by David Brenneman
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you." Titus 2:11-15.
How seriously do you want to know Jesus? How seriously do you take His commands?
"And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”" Matthew 28:18-20.
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his [a]life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."" Matthew 16:24-25.
Our days have meaning if we're looking. If indeed Christ Jesus is your Lord and Savior you have more than a worldly life to live. In Christ we have purpose and a purpose.
We have purpose to obey all that He commanded us.
We have a purpose to do our part in the body of Christ while we yet live here.
These things ought to drive us, not be carry-on baggage to places we go, other things we do.
A friend of mine daily looks to the list of the Life Principles of Dr. Charles Stanley as a 30 day daily reminder list. Today's is along the lines of God moving Heaven and Earth to show us His Will.
Indeed when you read the book of Daniel, God indeed moved and Daniel was shown the will of God in the future of his people.
We read in 2 Thessalonians 4 that the will of God for us is our sanctification. Not necessarily our health, wealth or prosperity. Not necessarily success as the world views it.
Success in God's eyes includes what the world calls an untimely death. Success in God's eyes includes going through things like cancer. It includes many things that the world absolutely will never understand because why? Because as the Bible says they are spiritually discerned.
Even in the realm of Believers we may not get insight from God. Sometimes, again as shown in the book of Daniel, there won't be others who will be able to explain the situation from God's perspective.
The opening passage from Titus..."For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus."
We have a path to walk in life. We sometimes mistakenly get the idea that there's the path we want and the path that God desires as being different. They should be one and the same. He's to be our Great Shepherd. The One who leads. Up the mountains, down into the valleys. Teaching us through His Spirit.
We are in the most distracted generation since pre-flood Earth.
The world today is actually getting drawn every direction possible exponentially. It's actually a significant rarity to hear of Believers getting away from the world to be alone with Jesus.
While the world calls much of what's possible and available to mankind as hopeful and encouraging...compare those things with Scripture. All things are what?
"All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything." 1 Corinthians 6:12.
Garbage in Garbage out.
Proverbs teaches the value in being careful of what we take into our hearts and minds.
Our lives are supposed to be such that people see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven.
It's what's supposed to drive us.
Worldly desires are going to be extremely tempting. Satan designed them to be. He’s had a few thousand years to understand how to get under people's skin.
What drives you? Does obedience to God's Word drive you? Do you have an undocumented list of exclusions in regards to living life for Jesus? A list of stuff that you have been content with calling acceptable behavior that God's Word says isn't?
Take stock in your life...look carefully to see if indeed you are walking around Jesus or walking with Jesus. Whether you are beside Him or have gotten ahead of Him or even lost sight of Him.
You are alive and breathing.
You have hope because He lives.
You can still take a step and be where you are supposed to be in Christ.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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