Discerning God's Will For Your Life and Making Choices

One of the most confusing questions and burdens on most if not all Christian's hearts, is this idea or notion of how do I know what God's will is for "my" life? How do I discern the circumstances in my life and the open and closed doors and somehow find a balance between the faith in our good God I must exhibit but execute the wisdom that Scripture commands? I know that as a child of His I have struggled with this since my point of salvation and I still often times will wrestle with what exactly He is doing and which way I need to go. One thing I am for sure of is this...God is soverign. We read in Psalm 115:3, "But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases." I am also confident of Romans 8:28 which reminds us that God works all things together for the purposes of His will and our good (for those who love Him and are His).

Many times there seems to be an emphasis on "feelings" when we are attempting to discern God's will for our life. We for some reason think that these feelings are from the Lord and we make them the driving force in many of the decisions we make. The problem is that our feelings are not to be trusted. Philippians 4:8 reminds us to think on things that are "TRUE" and because of that we have to go to the Word and to what our standard of Truth is to distinguish God's plan for our life and not what our emotions or feelings may or may not be guiding us to do. Our world today emphasizes letting your "heart" guide what you do and the problem is, all throughout Scripture we see that our hearts are wicked...Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"

So as a Christian how do I execute Godly wisdom and faith all while I am attempting to discern God's will for my life? Well I can tell you this...it is much more "practical" than magical/mystical like most make it to be. Scripture makes the process much more simple than the complex way we seem to make it. God doesn't want to make his will a secret to those, He wants to make it clear to those who are seeking it and who are obedient. We must first understand that God makes it clear in Scripture as to what are things that are part of his will:
1. Saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9)
2. Spirit-filled (Ephesians 5:17-18)
3. Sanctified (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7)
4. Submissive (1 Peter 2:13-15)
5. Suffering ( Philippians 1:29; 2 Timothy 3:12)
Now if your life is aligned with this in Scripture than you can be sure that Psalm 37:4 is true, "Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart." That now the desires that you are possessing are truly the sanctified desires God is placing on your heart.

So now we may ask well how do I make choices when I am faced with more than one "open door" or with two options etc. Well, discernment here is vital. John MacArthur says, "Unfortunately, discernment is an area where most Christians stumble. They exhibit little ability to measure the things they are taught against the infallible standard of God's Word, and they unwittingly engage in all kinds of unbiblical decision-making and behavior. In short, they are not armed to take a decidedly biblical stand against the onslaught of unbiblical thinking and attitudes that face them throughout their day. " 2 Peter 1:3 promises that God has given us EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness. "Discernment -- the ability to think biblically about all areas of life -- is indispensable to an uncompromising life. It is incumbent upon the Christian to seize upon the discernment that God has provided for in His precious truth! Without it, Christians are at risk of being "tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14).

When making a decision you must first seek the Word and measure the option with God's moral will that is revealed in Scripture. If there is conflict you can be sure that is not God's will that you would make that choice. Or if something within this decision would cause you to neglect something Scripture specifically commands you to do you can know that that too is a red flag to say no. Secondly, God-honoring decision making means executing good wisdom. That means that you are not hasty in making decisions but prayerful and considering. You will spend time in the Word and in prayer asking for wisdom. You will seek counsel from various sources of those who seek Him (it is always good to get unbias counsel from someone who has no vested intrest in your particular situation and from someone you are afraid to get counsel from), you also must look at all the options and think clearly and consider everything before making the decision. Lastly consider your own desires. If God is silent about the specific decision, and if one choice is not clearer or wiser than the other "then do what you want. You have the freedom to do so, and God sovereignly works out His plan through your desires (Psalm 37:4; Philippians 2:13). The above process presupposes that you are submitted to Christ and filled with the Spirit. Otherwise you won't be able to make biblical decisions, as sin blinds your ability to understand and apply God's Word to your life. However, if you do have a vital relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and are walking in the Spirit -- as opposed to the flesh -- you are free to make decisions so long as they don't violate God's revealed (moral) will. You shouldn't be concerned that your decisions will somehow derail God's sovereign will for you life, because He routinely works through your decisions to accomplish what He purposes. "(MacArthur)

So as 2009 is now here, we have more opportunities to live lives that reflect Him and that is shown through our following His direction and leading in our lives. Let us have faith in who He is and what He does and pray for wisdom and execute that in ALL we do!!

Start Fresh...Everyday

As the New Year rolls around again (and may I add that it seems that they seem to come quicker and quicker) I am once again reminded of the mercy of God. Let me explain...do you realize that as the whole world takes this time to refocus their lives so to speak, to make changes where changes need to be made, and to fix things that need fixing because for them it is their once a year "clean slate", we have that opportunity promised to us as Christians each day? In Lamentations 3:22-24 we read,
"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."
Each day the Lord provides us with a renewed strength, a renewed sense of who He is, and a new opportunity to live a life that is holy and pleasing before Him. We are reminded that His grace is sufficient in our weakness, that He is our joy and the source of it, and He is the strength we need for all that comes our way...His sacrifice on the cross should motivate us and demand our allegiance always and our holy living.

I was thinking about how this new year provides us with a clear opportunity to "start fresh" in areas where we have messed up or areas where we are lacking in the strength of the Lord, but I am also reminded that we don't need a new year for that. We need to make an effort to make each day a fresh start for the Lord. Our Christian life is not marked by perfection but it must be marked by progression in the right direction as He sanctifies us and makes us more like Him. So as we look forward to the wonderful things that will unfold to fulfill His plan in 2009, let us resolve ourselves to viewing each day as a fresh start to live more passionately, more righteously, and more set-apart for Him!!

Reflect on the Truth of Christmas

All across the country and much of the globe families and friends of all kinds will be joining together to celebrate a holiday that has been twisted and re-fashioned time and time again by each generation. It is during this time of year that expectations for happiness, joy, and peace are in the minds and hearts of most and unmet by many. Why has this holiday become a commercialized time to put on a smiley face and act as if everything is okay instead of a time to celebrate the Truth behind it all? Even Christians don't take the time to realize that they too have fallen prey to making Christmas something it should never be.

John MacArthur said, "If we could condense all the truths of Christmas into only three words, these would be the words: "God with us." We tend to focus our attention at Christmas on the infancy of Christ. The greater truth of the holiday is His deity. More astonishing than a baby in the manger is the truth that this promised baby is the omnipotent Creator of the heavens and the earth!"

Think about that for a moment. We must re-focus our minds and remember that Christmas although it is not what the world presents, is also not what a lot of Christians make it to be either...it is much more than a baby in a manger. It is the realization that it is a baby, a divine King, the God of the universe coming to earth in human form to live a life that we could never live (that of perfection), to bear the wrath we as believers will never bear (the judgment, wrath of a holy God) so that in turn we may have the blessed fellowship with the God of all and live in eternal happiness and satisfaction with Him one day. What an amazing Truth that truly is! It is a free gift to all, but like any gift you must receive it!

As Christians, let today and tomorrow, be a time of thanksgiving and praise to the King of the Universe who made a way for us. Let us enjoy the blessings He has given us through the birth of His Son this Christmas and reflect upon the Truth of Christmas in the midst of it all.

Merry CHRISTmas!

God IS Sovereign

I was listening to a message today about the sovereignty of God by Pastor Mike Fabarez from Compass Bible Church. I was so encouraged and exhorted and thought I would expound upon exactly what I so desperately needed to be reminded of in prayer that it too may encourage you!!

GOD IS SOVEREIGN! We hear it all the time but what does sovereignty even mean? God retains ALL rights and exercises supreme and ultimate authority over everything and everyone. 1 Timothy 6: 13-16 talks about the fact that God is the creator of ALL and therefore He is sovereign. And that He is the KING OF KINGS and the LORD OF LORDS. For example the illustration between the potter and the clay. The potter gets to exercise all rights over the clay. God is one who retains all rights! The problem is many Christians do not like this because we don't like to "give our rights" so to speak to anyone.

GOD HAS A PLAN! He actually has an involved part in His creation and He is working His plan out. God decrees things...it is not the doing it is the planning. If God plans it, He does it! For example...Isaiah 14: 23-27, He says He is going to turn her (Babylon) into a place for owls and a swampland, He will sweep her away with the broom of destruction says Yaweh...He promises that he has surely planned and purposed this...the working out of the plan is the powerful authoritative involvement in history. And what happened? The Assyrian empire was defeated, look in history! Most Christians would agree here that God was sovereign but the moment we have to apply it to ourselves we have a hard time believing it. I can say He is sovereign over Babylon and Assyria, but is he really sovereign over my life? Didn't I have a part of this? Like Nebuchadnezzar you think you have a part but the truth is that it wasn't you, even the kings get their authority from God (Romans 13). So what about us and our salvation?? It is true even here. Look at Ephesians 1: 3-12...God had predestined and choose His kids from BEFORE the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight (imputed righteousness). He choose you before you were born, before your grandparents were born, before the earth was created! This leaves no room for pride. To say it was your decision is to say that it was the decision of a deceased person coming back from the dead. You and God are not co-pilots! He is the ONLY pilot! Your will is inferior. Our will is contingent on God's will.

EVEN BAD THINGS ARE PART OF HIS GOOD PLAN! Don't we teach that to ourselves and others when we are suffering? Romans 8:28 right?! Joseph said to his brothers, you meant it for evil but God meant it for good. Lamentations 3: 22-40, this is a negative passage where God responds to negative stuff. You know that this talks about the decrees and planning of God and that even the bad things He works together for the good. We have all heard the saying "why do bad things happen to good people?" THEY DON'T...bad things happen to bad people. The point is we are all dead in our transgressions and sins, the amazing thing is that God would choose any of us for salvation, not that God would not choose some because we are all bad people, no one is good no not one!

So understanding that God is sovereign and in control should bring comfort and rest to our souls in knowing that the God of the universe is ultimately working in and through our lives for his purposes despite our circumstances and all that seems to be going on around us.

He Has it Under Control

As many of my blogs have been in the past, this blog too is about trusting God. I truly believe that the majority of believers, if not all, struggle continually with the understanding of the sovereignty of God and the implications that come along with that. Trusting God is not a natural ability and even when the Spirit indwells us it is still a struggle and a battle within to really grasp the reality and to enable yourself to hold firmly to it.

You can read countless verses in Scripture and meditate on them and yet it seems to plague our hearts at times in our lives. I was trying to think when most of us would experience this difficulty in trusting God and without a doubt the times that have been the hardest to trust in the Lord with my whole heart are in times of uncertainty whether that be a large trial, tribulation, or even a time of not knowing all the answers. What is interesting is that during those times it seems that I also am the most inclined to depend fully on the Lord and run to Him. I seem to cling tightly to His promises and delve into the Word, especially the Old Testament to understand the character of our faithful and good God. And then I wonder, how does that work? How can I not trust in God's faithfulness but yet so badly desire to depend on Him. And I realize that it is in my Spirit that I am desiring to depend on the Lord because I know that ultimately He is in control and He is the ONLY one who is going to enable me to trust Him, yet in my flesh I so badly desire to somehow gain an answer and control the situation(s).

With all of that said, whenever I am in the Word or find a piece of Scripture that helps me remember the right perspective to possess in this area I am even more encouraged by who He is!! Here is just that in Hababakkuk 3:17-19 says,

Though the fig tree should not blossom
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will exult in the LORD,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
The Lord GOD is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds' feet,
And makes me walk on my high places.

What an amazing reminder this is for us as believers. We need to place our trust and our full dependence upon the Lord and in His faithfulness and realize that God's providential workings are for the ultimate good and glory of us and His kingdom! Let us rejoice in the Lord NO MATTER WHAT and find our strength in Him, for it is He who is ultimately in control of all. And He has it under control...we have nothing to worry about.

Servant's Hearts Like that of Christ

When we hear the word "servant" in today's culture we automatically revert back to the colonial times when almost every household had someone living in their home that took care of their every need. With the term comes some sort of derogatory meaning and a worthless type of image. So when we hear the word servant in Scripture we really don't know what to think. We know that we are commanded to "serve" others and to be "Servants" of the Lord but what does that really entail?

Well it first can be said that being a "servant" or "serving" does not come natural to the flesh. For those in the body who have been given the gift of service it is much more natural for you in the Spirit, but regardless it is not something that comes innately within humanity. In fact it goes contrary to everything that our flesh and body require or demand from us. Our bodies and our flesh want what we want and look out for #1...ourselves. Yet as the work of the Spirit begins the transforming process of sanctification we begin to see a radical change in the heart's desires and motivations.

Merriam Webster's dictionary describes a servant as, bound to service without wages. That means that as Christ's servant we are bound to serving Him without any expectation of reward. Although we are promised and given much eternal reward that is not to be our driving motivation. Being a servant to others means simply serving others. Loving others above yourself. Being a servant mimics Christ in His perfection. Looking at His life He was perfectly that. A perfect picture of putting others before oneself. Philippians 2:5-11 is a great passage in which we read, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."

Shane Barnard has a song entitled "Hearts of Servants" that expresses a picture of what our heart's desire should be in mimicking Christ's servants heart.
"Jesus, You are
Jesus, You were
Jesus, You will always be
a perfect servant to us
a perfect to death
even death on a cross

give us picture of Your face
show us the measure of Your grace
reveal the love of the Father
put within us tenderness
release from us all selfishness
we'll consider them better
we are Yours
give us hearts of servants"

Being a servant does not mean perfection, it simply means striving to be like Christ, seeking to glorify Him in all that you do. May we never look at our command to be servants as a burden or something far-fetched and out of reach but rather as something we are to strive for with the Lord's strength!

Christ is Our Wonderful Counselor

According to John MacArthur, “It is significant that one of the name’s of Christ is wonderful counselor”. The Psalms are a perfect evidence of what the mature believer does in times of trouble, distress, confusion, anxiety, doubt or fear…turn to the Lord. Why is that? Because every need of the human soul is ultimately spiritual. David is a great example to us all of what it looks like to run to God in all things. He knew that God had the ability and the answers to all life’s problems and issues. The sufficient God revealed Himself in His sufficient Word.

Psalm 19 gives evidence to the sufficiency of Scripture. In it David talks about distinguishing characteristics of the Word of God that give legitimacy and power to His faithfulness. First, we see that Scripture is powerful, restoring the soul. That means it is perfect and powerful enough to change lives. Second, Scripture is trustworthy, imparting wisdom. We want to base all things on TRUTH which is evidently God’s Word and not on personal experience. Third, Scripture is right causing joy. That means when we learn to obey God’s counsel and His wisdom we will find true joy and happiness. Scripture is pure, enlightening the eyes. That means it brings understanding where there is lacking information or ignorance. Fifth, Scripture is clean, enduring forever. Scripture needs no updating, it is completely true and relevant for every society, age and time period. Scripture is true and altogether righteous. That means that only believers have the truth about everything that is true and righteous, we have the truth about what really matters. And lastly it is much more than fine gold. That means that it is and should be more precious and valued than anything this world has to offer. Christians however tend to take their Bibles for granted. However, our spiritual health depends on putting the weight of everything on the Word of God.

The answers to life do not lie “deep within” as much of psychology would teach us. We learn from Scripture that actually what lies deep within is deceit, corruption and filth. When we reach down within ourselves we get lies, not answers. Even Christians however are not exempt from deceit. We need to seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit and pray for Him to enlighten us to the truths in Scripture that it may cause us to be refined and matured. Scripture does what no psychology could ever do…it pierces our hearts, it is a sword. Hebrews 4:13 teaches us that “God’s Word reveals the deepest thoughts and intentions of the human heart---so much so that all are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. We as believers must become people of the Word. It must mark our lives. God’s Word is able to fulfill every desire, need, want, longing etc. You’ll never know what the Word can do if you don’t study and apply it. And as the commandments throughout the New Testament instruct us, we need to counsel with the Bible…we are called to spur one another one, to encourage and admonish one another with the WORD OF GOD!

The Holy Spirit reveals truth to us. We can turn to him to discover that. The Spirit does the job of sanctifying us internally. The witness of the Spirit within us is proof that we have received salvation. Because of psychology and the culture today there is more reliance on “self” than on the Spirit for change. God and His Word through the testimony of His Spirit and the work of the cross is all we need.

A Life Set Apart

As I was attempting to come up with a topic to talk on this week I realized that I have never talked on why I chose "A Life Set Apart" for the title of my blog...

The Christian life is marked by something we call "holiness" which in essence means to be set apart, different...and radically different at that. As "Christians" in a fallen world we are going to look different, act different, respond different, and live differently then those we consistently interact with. There will be questions, there will be mockery, there will be slandering, there will be encouragement...and in each of these situations our righteous response should be thankfulness.

Romans 12:1 reads, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." This verse is the verse behind the title of my blog. As Christians we are to live our life as a sacrifice to the one who redeemed us, who pulled us from the destruction we were to encounter and rescued us to be one of His. But what does it mean to present ourselves as "holy"?

Holiness in the Hebrew is defined as "sacred, set apart" in the Aramaic as "separate", in the Greek as "undefiled, pure" and in the English as "exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness, divine". As we see within these definitions, being holy is anything but common. It is anything but typical and it is rare at that. Therefore how can God call us to something that seems nearly impossible? He is not commanding perfection in our holiness but rather progression. A seeking, a desire, and a drive to be more holy, more like Him. Here are some verses to exhort us in our pursuits of holiness...

Exodus 31:13 "You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD; who makes you holy."

Leviticus 11:44a "I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy."

Leviticus 11:45 "I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy."

Deuteronomy 26:19 "He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised."

Deuteronomy 33:3 "Surely it is you who love the people; all the holy ones are in your hand. At your feet they all bow down, and from you receive instruction..."

Psalm 33:21 "In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name."

Ephesians 5:25a-27 "...just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."

From these texts in Scripture it is evident that God is Holy and it is only through Him that we are made Holy (made like His Son). We should constantly be seeking areas of refinement in our lives so we too can be seen as living lives that are "set apart".

Service? This is supposed to be our spiritual "service" or "act" of worship. What this means is that as redeemed of the King we are commanded to live our lives as a service to Him. In all we do, think and say we should be acting in a way that is righteous and pleasing to Him. It is an act of worship. We were made to be worshippers of God and therefore in all we do we should be ascribing glory to Him as He sits on the throne in our hearts. If we are worshipping anything other than Him we have fallen into idolatry and need to repent and get back on track. Serving Him with our lives is our command.

And what does it mean to present ourselves pleasing to Him? Or acceptable? Well we know that anything in and of ourselves is not ever going to please the King of Kings or be worthy of His approval. Therefore we must rest in the blood of Jesus Christ. The Gospel teaches us that it is by His wounds that we are healed. In Isaiah 53:12 we read, "For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." He endured the pain and punishment of God's eternal wrath so that when we stand before the Almighty He will look at us as righteous and blameless as He looks at His Son! What an amazing gift of love and grace that truly is...hard to comprehend! But because of this we should seek to live righteously, obeying His commands and honoring Him in all we do.

So what does it mean then to live a life set apart? In essence it is just what it says, to live set apart from this culture. To run a race with endurance toward a prize that is unseen, to run upstream and against the current as the world attempts to thwart your course, to live to honor Him rather than yourself and anyone else, to live a life that is marked by selflessness, humility and 1 Corinthians 13 love exampled in Christ, and to pursue holiness with every fiber of your being!

Only Skin Deep?

As Christian women we need to understand the vanity of external beauty and the difference from what this world represents to us in comparison with what our Loving Father in heaven has designed. Vanity is a huge problem that is rampant in society, it is part of the narcissistic culture of "self love". Most women have found themselves falling prey to this at some time or another. But what one must realize is that vanity is sin. The love of beauty is sin. Being overly focused on our outer appearance to the point of control is sin. Vanity is however empty, futile, vain and worthless. It is the pride in appearance. Isaiah 3:16-26 gives us a picture of just what God thinks of vanity...He pours His judgment out!
"16 The LORD says,
"The women of Zion are haughty,
walking along with outstretched necks,
flirting with their eyes,
tripping along with mincing steps,
with ornaments jingling on their ankles.

17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion;
the LORD will make their scalps bald."

18 In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, 19 the earrings and bracelets and veils, 20 the headdresses and ankle chains and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings, 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls.

24 Instead of fragrance there will be a stench;
instead of a sash, a rope;
instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;
instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;
instead of beauty, branding.

25 Your men will fall by the sword,
your warriors in battle.

26 The gates of Zion will lament and mourn;
destitute, she will sit on the ground."

So how do we overcome vanity in a "self absorbed" culture?

I. DISCERN THE SIGNS- ask yourself these questions regularly

a. Are you OVERLY concerned about your looks?
b. Are you unable to graciously receive compliments?
c. Are you depressed because you are , "too fat", "too thin"
d. Are you on a quest for thinness that drives you to abuse your body
e. Are you overspending on clothes, makeup etc.
f. Are you constantly comparing yourself to others around you
g. Do you say things to elicit compliments, to fish for them?
h. Do you refuse intimacy with your spouse because you are fat/ugly?
i. Do you apologize for how you look?
j. Are you dressing in a sensual and immodest manner?

II. What does Scripture teach?
a. OT- Beauty is vain "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30, Psalm 4:2
b. NT says a lot about what is to be praised
1. Gentle and quiet spirit 1 Timothy 2:9-10 "ikewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.
2. Adorned with proper clothing and good works 1 Peter 3:3-4 "our adornment must not be merely external--braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God."
c. If you have a heart that loves God, you will want to please Him
d. True modesty shows how great God is and not how great "she is"
1.Ask Christian men and they will tell you that they wish with all their hearts that they didn't have to capture that thought or struggle. They have to fight often to not resent those that are sinning in immodesty
e. Good works- Acts 9 teaches that that is a servant's heart and that we should adorn ourself with this
f. The world says: Body image problem-low self esteem, but the Bible says women are...
1. Not grateful- 1 Thess 5:16-18
2. Not content- 1 Tim 6:6
3. A lover of self- 2 Tim 3:2, Romans 12:3
4. Lust for beauty- James 1:14-15
5. Fears man and not God- 1 John 2:15-17

III. SO WHAT NOW?
a. Instead of being jealous, be glad- 1 Cor 13:4
b. Learn to accept compliments graciously- Phil 4:8
c. Realize that true beauty lies inside and not out- 1 Peter 3:3-5
d. Look to Sarah as an example- 1 Peter 3:5-6
e. Look to Christ, stay focused on Him- Isaiah 53:3, Psalm 27:4
f. Don't love self but serve God- Romans 12:1

For many of us, it will be a battle that continues on for a long time, but with Christ all things are possible and the more we stay focused on Him and loving Him and serving Him and pleasing Him, the less we will on ourselves.

Ask yourself the question...is my beauty only skin deep??

Lets Cut to the Chase...The Sinfulness of Sin

American Christianity loves preaching a "feel good" message in every way possible. From the sermons that consistently teach us about how much Jesus loves us to the sermons that teach us that being a Christian is merely asking him into your heart, the Gospel message has been twisted, perverted, and watered down to being nothing more than a lie. The Truth no longer is preached in churches across America and what is even more disheartening is much of the people who proclaim to be "Christians" today are nothing more than fakes. Why?? Because they have missed the message of the Gospel... they have failed to realize what the Gospel message is and what Christ is saving us from. They have failed to humble themselves and get honest with their problem...SIN! And we all have it.

Today at Compass, Pastor Mike brought a convicting message and a reminder for us all of the Gospel message and of the sinfulness of sin from Romans 1:1-3.
"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?"

As humanity we are good at making excuses. In fact from the time we are young children we learn how to manipulate circumstances and scenarios in order to make ourselves look or feel good. But here is the deal...with sin there is NO excuse. If you don't admit you have a problem then there is no way for you to reach the solution.

1. NOTE YOUR APTITUDE FOR IDENTIFYING SIN (1a)
"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things."
Isn't it interesting that we are so quick to pick out the sin in those around us? It is easy to identify sin in others. Now although Scripture clearly teaches that we are to judge others (don't forget that), we need to make sure that we don't become like the hypocritical pharisees and fail to turn that judging on ourselves. In 2 Samuel we read the story of David and the prophet Nathan...a great example for us of how hypocritcal we can become, or how numb to our own sinfulness we are.

2. TURN OBJECTIVE APPRAISAL INWARD (v1b-2)
"Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth."
You are guilty! Let us cut to the chase with that one. Everyone is guilty...Genesis 3 teaches us that with the fall and Adam and Eve. Although in your eyes you may have never committed the degree of sin that some other person may have committed you do not stand unashamed and free from charge. You need to start identifying sin in your own life and getting mad at that sin. Matthew 7:1 is often misquoted and misinterpreted by non-believers and believers alike as the "don't judge" verse. The problem isn't that you are judging but rather that you are not judging YOURSELF first. We get mad at people for doing the very things we do or the kinds of things we do. Don't be hypocrites...read on in the verses to follow in Matthew 7 and you will see how easily that is the case. The way you judge is how you too will be judged. But do not forget that it is BIBLICAL to judge others, the problem lies again in hypocrisy. You see what is the deal then? Well we can solve it one of two ways...1. Don't say anything to people in regards to their sin 2.Fix your own life and then call others out. Option 2 is the Biblical one. Discern errors in your own life and then in others. But why then don't we notice the sin in our lives as easily as in others? Because you're used to it...you must get outside yourself and identify it and mortify it by 1. Relying on the Holy Spirit's conviction (John 16:8) and 2. Gaining a God-ward, Psalm 139 perspective.

3. CALL SIN "SINFUL" WITHOUT EXCUSES (v3)
"So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?"
You plead full blameworthy culpability for YOUR sin. The first step in the Gospel process is admitting your sin, admitting you are utterly depraved and separated from a Holy God by your sin and repenting of that. You can never repent of something you don't confess or agree is wrong. Identify sin as a problem and fully own it. Luke 18:10-14 shows us that HUMILITY is the key. Mortify your sin, don't listen to satan's lies that your sin might not be as bad as the person's next to you...SIN IS SIN.


So what then does this all boil down to? Well let us cut to the chase...If you don't recognize sin before a holy God, you can't have fellowship with Him. So humble yourself and realize you have fallen short and lean on Him for the saving power of the Gospel. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—" -Ephesians 2:8

Oh Remember!

Recently I have been reminded of how faithful our Lord is despite our shortcomings and especially despite our faithlessness. How often do we worry, fear, or complain about something God isn't doing or is allowing to happen to us and forget how He has as Romans 8:28 promises, worked all things together for good?! What a sad sad thing it is that we forget so often and so quickly...we forget the good things our God has done and we forget His promises that are so clearly laid out in Scripture. Although this is a topic I have written on in previous blogs I feel compelled to write about it once more because I firmly believe it is a thought process that plagues the believer so often. We look back to the Israelites and are appalled at what we see...how easily they fell back into worshiping idols for example despite the fact that God had delivered them from the hand of the enemy time and time again. But when we begin to evaluate our own lives, we do the exact same thing...

Let us examine this for a moment...Psalm 106 is a perfect example of exactly how faithful our God is and how we need to REMEMBER that constantly.
" 7 When our fathers were in Egypt,
they gave no thought to your miracles;
they did not remember your many kindnesses,
and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.
(Do we think about it? Do we remember the faithful promises He has fulfilled in our lives? Do we remember how He saved us from His wrath and rescued us from hell? Do we remember how He has continually provided for all our needs?)
"I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us— yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses." ISAIAH 63:7

8 Yet he saved them for his name's sake,
to make his mighty power known.
(That is why He did this for the children of Israel and for us as well. He saved them and has saved us for His glory, for His name, and to show himself mighty and King to all)
"Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness." PSALM 115:1

9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
he led them through the depths as through a desert.
(Think about how incredible that is for a moment. When we are worried or anxious about God not fulfilling some sort of need in our life let us look back to biblical examples of God's amazing deliverance and provision like here and in Exodus where He dried up a sea!)

10 He saved them from the hand of the foe;
from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.

11 The waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them survived.

12 Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise.
(Think about this for a moment...are we not the same? Do we not believe God and his promises when He is faithful? It is easy for us to believe God and worship Him immediately after He does something amazing for us. In fact that should be our response...whenever God blesses us we should be so thankful and sing praises to Him constantly, but what about when we are going through a "hard time"? Do we still believe his promises? Possibly but the sad thing is that we may say we believe them but we may not actually believe them because if we really believed them and trusted them, we would exhibit unwavering faith and the ability to praise Him even in the storm. Remember it is only by His grace and strength that we could ever do this.)
"Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;" PSALM 95:6

13 But they soon forgot what he had done
and did not wait for his counsel.
(Isn't that the truth of our lives as well? We soon forget what He does and we then just begin acting like we are the "controlers" of our life. What a false sense of reality)

14 In the desert they gave in to their craving;
in the wasteland they put God to the test.
(As we begin giving into the flesh and the wicked desires of our heart we give in more and more. Therefore we must be on guard to our sinful hearts.)
"The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?" JEREMIAH 17:9

15 So he gave them what they asked for,
but sent a wasting disease upon them.
(Be careful what you wish for! God will give us over to our desires, even the sinful ones, if we keep pushing and asking...look at Romans and you find that clearly stated.)
"Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. " ROMANS 1:24

16 In the camp they grew envious of Moses
and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the LORD.

17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it buried the company of Abiram.

18 Fire blazed among their followers;
a flame consumed the wicked.

19 At Horeb they made a calf
and worshiped an idol cast from metal.

20 They exchanged their Glory
for an image of a bull, which eats grass.

21 They forgot the God who saved them,
who had done great things in Egypt,
(May this never be us. We may never say that we "forget" God but we sure live that way sometimes...We live like there is no God watching our motivations, intentions and actions. We live like this far too often.)

22 miracles in the land of Ham
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.

23 So he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him
to keep his wrath from destroying them.

24 Then they despised the pleasant land;
they did not believe his promise.

25 They grumbled in their tents
and did not obey the LORD.
(Then during our times of distress do we grumble and complain and continue to disobey the Lord??)
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." JAMES 1:2-4

26 So he swore to them with uplifted hand
that he would make them fall in the desert,

27 make their descendants fall among the nations
and scatter them throughout the lands.

28 They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor
and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;

29 they provoked the LORD to anger by their wicked deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.

30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was checked.

31 This was credited to him as righteousness
for endless generations to come.

32 By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD,
and trouble came to Moses because of them;

33 for they rebelled against the Spirit of God,
and rash words came from Moses' lips. [c]

34 They did not destroy the peoples
as the LORD had commanded them,

35 but they mingled with the nations
and adopted their customs.
(Can we take heed from this. Do we adopt the customs of this world? Do we compromise?)
"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 JOHN 2:15

36 They worshiped their idols,
which became a snare to them.

37 They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to demons.

38 They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was desecrated by their blood.

39 They defiled themselves by what they did;
by their deeds they prostituted themselves.

40 Therefore the LORD was angry with his people
and abhorred his inheritance.

41 He handed them over to the nations,
and their foes ruled over them.

42 Their enemies oppressed them
and subjected them to their power.

43 Many times he delivered them,
but they were bent on rebellion
and they wasted away in their sin.

44 But he took note of their distress
when he heard their cry;

45 for their sake he remembered his covenant
and out of his great love he relented.
(What an amazing God. He hears the cries of His kids and rescues them even despite their faithlessness. Despite the fact that they were unrepentant for times and mocked His grace and goodness.)
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,who have been called according to his purpose." ROMANS 8:28

46 He caused them to be pitied
by all who held them captive.

47 Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.

48 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the LORD."

Amen! Let us praise the Lord! What an amazing God we have. He truly is sooo good. If all He ever did for us was rescue us from eternal damnation that would be more than we ever deserved. Yet He goes far beyond that. We need to examine our lives daily and see how good our God is. We need to look back on the past of not only our lives but especially in Scripture and how God has fulfilled His promises time and time again. If we only would REMEMBER constantly who He is and what He has done our lives would look radically different because we would be living by faith and in complete contentment with everything that came our way. Let us pray that God would give us the strength to remember.

TEMPTED? ....LET US FIGHT

Pastor Mike wrapped up his final sermon on What's Your Problem: A Study of the Sinfulness of Sin this weekend. Amazed at the utter grotesqueness of our sin I have to share the exhortation that comes from Romans 1:29b-32
"They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them."

Sin does not come to us in a gross package but rather an alluring one...it is like a hook that snags its prey. Sin comes in the form of temptation and we as humanity need to realize that we all have our weaknesses. Sin, although alluring at first, brings toxic and corrupting trouble to your life and even to those around you. Sin is sin and we need to declare war on it!

1. IDENTIFY YOUR TEMPTATIONS (v 29b-31)
-Romans 1:12 reminds us that sin easily entangles us
-Listed in these verses are 12 sins:
a. GOSSIPS- someone who whispers...when the volume goes down on your conversation we need to ask ourselves why?! We are to be truth-speakers
b. SLANDERERS- intentional, an evil-speaking, defaming, maligning the truth
c. HATERS OF GOD- hated by God, things that express hatred to God
d. INSOLENT- rude, disrespectful actions and behavior, impolite
e. ARROGANT- me first attitude, I am the most important
f. BOASTFUL- bragger, its always about me
g. EVIL WAYS- do all kinds of evil, even things you couldn't think about
h. DISOBEDIENT TO PARENTS- that is manifested in a rebellious attitude toward all authority in our lives
i. SENSELESS- behave without a conscience
j. FAITHLESS- don't keep their word
k. HEARTLESS- uncaring
l. RUTHLESS- lack pity, hold grudges, unforgiving
Long enough list for you? Lets group them into three groups:
1. GOSSIP/SLANDER/BOASTFUL- Sins of my words
-James 3:3-12 encourages us to control our words because they corrupt our life
2. FAITHLESS/HEARTLESS/RUTHLESS- things we don't do that we are supposed to, sins of omission
- James 4:17
3. ARROGANT/BOASTFUL/DISOBEDIENT TO PARENTS- sins of thinking too highly of oneself
- James 4:1-10 reminds us of how destructive pride is

-We need to identify the weaknesses in our lives and fight those temptations
- Be encouraged by 1 Corinthians 10:13 that says, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." You are not alone and God is faithful..He has something governed in that temptation for you and he will always provide a way out of it. We are not victims here.

2. ALWAYS RESPOND TO GUILT (v 32a)
-That guilt feeling you get when you are about to sin or afterward is God's work in our heart; don't ignore guilt!
- That guilt is actually a blessing teaching us to say o
-Romans 2:14 talks about the conscience and also reminds us that every bad feeling is not guilt but guilt is always a bad feeling...you have to ask yourself if your conscience is accusing you.
-If you feel guilty...you are!
-2 Corinthians 7:8-10 teaches us that God wants us to feel bad about sin so that we repent and either come to Salvation or salvation.
-What does real repentance look like? Earnestness- got to fix this, Anger at what you did, Alarm at it, Longing to get it right, concern for the issue, and wanting justice done. If we repent, truly, there is reconciliation.

3. DON'T APPLAUD SIN (v 32b)
- Or sinners
- Applaud repentance and those that live righteous lives
-We might think "I don't applaud adultery, theft, lying, etc." but do we subtly applaud those who do?
- If we have the attitude "God loves you just the way you are" we are applauding sin in ones life
- If we treat God's grace as a license to sin we are sadly accepting the very thing God hates
- Who are our heroes? In Psalm 15 we read that the one who dwells in the Lord's sanctuary is the one who despises a vile man. Yes, God wants us to despise the wicked and their deeds. Our heroes need to be those who fear the Lord. If we have heroes, those we look up to, acclaim or praise who treat God as a mockery, who spit on His Son's work, and who laugh at sin we are applauding the very thing God detests and sent His Son to die for.

SIN IS DISGUSTING AND GOD TAKES IT VERY SERIOUSLY, MAY WE DO THE SAME AND FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR WEAKNESSES ARE AND WHAT SATAN KEEPS TEMPTING US WITH AND LET US FIGHT!!

What Are You Thinking?

As humans we are thinking beings...from the moment we wake up in the morning to the time we lay our heads down on that soft pillow there are countless thoughts swarming in our mind. So if this thinking is what much of our lives consists of then we should be on guard to what our minds are dwelling on wouldn't you think?! In Prov 4:20-23 we read about "guarding your heart for it is the well-spring of life". What does that even mean? Remember that thinking precedes doing and you are what you think, you do what you think. This weekend Pastor Mike preached a powerful message from Romans 1:28-29a and reminded us all of the critical battle we must be fighting daily.

Romans 1:28-29a
"Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity."

Here are two practical ways in which we can begin guarding our minds/hearts so that we can live lives that are pleasing to the one who created us.

1. RECONSIDER THE BATTLEFIELD (v28)
Christians and non-Christians alike have a mind, and the mind is everyones battlefield. When you are saved that doesn't change. Genesis 6:5 teaches us that the since the fall every inclination of a man's heart/mind has been evil and wicked...that is their natural inclinations. We need to realize that we are going to need the faith in a Savior to give us the strength from careening into compromise in any area. Matthew 15 is a perfect example for us Christians who on the outside seem to be living lives that are "sinless" or "always pleasing" to the Lord. Here Jesus says in verse 8 "These people honor me with their lips,but their hearts are far from me." We must remember that as Jeremiah 17:9 says, "our hearts are wicked". Yet for the believer there is hope. Ephesians 4 teaches us about our new character and promises us the renewal of our minds...but just because we have now gained the ability to not sin so to speak we are still trapped in a fleshly body that is going to become the source of much of our weakness and falling. Therefore we need to realize and reconsider the many obstacles in living out our new mind in order to be holy. We must first make sure we are genuinely saved...that there has been an internal regeneration and not merely some external conformity of behavior modification for our own gain. If that is the case...you are truly saved then we can recognize the three main problems an enemies in this fight:
1. The World- Ephesians 4:17-20
2. The Flesh- Romans 8:5-14, James 1:14, Galatians 5:16-17
3. The Devil- Luke 8:12
These three enemies are going to make it hard for your new mind to marshall your flesh. So what do we do then once we have reconsidered this battlefield?

2. REPLACE BAD THOUGHTS WITH GOD THOUGHTS (v29a)
Colossians 3:5-11 talks about renewing our mind in the knowledge of the image of our creator. We need to...
1. Talk to God (1 Peter 4:1-7)- On a regular basis. He is our first love and therefore we need to in submission come before Him and pray pray and PRAY.
2. Sing and Be Thankful (Colossians 3:15-16)Look around and realize how blessed you are and give thanks to the one who has blessed you!
3. Reread and Discuss the truth (Deut 11:16-21)- If you really love someone you are going to talk about it all the time, you are going to want to learn everything about it right?! Well if you love the Lord and want to be transformed read His Book and talk about it!
4. Focus on Christ's Example (Heb 3:1-3)- Christ is our standard and our perfect example of what we should be striving after.
5. Think about Good and then DO IT! (Phil 4:4-9)-Retrain your thinking!

So the time is now, Christ is our heao and our perfect example and we need to open our hearts up and apply these practical tools to our lives. What are we thinking about? You may be the only one initially who knows but the Creator sees every thought, intention, motivation and desire and He will bring that into His understanding when the day comes and eventually it most likely will be displayed in your life today. Think about holy things and you will begin to be holy!

Better is One Day

We are all familiar with the song "Better is One Day" often sung in many evangelical churches today. Yet as we sing or browse over those lyrics are we really meaning what we are saying? Today I was reading in Psalm 84 which is the passage of Scripture that that song is derived from and I was encouraged by many of the verses...

v2a "My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD"
Does our soul "long and yearn" to be in the presence of the Lord? Do we desire it with everything that is within us. The Hebrew meaning for the word yearn is "failing with desire, longing". That means that the desire never ceases and it is ever increasing. Are we passionate about where we are going? Does it burden our hearts to be in His presence?

v5a "How blessed is the man whose strength is in You"
Where do we find our strength? In our weakness what do we turn to to be filled up and endure? Here we are promised to be "blessed" which translated means "happiness". If we want to be happy we must find our strength in Him and Him alone.

v10a "For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside"
Is that true of you? Could you say that you would rather be in the presence of the Lord for a day than a thousand dwelling on this earth? Where is your joy found? Our joy should be found in Him...as well as our hope and excitement.

v11c "No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly"
Wow! What an encouragement. If we follow Him and His commands and walk in a way of righteousness He is not going to withhold "good" from His kids. That should be a motivation to live a life that is holy and pleasing to Him!

v12b "How blessed is the man who trusts in You!"
Trust in the Lord. When we try and put our trust in ourselves or in others we are going to be disappointed and unsatisfied time and time again. God promises happiness to the one who trusts solely in Him.

In Chris Tomlin's song we sing the following:
One thing I ask,
And I would seek,
To see Your beauty
To find You in
The place Your glory dwells
Let that be our prayer today and always. Let the only thing our heart is seeking be Him. Let our motivation in life be our eternity spent with Him and let us continually pray MARANATHA (O, Lord Come!)!!

Do Not be Deceived, Bad Company Corrupts Good Character

If anyone has had the chance to sit down with me and talk about relationships you would be quick to say that I am nothing short of passionate about those we are in relationships with...whether it be friends, dating etc. In fact relationships are so important in our spiritual walk with the Lord. As we see throughout Scripture there is no "lone-ranger" walking around but rather there is a displaying of teamwork. For example look at 2 Corinthians 8:1-6 where verse 4 says, "...they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints". In 1 Corithinians 12 we read about how we are all members of one body and in order to function properly we must work together. Now with that said many of you might be nodding your head in agreement as to the fact that two is better than one. But here comes the twist for the Christian...two is only better than one if that two glorifies the Lord. What I mean to say here is that unless you are partnering in "close" relationships with those who are like-minded and children of God then you are not in the kind of relationships God wants you and designed you to be in.

Now before I explain let me make sure to express the fact that as Christians we are to love non-Christians. In fact our command is to go and make disciples (Matthew 28). We should have interaction of some sort with them. I am not advocating an isolation from the world and from non-Christian interaction, but I am saying that having a close relationship with one a non-Christian (best friend, boyfriend, girlfriend etc.) is not okay. They should not be the ones you turn to for encouragement, advice or consistent fellowship. Let me explain.

2 Corinthians 6:14 says, "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" What does that even mean...to be yoked? Well to be yoked means to be joined with, to be bound together. That means that Christ is telling us that we shouldn't have any close relationship with a non-Christian because they are completely different than you...you are not going to grow together and move forward. You see in 1 John we read that those who live in the light are children of God and everyone else is a child of Satan. That means that if you are yoked together with someone who is not a child of God, who has not repented and put their faith in Christ you are in fellowship with a child of the devil. Think about that for a moment. Now you might still not believe what I'm saying, you might try and justify it by saying "but I am being a missionary to this person" or "but how are they supposed to know what a Christian looks like if I don't spend time with them"? Well here is your answer to those and many other justifications: 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, "Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." Short sweet and to the point huh?! It does not say that it MIGHT lead to corruption it says it DOES lead to corruption. Therefore think about that for a moment...if you are in a relationship with a non-believer you are slowly being influenced and corrupted day after day. Remember that this corruption is gradual and subtle as we see the warning here of not being mislead or deceived.

Back to this idea of God's kids and Satan's kids. Does God want his kids hanging out with Satan's? Absolutely not! Who do we love more? Do we love God more or do we love the world and all that is in it more? James 4:4 says, "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." If you are friends with this world, and the prince of this world is Satan, then you are enemy of God. If you are thinking right now that you can't give up some relationship with some non-Christian because your heart is so attached to it, you have to ask yourself why is it is so attached to something that is not of God?! Evaluate where you stand...who do you love more? Jeremiah 3:12-15

So what kinds of relationships should we having and looking to have then? This is where the heart of what I want to say begins. There is no such thing as a superficial relationship in Scripture. There is no "well this person is just fun" type of friendship. Every relationship we see that honors God in Scripture is one that spurs on, sharpens, encourages, rebukes, exhorts, and comforts. There is a uniting within Christ in these relationships and because of that God strengthens and blesses them. The kinds of relationships we should be looking for are ones that are ultimately going to point us to Jesus Christ. Friends that are going to make us fall more in love with Him, teach us how to fear him more, teach us how to live lives more set-apart (holy) and more humbly. They are relationships that are going to love us enough to call us out when we are in sin, relationships that are going to hold us up in prayer and love us when we are hurting, and remind us of God's character when we are in the midst of despair. They are the friends that are going to sharpen us with His Word daily, who are going to challenge us to grow in our holiness, and model to us what it means to be a servant and to live as Micah 6:8 says, "To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

We need to realize that as we grow in the Lord and are made more and more into His likeness we are going to need the encouragement and support of those fellow, like-minded believers. We are going to need to unite together in Him to live this counter-cultural life. If our desire is to magnify Him wouldn't we want to be surrounded by those and built up by those whose goal is the same?

We need to evaluate our relationships and see if they are ones that are encouraging or corrupting. We need to stop with our prideful attitudes thinking we somehow are strong enough not to be brought down or discouraged by those in this world and realize that God has commanded us not to be yoked with those in darkness, those who are not saved, because we will be deceived and corrupted...it will happen (think back on any non-Christian friendship that you may have had or have now and think of how you have compromised thoughts, words, actions because of it). You may loose friends because of this but our good God is faithful to encourage us and to bring you alongside those who are running the same race so that you may glorify Him together.

Pray that the Lord would bring you relationships that honor Him!

Purity in Heart, Mind and Body

To say that I'm passionate about purity is an understatement. It is something that as God has sanctified me I have realized is crucial to the Christian walk. In fact it is in our pursuit of holiness that a passion for purity should develop and begin to control the way that we live.

The disgusting effects of sin and the marring characteristics if it should motivate us to live lives above reproach. Ephesians 5:1 commands us to be "imitators of God as His children". If you think about that for a moment you are quick to realize that in every area of our life therefore we should be striving for perfection. Jesus Christ is our standard, the world is not! So often in today's culture there is a desensitizing of what purity is. In fact even Christians have lowered the bar on what God has commanded of in Scripture. Comparing oneself to the world or even to fellow Christians has caused many Christians to compromise their purity of heart, mind, and body.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 we read, "It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God...". Therefore if it is God's "will" that you remain sexually immoral it is not an option. Controlling our bodies in a way that tis holy and honorable is a large responsibility. But ask yourself for a moment, do you? Could you honestly say that the way that you live is not like that of the world...in any way! Is there anything that distinguishes you from those around you? Or would someone looking in have a difficult time figuring out whether or not you live a life for Christ or for yourself?

Think about purity for a moment. What is purity? Many Christians think of purity only in the physical aspect. But purity goes much deeper then that. Yes there is a physical aspect. Our attitude should not be "how far can I go without going "all the way" " but rather "how holy can I be before a righteous God". If our mindsets were like that we would see Christian relationships radically changed. They would look so different and counter-cultural it would blow people's minds. In fact it would make people look to Christ in many cases. The ability to have a pure relationship would confuse the world. Remember being holy means being "set-apart" and being "set-apart" means exactly that...SET APART from this world. Here are some verses to motivate you in your pursuit of physical purity..

Colossians 3:5-10 "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

2 Timothy 2:22 "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

1 Cor 3:16 "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"

2 Cor 7:1 "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."

Now as mentioned above purity involves more than just our physical beings. It involves our hearts and minds as well. Jeremiah explains to us just how evil the desires of our own hearts are and because of that we are called to "guard our hearts" (Proverbs 4:23) from ourselves...in fact it is often misquoted that we should guard our hearts from others or in relationships but what this is actually warning against is of our selves. We are to guard against ourselves. In our own sinful nature we are quick to deceive ourselves into thinking or believing things that are so contrary to the truth of Scripture. Being pure in mind involves disciplining ourselves. We must take guard against the enemy and pray for self control because as 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." The enemy wants us to stumble, to trust our own hearts and to sin and the sin of impurity begins in the mind. Jesus even explained this to the crowds saying that if a man lusts after a woman in his mind it is just as if he already committed that sin physically. So if as believers we learn to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ and learn to be self-controlled we will begin with God's strength to win this battle of purity.

Christians, we need to remember that God has a perfect designed plan and that His plan is not to rob us of "having fun" as the world would promote but rather protects us and causes us to be refined and made more like His son. Remember as 1 Cor 10:13 says, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." God knows that in a fallen world we are going to be susceptible to sin but He is good and faithful to enable us to "NOT" sin.

Be passionate about purity...God commands it. And in that God will be glorified and honored and you will be a testimony to the Gospel of Jesus Christ because your actions and thoughts will be imitations of Him.

None Like You

The more I fall in love with my precious Savior the more I realize how desperately I need Him and how amazingly blessed beyond all comprehension I am to have a heavenly Father who is intimately involved in my life. Recently I stumbled across the lyrics to a song I really love...

Shane and Shane "There is None Like You"
There is none like You
No one else can touch my heart like You do
I could search for all eternity long
And find
There is none like You

Your mercy flows like a river wide
And healing comes in Your Name
Helpless children are safe in Your arms
And there is none like you

In our depravity as humanity we are quick to trust in ourselves and in others to find answers, joy, or satisfaction but what an emptiness that brings. There is nothing in this world that can bring the kind of joy, peace and true satisfaction that our Father in Heaven so graciously bestows upon His kids. Looking back in my life the times that were the most fulfilling and satisfying are the moments when I was broken before my Father in heaven and clinging tightly to His promises and the hope that I have in Jesus Christ. I think of passages in Scripture that talk about how we are refined, sharpened, and made more and more like Christ as we pursue Him and holiness and I graple to understand what a privilege that is. Have we really ever thought of that? Have we grasped the fact that the God of the universe cares for a creature like us and takes the time to prune us into perfection like His Son?! Amazing it leaves me speechless.

Take a look at God and you will quickly realize that there is none like Him!

THE ABILITY TO KNOW GOD:
"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." Matthew 11:27
"For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe." 1 Corinthians 1:21

"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." John 17:3

( I Jn 4:8 I Jn 1:5 John 4:24 Rom 3:26)

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD:
"Remember the former things, those of long ago;
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.

I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say: My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.

From the east I summon a bird of prey;
from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that will I bring about;
what I have planned, that will I do."
-Isaiah 46:9-11

(Josh 11:20 Dan 5:20 Mk 6:52 Rom 11:7 Rom 9:18)

THE LOVE OF GOD:
"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:8

GOD IS MIGHTY:
"God is mighty, but does not despise men;
he is mighty, and firm in his purpose." Job 36:5

GOD IS FAITHFUL:
"God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." 1 Corinthians 1:9

GOD IS EVERLASTING:
"Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God." Psalm 90:2

GOD IS UNCHANGING:
"I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed." Malachi 3:6

I could go on and on with hundreds upon hundreds of verses to show you the character of God and the fact that there really is nothing and nobody that compares. May this humble us and bring us to the constant realization of how truly blessed we are to have been plucked from eternity apart from Him to share in the fellowship with our King. God you are so good, so faithful, so wonderful, so indescribable...there is none like you!

I Count it All Loss

This past Revival we heard a new song that Ty Sager and Bobby Blakey wrote...below are the lyrics:

"Called to count the cost of Christ
Am I willing to give up this life, give up this life
Called to consider it loss
Deny myself and take up my cross, take up my cross

And I, I'd rather have Jesus than anything else
And I, I'd rather know Him than anyone else

I'll leave it all, to follow You Christ
I'm losing this world, and gaining Your life
I'll call You Lord and obey what You say
I'll do it today Lord, I'll do it today

The sun came up today
You've given me another day
There's no reason I'll delay...I'll leave it all."

After hearing this song and reading the lyrics I am yet speechless again at the grace of our good and awesome God. I am astounded by the work of Christ on the cross and the very idea that He would chose to pour His favor upon a depraved creature like me. Here we face a question as addressed in this song and in Mark 8:34-38 where we read, "Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life[c] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

Many times however I think there is a skewed picture of the idea of picking up your cross and following Christ. There is this idea in the back of our minds that we are giving something to the Lord as if it is "painful". Many times a cost of something is negative. That is not the perspective that we should have in this area. The cost we are looking at is really not a cost at all. In fact it needs to be turned into the perspective of a privilege. The bridge in this song above puts it well, "I'd rather have Jesus than anything else". You see as Christians we are loosing from the world's perspective "everything". We are loosing the ability to live in the flesh, the choice to satisfy our carnal desires, and the want to live a life that pleases our own selves in turn for what the world would see as foolishness...an unseen prize of eternal glory with a resurrected King! But this is where the Holy Spirit's ability to unveil the hearts and minds of the saved comes into play. To the one who is repentant, there is a different view. In fact the view is flipped. The cost is no longer a cost, the race that is being run is not a race ran in vain in fact it is one that is moving towards a goal and a prize as Paul writes in Philippians 3. You see we count it as a loss...everything else is a loss compared to him. Therefore what is the cost? Earthly...temporal pleasures??

Do we as Christians live this way though? Have we counted everything lost to follow Christ. Do we really see following Christ and loosing our lives as a privilege, a joy, and everything we could ever want? Do we live this way? Have we left everything or are we still holding onto something in this world that seems better, something that we are unwilling to part with? The reality is that there is NOTHING better than Jesus Christ. No earthly pleasure, no momentary satisfaction, NOTHING AT ALL is going to satisfy like Jesus Christ. Will we lose things when we repent and trust in Him? Absolutely...but what are we losing is the question and are we really losing when we are gaining eternal life???

Can You Be Sure?

“Yes, assurance is not only possible but Christians are exhorted, as a duty, to seek and find heartfelt assurance." –John Reisinger

In a post-modern world where relativity is rampant and absolute truth is void, assurance in anything seems impossible. In fact even during past centuries by other religions such as the Catholic Church, assurance was “the sin of presumption”. Assurance brings freedom from doubt and inspired confidence that provides comfort and peace in that which you are seeking assurance in. For the Christian salvation through Christ alone is the prime doctrine that distinguishes us from every other religion and is the foundation for all we believe. Having assurance in one’s own salvation is vital. However innate in fallen humanity is the capacity for doubt, confusion, and despair; it is because of this that one must find confidence in the faith that they proclaim to possess and live a life that reflects that. 1 John 5:13 reads, “These things have I written unto you...that ye may know that ye have eternal life." The Christian can be assured of their salvation and it is Scripture and Scripture alone that makes that very clear.

In order to have assurance in anything one must understand what it is that they are being assured of. A Christian must fully understand what it means to be a follower of Christ, a Christian, in order to gain confidence in that. Many times a lack of comprehension is what causes the uncertainty in grasping the concept of salvation; in other words one does not fully understand how they were saved. Scripture makes it clear in passages like John 3:18 where we read, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.” Unfortunately although the Gospel message saves, if not understood properly and not lived out we must question whether it is saving and transforming to all who proclaim to accept it. John MacArthur puts it this way, “Many who profess to believe in Christ may act like Christians to a certain degree, but turn out to be impostors or are simply misinformed about the nature of salvation. Either way, it becomes obvious that they did not really know the truth.” With all that said it is still understood by the Christian that to be genuinely saved an individual must repent of their sins and put their faith and trust in the saving work of Christ, God in human form, on the cross; it is only then through the transforming work of the cross that one can be assured of their salvation.

Piper explains eloquently what saving faith in its essence contains. He explains, “Faith is a spiritual sight of glory (or beauty) in the Christ of the gospel.” The Gospel should be an amazing and sweet aroma to the individual, a magnificent act, something so great once can only respond in humble adoration. Piper also says that, “Second, faith is a warranted resting in this glorious gospel for our own salvation. What this means practically is that we should continually look to the cross and the work of God in Christ, because this is where God makes the light of the gospel shine. We should continually pray for God to "enlighten the eyes of our hearts" (Ephesians 1:18). Thirdly, we should love each other; because, as John said, "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren." In the end, assurance is a precious gift of God. Let us pray for each other that it will abound among us.”

The Christian, according to Scripture, must be “born again”. We read about this, and Nicodemus’ transformation, in John 3 when he begs the question to Jesus himself of how to gain eternal life, his response was simply, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (v3). A spiritual rebirth must take place. A life change must occur. A radical transformation within the individual that only God can do happens. For as 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

There are countless reasons why an individual may not be assured of their salvation, many of which stem from human fear and worry which in essence is sin. It may be that the individual does not remember the time or point in which they actually first turned from their sins and put their faith in Christ. Various churches teach varying views on the “process” in which one is saved, this too can cause confusion. As Christians we still struggle with sin, the difference now is that we have the power through the Spirit to not sin. This however can cause worry when a new believer doesn’t realize why they still struggle despite the fact that they have been “regenerated”. People fear because the theology or doctrines they are being instructed in are false, such as a works plus the work of Christ. However, according to Professor J. Keathly the primary reason that people struggle with their assurance in salvation is, “…doctrinal misunderstanding and the consequent lack of faith in the finished work of Christ. This means a failure to understand the Word and its teaching regarding mankind, his sin and inability to work for or maintain his salvation, God’s perfect holiness, and the finished nature and sufficiency of the work of Christ.” This is only a small list of what could be causing confusion, but the commonality between them all is a lack of faith in the Word of God. Scripture alone teaches us what salvation is and the way in which we might be saved and it is through faith and understanding in that that one can find promise.

Many might say “I feel/don’t feel like I am living for Christ”, but although that may be true, feelings cannot be our source for assurance in anything, Scripture, which is our only truth, is our source for answers. John MacArthur and John Piper divide assurance into two categories: subjective and objective. Subjective assurance is invisible; it is what is going on within us, internally, unseen to anyone else; in other words our process of sanctification. 2 Corinthians 1:12--Paul says, "Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, we have behaved ourselves in the world." Paul was saying, "I know what's going on in my life because of the testimony of my conscience. Something rings true in my conscience that my behavior is pleasing to God." Objective assurance is outward, seen by others; it is based on Godly things being produced in our life, “fruit” as the Bible explains. We see this in 2 Peter 1:5-9 where we read, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.”

There will be proof visibly to not only the individual himself but to the church and other believers and to the world as a whole. Often times we hear we are not to “judge” others for that is for the Lord to do. However this idea is quite often misunderstood. Scripture teaches us that we can know where people who claim to be Christians stand by their “fruit” (Matthew 7). Look at 1 Corinthians 5:12 “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?” We are to judge those who are within the church. As Christians we can be fruit-inspectors of fellow Christians, seeing if indeed there is visible proof that salvation has taken place. Other Christians and even non-Christians should see something different from pre-salvation. The individual should see a radical change as well within themselves that will evidence salvation.

If all of this is true, then what the one claiming to be a Christian must do is test himself to see if what he is claiming is even true. MacArthur divides it into two categories: the doctrinal test and the moral test. Doctrinally we are taught throughout Scripture that you must confess Christ as Lord, 1 John 4:2 says, “By this know you the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." One must also confess their sins, 1 John 1:6, 8 says "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie .... If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." However that is not enough. Is God’s work enough? Absolutely! However there will be a life-change that takes place and is evidenced morally.
J. C. Ryle explains that there are “six great marks of a born again Christian” the first being the “doctrinal test” Macarthur explained. Second, as a born-again believer there will be no more “habitual sinning”. 1 John 3:9 says, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin”. Now this does not mean that the Christian does not ever sin but it means more simply that “he true Christian hates sin, flees from it, fights against it, considers it his greatest plague, resents the burden of its presence, mourns when he falls under its influence, and longs to be completely delivered from it”. The Christian no longer finds pleasure and joy in doing things against the will of God. The one that truly understands the sheer repulsiveness of sin and the cost of God’s wrath poured on Christ will strive not to sin. Next, a true believer must “practice righteousness”. 1 John 2:29 says, “Every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him”. The righteous man’s desire is to live a holy and blameless life. Although he knows that within himself there is moral corruption and perversion he seeks to overcome that and live set apart. Fourth, a Christian must love other Christians. 1 John 3:14 says, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren”. This man has a passion for his fellow disciples, like that of Christ. Or as Ryle puts it, “He is never so much at home as when he is in their company.” Fifth, “a man who is born again does not use the world's opinion as his standard of right and wrong”. 1 John 5:4 says, “Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world”. In other words his only desire is to please the Father and he no longer cares about the opinions or pleasures of the world. And finally, we read in 1 John 5:18, “He that is begotten of God keepeth himself”. He is concerned about his soul and keeping it pure or blameless before the Lord. Ryle states, “He desires to live like a soldier in an enemy country—to wear his armor continually and to be prepared for temptation. He is diligent to be watchful, humble, prayerful man”. After carefully considering all of these “marks” an individual can determine whether or not they are genuinely “born again” and part of God’s family…if they past the tests.

Understanding the work of Christ on the cross is the fundamental and the key to finding assurance in His saving work. Many Christians may have the marks stated previously but they may still not fully grasp the height and depth and breadth of what Christ did for us at Calvary. It is only at the foot of the cross that one can humbly find grace. One must realize that salvation is all on Him, He did everything, we did nothing to merit His grace and good favor, and we can do nothing to earn or repay it either. The work on the cross was sufficient, it fulfilled the requirement, and it was finished, or brought to its final desired state, and accomplished, or successfully completed in the person of Christ. Christ’s substitutionary death for the Christian. A Christian must understand what Christ died for. Christ didn’t die for only the big sins in our life but for EVERY sin. He died for every unclean thought, every careless word, every malicious act, and every spiteful deed; he paid for it with his life and experienced the wrath of God we deserved. And then He raised three days later and conquered death for those who put their faith in Him. Not only did He conquer physical death, as is obvious, but He conquered spiritual death as well. He conquered Satan and sin once and for all through that atoning work on the cross. Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us that it is not we that saved ourselves but by grace, it is a gift, and one we must not take lightly. In order for a Christian to fully be satisfied in their redeeming grace they must understand what Christ did to the fullest extent. It is not something that can only be pondered on once at the moment of salvation but it should be an ever present thought constantly being thought upon.

Although Christ returned to heaven after His resurrection He left us with the third person of the trinity, the Holy Spirit. As Christians we possess the Holy Spirit within our beings. He is our witness to the testimony of Christ. The Holy Spirit gives understanding and wisdom. 1 Corinthians 2:12 says, “Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God.” Professor J. Keathley explains that, “The Holy Spirit assures our hearts through the Word that we are children of God”. Romans 8:15-16 states this perfectly, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children.” What an amazing reality that is. We cry out to our Father in heaven as “Abba” which in today’s terms is like “daddy”. We can have this closeness of a relationship with the living God! The Spirit has been given to the Christian for even more assurance of salvation.

Once an individual is certain that they understand the Gospel of Christ and the depth of what that means and has claimed that they believe and trust in that and have repented from a life of sin and depravity and are in turn living a transformed Holy life for Christ, they can then gain a confidence that only the Word and the Spirit can provide. Professor J. Keathley speaks of two principles that can be thought upon in order to gain that assurance in the salvation that the person is claiming to have: Faith in facts and not feelings and faith in facts and not works.
Many times, as previously discussed, there is this idea that we find assurance from how we are feeling. We as fallen humanity cannot trust our feelings. We read in Jeremiah 17:9 that, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”. Our faith cannot come from within ourselves and our own intuitions but it must stand on the only truth that is true, the Word of God. Keathley explains, “The biblical order is: FACTS leads to FAITH which leads to FEELINGS. Feelings are the responders of the soul or heart. They are to follow and respond to our understanding of Scripture, but they are never a safe guide to what we should believe or of the state of our salvation.”

We have to make sure that our assurance is coming from solid facts from Scripture and not from our own works. Innate within ourselves is our pride which motivates us to do things for ourselves in hopes that we might merit or earn things; however salvation cannot be earned or merited…ever! “Works or the biblical changes that occur in our lives as a result of the grace of God can confirm the reality of our life with God” (Keathley). If it were based on us and our works our salvation would be ever so contingent. One must rest in the FINISHED work of Christ at the cross at Calvary.

One question that all of this might beg is, ‘is it possible for the truly saved Christian to doubt’? The answer is yes. Tim Challies puts it this way, “There is nothing unusual about occasionally doubting one’s salvation. The only thing unusual about doubt would be to experience it and not deal with it”. Doubt is different than unbelief, it is a state or short period of questioning in some regards that sanctifies. Doubt matures us in the Lord as the individual increases their knowledge of His truth throughout Scripture and are even more rooted in the truth of the Lord. It is not necessarily sinful to struggle with doubt at times in the Christian life, however the true believer will wrestle with this and through the Spirit’s power overcome the deceiving temptations leading to this. This doubt many times will lead to further dependence on Christ and study in the Word which leads to firm assurance.
Once someone is fully convinced and assured in their salvation there is a peace that surpasses understanding as it is a peace that can only come from God. However one must realize that assurance of salvation does not permit or promote promiscuous Christian living. We as Christians are stewards of God’s grace (1 Corinthians 3:12-15) and therefore we are responsible to steward our time, gifts, and resources for the glory of God. There is a joy in serving Christ and being His steward and there is an eternal reward waiting. Although believers will not be judged for their sins we are responsible before the Lord for being stewards at will stand before Him at the Bema and be judged by our works (2 Corinthians 5:10). So as J. Keathley puts, “it is sufficient for us to realize that while we are secure in the Savior as far as heaven is concerned, we have a wonderful stewardship for which we are each responsible”.

Assurance is confidence and confidence leads to boldness. As Christians who can be confident in their salvation because of the truth of Scripture, we are called to reflect that to others in hopes that they too might find salvation through Him who gives. Although our world teaches us that assurance in anything is impossible, Christians can stand out here in a dark world like lights and proclaim the truth that we have found to be true and are assured in, that Jesus Christ is Lord forever and ever amen!