by David Brenneman
"Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." James 4:7-8.
"You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." James 4:4.
Conflict and confrontation are probably the two biggest things that people try the hardest to avoid. They try to steer conversations and situations towards a peaceful resolution.
But what if that kind of resolution isn't what will glorify God?
Quite often we look for a peaceful option rather than to fully obey what the Spirit is telling us to do.
There's times when confrontation is necessary and needed in order to bring about the righteous life that God desires for us and others.
There's also what we read here: "Samuel said, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams." 1 Samuel 15:22.
There will be times when you are to stand your ground in the Lord and not give way to popular thinking. Just because going with the flow can appear appealing doesn't mean that it is the right thing to do.
To do as our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...we must be prepared to take the hard road to reach people for Christ. Our taking a firm stand in the Lord might be what some on-the-edge unbelieving person needs to see in order to become a believer.
We who are in Christ are being watched and not just by God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are being watched by a world destined for the wrath of God.
Over and over again in the Old Testament we find king after king failing to obey the word of God because they thought that they knew better than God. Essentially that is what they did. They didn't think to ask the Lord so went their own way.
We read of these apparently harsh words in the book of James but as harsh as they may be they're there to evoke a godly response.
We are to work at building relationships but not at the expense of our relationship with Jesus.
We are to, as much as it is possible, to live at peace with those in our lives, but in standing firm in the Lord that may not be possible.
We are to work at growing in Christ by the Word of God and prayer. Making these our highest priority.
We are to let our light shine in this condemned world to attract people to Jesus.
Doing our best at what we're lead to be doing as unto the Lord first and foremost. Regardless of what we think of the worthwhileness of what we're doing is. The value is found in the obedience not in the work itself.
If it's doing something other than what we were hired to do and it's breaking no policies or laws, do your best at it as unto the Lord.
There's to be a definitive separation between our lives and the world.
Our conviction in what we believe and our adherence to the Word of God should be what the unbelieving world should see.
If the unbelieving world around you cannot see a difference between you and them then my Dear Reader you're not representing Christ.
Resisting the devil is what we're called to be doing. The verse doesn't say "if it sounds good or feels alright in the moment steer clear of the devil if you can do that it would be great". Expect to have a confrontation with the forces of darkness around you.
You're to be representing Christ in such a way that people see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven...they're there to make it more difficult to do that. They're there to ruin your testimony before men and women. They are there to shut you up. More than that they're there to ruin any future good you might be doing in the Lord.
Dear Reader, we are soldiers in a spiritual war. We are going to run up against those who are against our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We are victorious only in the Lord.
We take such matters to the Lord in prayer.
We aren't to compromise and do what feels good in the moment in order to get away.
We're to do as the Spirit directs us to be doing in our lives in all things in all our ways...as it says elsewhere...it is the Lord God whom we serve.
This world needs to see Jesus in us. This world is perishing. This world's days are numbered. This world isn't getting any better its progressively getting worse. The Rapture of the Church is coming soon and the Church needs to stand firm in the Lord in the face of such battles that are here now and are coming.
Lastly, avoiding what it is that the Spirit is directing you to go through, will mean that you will keep repeating the same thing until you obey.
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.
A corporation not for profit.
La Habra, CA All rights reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment