by David Brenneman
How much anticipation do you have in your expectation of Jesus Christ returning for you? Are you excited? Does it motivate you in any way to be striving to be better today in living for Jesus than you did yesterday?
Jesus is the Word of God.
"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." Hebrews 4:12-13.
Your every thought and intention is and has been recorded and will be until either you are called home to Heaven or the Rapture of the Church.
Have you ever truly thought of what that means? Ever considered the ramifications of that idea?
"O Lord, You have searched me and known me." Psalms 139:1.
"I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds." Jeremiah 17:10.
He knows every big n small thought and intention you have ever considered. He knows all that you've hidden even from yourself. All that you muttered under your breath that you shouldn't have said or thought concerning others. Knows all that you dreamed about and never pursued. Knows of all the opportunities taken and all you failed to embrace. Knows all whom you were sent to help n all you turned away from helping. Knows all the times you justified your disobedience towards Him when the Spirit presented an opportunity for you and you chose not to do it.
He knows all the times when your love for others came close to matching His own for them. Knows all the times when your thoughts were right concerning His Word and your understanding of it.
He knows.
Everything you have lied to yourself about as well. All the things that you deceived yourself into doing. All the honesty evil things that you did nothing to stop when He wanted you to step in. All these things and more.
Now consider this that all of these things, both the pleasant, joyful, uplifting and the sad, grieving, discouraging things are what we will be giving an account of before Jesus.
There's a day fixed by the Father’s own authority for when the Church of Jesus Christ will be complete. A day when the last person who's come to salvation in Christ Jesus does so and the Church is ready to go to forever be with Jesus.
We all who are saved will leave this world at the command of the Lord Jesus on that day and Scripture says that we will give an account of our lives before Him.
Our deeds, thoughts and intentions will be tested as through the fire of truth. Whatever we thought, said, did or intended to do will come to light. Only that which was done right, with true obedience, with the right heart attitude, will survive.
It's never enough to just come to Christ for salvation and then do nothing more to grow in Christ, to nothing to honor Him for all He's done for us.
It's never a good thing to neglect the work He's trying to do in us to make us more like Himself.
It's a very sobering thing to know that He's known all of what we're like and still loves us enough to not want to leave us in that condition.
It should be a very sobering thing for us to realize how much of the letters to the Churches in the book of Revelation is directed towards those who profess to be Christians.
We truly cannot afford to be nonchalant about our relationship with Jesus or our thoughts, intentions or actions.
We cannot afford to not give of our best as unto the Lord in pursuing a right and true life in Christ as He wants for us.
There's going to come a day when all of that and more will be revealed as either worthy or unworthy before the Lord.
Think about these things as you go about your day. Are you honoring God or protecting yourself? Are you growing in Christ or have you grown stagnant? Are you putting your own thoughts, desires, dreams ahead of what the Spirit wants and desires for you?
To be a disciple of Jesus Christ means to think, go and do, as He did.
As the Scriptures say "consider your ways..."
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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