Once we accept God as our creator and the God of our lives, and we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer, we receive by grace the gift of eternal life, but is that gift absolute? Is it a firm commitment on God's part? How about on ours when we receive it? The discussion of topics such as this can either divide us or bring us together.
Jesus is without sin, and perfect, but is there any hope for us to become as perfect as He is? Is perfection something that we are even capable of? The glorious surprise of faith is that we are transformed not into men and women seeking to behave as God, but into God flowing from man.
Are you being tempted with Jesus Christ even today? In that temptation do you continue following Him, or do you turn away from Him and leave? This is a question Jesus asked His disciples at the last supper, and which is still valid today. Let me ask you one more question... when we give into our temptations are we saddling and shaming Jesus with our sin again?
Are we tempted as Jesus was tempted? Do we even understand what that means? When we as Christians look back at the difference between the alluring we faced before we were born again and those temptations that came following our conversion we realize that they are quite different. Our common temptations that occur in every person's life suddenly transformed themselves into temptations of a higher spiritual plane. We move from purely moral temptations to those which can alter our spirits and condemn our very souls.
When we pray the Lord's Prayer and say the words "lead us not into temptation", what do we think that means? Do we think we are asking God to keep us from experiencing temptation? Do we understand it to mean that we are asking God Himself not to tempt us? Do we think it literally means that God should not purposely lead us into tempting situations? Or do we feel we are asking God to lead us away from our natural inclination to be tempted by sin?
Do you have questions about faith, or revelations about yourself that you need to communicate to God? Are there things so personal that you blush with embarrassment and shame at the mere thought of them? These are the most pressing things that you need to reveal to God, and they require a secret place where you can be absolutely open and honest with Him.
Do you have hidden sins that are undoing you? They don't have to be huge or incredibly sleazy, just dishonest to God's commands, law, will, and the commandments of Jesus Christ. Tolerating such behavior in ourselves will surely undo the good work that has been done in us. We will certainly become blinded by our unrighteousness.
How do you know when you have been praying in fervent prayer? Is it when you end your sentence with Amen, or is it when you unfold your hands, open your eyes, or get up off your knees? Those can all be indications of having prayed, but the real give away regarding fervent prayer is your heart; when the fingers of your soul begrudgingly let go of the hand of God, you return spiritually to your body... and language serves you once more.
God never leads us by the ear into salvation. He never forces us to acknowledge Him against our will, or badgers us until we finally give in. No, a tiny seed is planted within us, and it becomes our responsibility to tend and grow it, or let it lie dormant and eventually wither away.
Do we worry about our salvation and the salvation of our family members? Are we believers who don't trust that your own household is saved and faithful? Well, take heart, our belief has saved them all. By our faith and example, we are bringing the Word of the Lord into our homes and leading our families to believe.
Are we prepared to do our Heavenly Father's bidding? I am not talking about the things we consider to be the grand tasks of heaven, but rather, the trivial and menial jobs. Those that occur every day as we live out our lives; the ones that humble us and define us as servants.
Have you prepared yourself for the challenges of faith ahead? Are you ready for the trials that lie before you, or are you totally out of spiritual shape? Be as Jesus was... ready for the moment of God's calling... be ready to join the Father in the race of your life.
Do we claim the glory of God for ourselves? Have we done this while doing great things that He has called and gifted us to do? Have we puffed out our chests and swaggered as if they were all about us? We are tempted by our nature as men and women of the world to claim personal responsibility for God's work when it moves through us to be performed in the physical world, but we must defeat that temptation lest we be humbled.
Do you feel particularly unworthy this morning? When you rose did you feel dulled by the world as if you had lost your spiritual sheen? Well, cast that feeling off because you are a living stone... a piece of heaven. When you look into the mirror rejoice and see yourself as a reflection of the Kingdom to come. You are most likely asking yourself if this is true and how you could possibly be a piece of heaven? Well to answer this we must first consider these questions... “Of what is the kingdom of God constructed?” and “what are the building blocks of glory?” The answer to each of these questions is the same… "You are!" So, friends, let’s rejoice!
Do we trip over your feet as we begin our walk of faith? Do we have a certain understanding of God's will for our lives only to fall flat on your faces when we try to walk in it? Well, what do you do if that happens? Do we spring at once to our feet again, slowly pull ourselves up, or just lay there and cry? Then again, maybe the Lord makes the road before us straight and removes all the obstacles from our path; perhaps He delights in our way and we do not trip at all.