by David Brenneman
"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." John 14:27.
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." Romans 8:28-30.
"But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." 2 Timothy 4:5.
"But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation." 1 Thessalonians 5:8.
"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8.
"Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:13.
How seriously do you take living the Christian life? Anxiety a part of it that's unnecessary there? Are you at all listening to what the Bible says that your life in Christ is to be about? That you are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that you might walk in them?
Go where He leads, stay where He says to stay. Learn what the Spirit says to be learning, removing from your heart and mind whatever He says must go. Leaning not on your own understanding and in all your ways acknowledging Him so that He would make your paths straight?
How seriously are you taking it that you who are claiming to be saved Christian people whom will stand before Jesus to give an account of your life before Him with whom we have to do?
We become part of the body of Christ we learn to behave as part of that body whose sole purpose is obedience to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ through the Spirit of God.
We have Paul's comparison to the physical body and what attributes pertain to that. We have those in various medical fields who can describe in extreme detail what rogue cells in a body do, which is cause abnormalities and death to the healthy parts.
Are you a healthy, connected, part of the body of Christ or are you honestly trying to get away with the minimum for your time on the Earth? Don't you realize you WILL give an account of your life before Jesus? You're GOING to explain to Him why you thought it better to not obey in your endeavors?
My Dear Reader there's much that occurred when you came to Christ in order to save you and to make you part of the body of Christ. If you truly meant that then living life with the purpose of pleasing the One who saved you should very much be your first priority.
Much of our anxiety comes from taking out eyes off Jesus, the Author and perfecter of our faith.
Peter only began to walk on water when his eyes were steadfast on Jesus. When he let the environment become more important he began to sink. Worry set in right there before Jesus. Worry that finally gave way to vocalized prayer.
We were given a mind with the expectation that we would use it properly in our lives for Jesus. Salvation is but the first correct step along that path. A newborns belief in whom is identified as their mother and father sets the stage in life for everything that follows.
We come to Christ as newborn babes who start off with milk and should be gradually moving up to solid foods.
"Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord." 1 Peter 2:1-3.
There is this too for those who've let too much of the world dictate their lives: "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food." Hebrews 5:12.
"And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?" 1 Corinthians 3:1-3.
We are absolutely called to take our lives in Christ seriously. It's not for us to store up our treasures here on Earth where moth and rust destroy. We're not on vacation after coming to Christ for salvation. Not here to do our own thing until we die. We are guaranteed to have stresses and striving in life when we live life in Christ in such a way that He's not part of it.
We will never show ourselves as being part of the body of Christ where people are seeing our good works and glorifying our Father in Heaven if all we are doing is living for self.
Yesterday's sermon at our church was on anxiety, worrying, and a proper Biblical response to it. The story of Jehosophat in the Old Testament. 2 Chronicles 20:1-30.
We must not forget what's to become of Believers who are walking in Christ with a whole heart.
Read this again:
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." Romans 8:28-30.
Clear out the clutter from your heart and mind that are getting in the way of your wholehearted obedience to God!
Take your life in Christ seriously and obey in what you are called to be doing. As a part of the body of Christ there are none who have nothing to do!
Are you dedicating time in prayer for you and Jesus to be talking?
Are you dedicating time in the Word of God to be learning?
Are you dedicating time in your life to be actively engaged in the world with the full armor of God on?
It's ONLY these things that will mean something substantial when a life is revealed before Him with whom we have to do. Everything else will be burned up as meaningless.
We used to sing a hymn with this line in it:
Give of your best to the Master;
Give of the strength of your youth;
Throw your soul’s fresh, glowing ardor
Into the battle for truth.
Jesus has set the example,
Dauntless was He, young and brave;
Give Him your loyal devotion;
Give Him the best that you have.
Give of your best to the Master;
Give of the strength of your youth;
Clad in salvation’s full armor,
Join in the battle for truth.
Are you giving the best you can do for Jesus or only what might be called the barest of minimum?
It will indeed be revealed when you stand before Jesus.
It's time to be about the Father’s business the same as Jesus was when He walked this Earth Himself. He let nothing stand in His way.
Neither should we.
All New American Standard Bible Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. A corporation not for profit.
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