All in God

Do we give thanks for our brothers and sisters in Christ? Do we take our own sanctification by the Holy Spirit as more than a distant hope, but as a present truth? Do we find ourselves filled with the glory of Jesus Christ, and allow him full reign as he abides within us? There was a time when I accepted Jesus as fact, but didn’t want the close relationship that He offered; I wanted to follow Him but not to walk too closely, not to accept the changes that walking hand in hand with Him meant. Is Jesus your speaking friend, or your best friend and confidant? Are you sanctified or just aquatinted?

Holy and blameless before God... does this describe you? Is this who you are, or is it something that you aspire too? Scripture tells us that we should be this way, but do we even know what it means to be holy? Is it simply being consecrated to God? Is it to set apart or dedicate ourselves to serving Him? Or, perhaps in some way to be like God? If you search out man’s definition of Holy you will find all of these thoughts, and definitions. So when God says you are to be holy what is he wanting us to be, and are we in obedience to Him?

When we open ourselves to Jesus Christ and allow Him to enter into us we not only become a new person internally, but also externally. Ezekiel recorded how God transforms us in wonderful fashion, and the New Testament contains many references to how Jesus cleansed us and allows for this same transformation. The sin that we have spoken of in past days is now forgiven, and we are refreshed. Are you ready to be changed?

Do you find that adhering to the commandments of God and Jesus Christ is too difficult for you? When you read that Jesus said “Go and sin no more.” were these words frightening to you and more than you felt you could accomplish? Well my friend, if we were to attempt these things alone, then they surely would be too much for us, and we would be right to be frightened and concerned, but in God all this and more are possible.

We serve the one true God, the creator of the universe, do you wait on Him today, and the return of Jesus Christ, just as Abraham and Moses waited on Him, and the first coming of the Messiah in theirs? Do you pray and wait on Him, knowing that He will answer your prayers? Do you faithfully expect His presence to be known not only in your lifetime, but in your life, because He calls to you, and knocks at your door even now? This is the moment of our faith, and the promise which thrills us. He to whom Jesus prayed, and to whom He taught us to pray, desires a relationship with us.

When we look at a sunrise, or a sunset, we see its beauty. When we look across the mountains we see their grandeur and beauty as well. The night skies filled with stars, and all of God’s creation bring us wonder and awe, but it has also impresses us with its beauty to the point of tears. Science argues the creation of the universe, but who can argue the beauty we feel and see in it, and the wonder at the divine hand that causes us to know beauty from nothingness.

How do we come into the presence of God? Are we clothed in all of our sin, and wearing shoes that are filthy and covered in the dust of the world? As creatures of both physical and spiritual construction we can’t travel anywhere without both sides of ourselves being present. Only at death is that separation possible. So until then, we must be careful regarding the purity of both our body and our spirit when we come before the Lord.

You think you are righteous, after all you have been working at it diligently for quite some time, maybe all your life, and yet you fail at pretty much the same frequency that you always have... what is wrong? Why is progress in your faith so slow, or stalled? I am going to ask you a simple question that might possibly drill to the heart of your struggle... Are you continuously seeking Jesus for yourself, or have you said to him “here I am Lord, I am yours.”?

Before we come to that point in our faith in which we understand that our relationship with God and Jesus Christ is what is of paramount importance, we seek the ancillary things pertaining to the promises in God’s Word. We search for such mysterious ingredients as knowledge, wisdom, eternal life, power, joy, and peace, but in doing so we are like any child who prefers eating the icing over the cake. We see those things that are the fruits of an intimate relationship and mistake them for its purpose.

How is your memory these days; specifically, how is your memory of Jesus Christ? Do you need to be reminded to think of Him as you go about your day, or is He at the forefront of your thoughts always? Well, before you answer my question think long and hard. Our memories may not totally fail us, but there are so many times when they momentarily lapse, or perhaps we put things out of our minds.

Is your life the manifestation of God’s glory? Are you more than mere flesh and blood, such that you not only say and do good things, but are also living and breathing praise to Him? We hear the expression “People should see Christ in you.”, but do they, and to what end is this most important? I ask again... are you the embodiment of praise such that others who see you experience God’s glory?

Do you bless your family? Are you more than a sire, or a dame who brought forth children from the womb? There is so much to raising a family, and all of our children are as different as Jacob’s; each needing a special blessing. Not all of them are presently good, but each one needs to know the Lord, and that necessitates our prayers, our attention, and our blessing as we wait upon God to call and save them. This is our calling, the will of a God for us, but in the end we can’t save them ourselves.

We say we love the Lord, but do we really love Him, or do we love studying and reading about Him? Do we really love Him or do we love talking to others about our knowledge of Him? Do we really love Him, or do we just want Him around in case of an emergency? Do any of these sound familiar, or maybe your relationship with Him is dysfunctional in another way. Knowing who He is isn’t faith; reciting a children’s prayer we learned a lifetime ago isn’t the prayer He expects from you. Open the door of your heart to Him.

Do you boast in your accomplishments in faith? Do you think yourself better than another because you quote more scripture, appear more saintly, or are of greater righteousness than another? Well if you are any of these things it is not of your doing, and if you feel boastful it is to your detriment because these things are in you as a result of our God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ alone.