acknowledging that they are disobedient in an area of life to justify their life's choices. 

They are literally trying to convince God that He needs to take into account all that they are doing for Him and to not look behind the door of their heart to that one thing they don't want Him to acknowledge as a sin problem. 

Lives are often left in ruin by Believers because of a single selfish act.  Not completely destroyed but in ruin.  They have even attacked or tried to malign other Believers to keep from saying God is right and they are wrong. 

This feeling in this here this now is more important to them than realizing they will be spending eternity with the same people.  Some would rather convince themselves that their opposition isn't saved so that they feel better about themselves. 

"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4.

Our life in Christ is to be our most important thing to us because it's the most important thing to Jesus for us. 

Things come and things go. Life isn't about things. Life is about living for Jesus in all that we do. Striving to please Him in all that we do. 

So what that we must let go of a dream or a desire.  It may yet be God's will for it to come again, it may not.  Our sanctification is the priority not our happiness. 

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. Lockman Foundation