Holiness to the Lord.

     13 Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” 17And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth; 18knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
The Lockman Foundation (2009-03-19). Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible (NASB 1977 edition) (Kindle Locations 41216-41224). The Lockman Foundation. Kindle Edition.

     God has called each one of us to be holy. Holiness can be defined as being  separated from the world, and devoted to the service of God. This act of dedication to God involves a deliberate choice to forsake all for His sake. It is a very serious and solemn choice. We are to be holy as God is holy. God is light, there is no darkness found in Him. If we say we know God, but walk in darkness, we lie (1John 1:6). Our text tells us that we are to be holy in all our behavior, everything that we do. It is not an option where we can pick and choose how we will live, we are to live separated from the ways of the world. We are to live as children of God, imitating our heavenly father (Eph 5:1,2), with a holy fear, knowing that God is impartial, and will judge us according to our deeds. This is a sobering thought. We have been often taught that all God sees, when He looks at us is Christ. We have been taught that the question asked at the gates of heaven will be "What have you done with My Son?".  This text and in many other places in the Bible, affirm that we will be judged according to our deeds.
      It is true that when we place our trust in Christ, we find grace and forgiveness. Without that none of us would be saved. However it is just as true that the grace of God will change us from the inside out. A salvation that does not deliver from the power and practice of sin, is a deficient savation. It is another gospel! A salvation that does not change how we live, leaves us dead in our sin. The thought of what Christ went through for each one of us, should move us to diligently live for Him. He shed His precious blood for us. How can we carelessly trample it under foot, by living loose and careless lives, thinking that His grace will cover it?
      The grace of God has given us all we need. We have Christ's sacrifice on our behalf. We have Him now interceding for us. We have His living word, with all it's promises, to guide us. We have the presence of the Holy Spirit. The God who says "Be holy, as I am Holy", does not call us to make bricks without straw. If He commands us to do, or be something, He will also enable us.
     The design of salvation is to bring us back into fellowship with the Holy God. We must be Holy, as He is Holy. We cannot walk together unless we are in agreement. There can be no fellowship of light with darkness. 
     May each one of us be diligent to walk in holiness before God, trusting Him every step of the way.
   

Justification, and regeneration.

     Here are some interesting quotes that explain the difference between justification, and regeneration.

 1. Justification is a work done for us, but regeneration is a work done in us. 2. Justification changes our relation to God, and restores us to his favor by a pardon, while regeneration changes our state, our real character. 3. Justification removes the guilt of the sin which we have committed, while regeneration removes the love of sin and takes away our bent of sinning. 4. Justification removes the punishment we deserve, remits the penalty of the law, but regeneration plants the principle of obedience in the heart. 5. Justification brings the favor of God, while regeneration brings back the image of God, and again impresses it upon the soul.
Lee, Luther (2011-09-13). Elements of Theology (Kindle Locations 6734-6741). Unknown. Kindle Edition.

    

What if Jesus came to your church?

And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart from their borders.
God; ASV (2011-07-15). Holy Bible, American Standard Version (ASV) (Kindle Locations 29044-29045). Latus ePublishing. Kindle Edition.


     In the context of this verse, Jesus had just cast the demons out of two posessed men. The people feared these men, and had kept them in chains. Now these men were in their right minds. When the domons left the men, Jesus permited them to enter a herd of pigs, which then rushed into the sea.
     This caused a great deal of distress among the local inhabitants. Instead of rejoicing with the two men who had just been delivered, the people instead were very uncomfortable with what just occured. Perhaps they were upset about the pigs. Maybe they were uncomfortable about the deliverance of the demon posessed men. At any rate, the were uncomfortable with Jesus, and asked Him to leave.
     Sadly, we too can become complacent in our Christian experience. We like how church is done, we like how our lives are lived, we think everything is fine, and we want it to stay that way. We want things to go smooth, no excitement, no conviction, no upsetting visitors on Sunday,etc.
     What would happen if Jesus showed up during prayer time, and people were instantly, and miraculously healed of all manner of diseases? Would it make us nervous? Would we be uncomfortable? what would happen if people were suddenly filled with conviction, conviction so deep that some fell from their seats onto the floor where they lay weeping and crying out to God?  What would happen if some went forward and made public confession of sin? We never see this happen, but if you read about the great revivals of the past, it was a frequent occurence. My Father in law told of a pastor who announced to his congregation one Sunday, that he had been saved that weekend. His church promptly dismissed him! They were more comfortable with an unsaved pastor!
     The fact is, that when Jesus comes to church, things happen, changes occur, we are taken out of our comfort zones. The things that Jesus taught, the things that Jesus did,  are taught, and done. People are convicted of sin, people are healed of disease, people are set free from demons, people are set free from sin.
     Pigs are presented as unclean in the Bible. We may have unclean things in our lives that we hang onto, things that we do not want to see go. If Jesus were present, we know that like the pigs rushing into the sea, these things would have to go as well. It may be unbelief, sin, or worthless tradition, but it would have to go.
     Jesus came to give us abundant life. He came to destroy the work of the devil. He came to set the captives free. Let Him have His way with you.

Full surrender.

     Here is a quote to ponder, dealing with the full consecration of one's self to God.

     In every consecration the soul reaches a point where it must either go through to the death, or else go back and lose the grace of God entirely. The Holy Spirit will make it plain what this death implies, and at last the dying soul goes through its last struggle and yields up its last treasure. When this point is reached and passed, the Holy Spirit will bear witness that the demands of God are now fully met.
Byers, J. W. (2009-10-04). Sanctification (p. 59). Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.

Do we take God's name in vain?

     Many people use the name of God in a careless manner. It is used to express excitement, it is used in anger, it is used in cursing. All of this shows a disregard for God, even contempt. To use the name of the Holy God in a casual way shows that we really do not care about Him at all. This is why He says that He will not hold us guiltless if we use His name in vain.
     I think that the Spirtit of this command is also violated by countless numbers who attend church every week in a casual way. People come and spend much time in small talk before and after the service. Many sing songs of praise and worship without meaning what they sing. Others sing without thinking about the words they sing. Many have their minds somewhere else. Read what D.L.Moody wrote about this -    

 I think it is shocking to use God’s name with so little reverence as is common nowadays, even among professing Christians. We are told that the Jews held it so sacred that the covenant name of God was never mentioned amongst them except once a year by the high priest on the Day of Atonement, when he went into the holy of holies. What a contrast that is to the familiar use Christians make of it in public and private worship! We are apt to rush into God’s presence, and rush out again, without any real sense of the reverence and awe that is due Him. We forget that we are on holy ground.
Moody, Dwight Lyman (2011-03-24). Weighed and Wanting Addresses on the Ten Commandments (Kindle Locations 365-369). Kindle Edition.

     I think many have lost that sense of reverance and awe, and it shows in how we act when we show up in church. Do we come expecting to meet with God? Do we come into His presence filled with awe? Are our hearts filled with worship and adoration?  Or do we just go through the motions, another sunday in church, sing a few songs, listen to a message, visit with friends, and just go home?
     Let's never forget that God is a Holy God, and we must treat Him as such.

Where is your heart?

     Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also......
                                                                                              Matt 6:21

     Here are a few questions to get us thinking about what we treasure in our hearts.

     What consumes our thoughts? what do we think about all day? Is it our jobs, families, the cares and worries of life, friends, hobbies? Are our thoughts taken up with Christ, longing for Him, desiring to know Him better, thinking of how we can please Him? Is His kingdom always on our minds?

     What takes up our time? Jobs, hobbies, entertainment, even families? Or is our time spent pursuing Christ, spent in prayer and the word, spent serving Him? Are we spending our time promoting His kingdom?

     How about money? What are we spending it on? Do we spend it on frivolous things, things that we don't really need? Do we use it in the best way to promote His kingdom?

     These are just some things to make us think about what we really hold dear. We all need to make ends meet, and we all have families that we love and care for, but if we pursue Christ with all of our heart, we will find that everything is taken care of.

Mere entertainment?

     This is the Christmas season, and churches are now busy getting ready for the Christmans program. Kids are learning their lines, costumes are being made, candy bags are being put together, and presents are being bought. All this is fun, and most everyone enjoys this time of year.
     It is also at this time that the "unchurched" come to church. They come to see kids or grandkids in the christrmas play, they come for presents, they come out of tradition, and many come out of guilt. Pastors get excited at the chance to present the gospel at this time.
     But, is the gospel really presented? Everyone gets to see a play about the birth of Jesus, and then hear a brief talk by the pastor, perhaps followed by a "blanket" sinners prayer, the kind where everyone repeats after the pastor. This looks at it is a good thing, and everyone hopes that someone actually prayed and meant it, but are people really getting saved? Did we allow the Holy Spirit to work in power convicting the lost? Was the whole gospel presented, sin and depravity, God's just wrath, man's hopeless condition, Christ's death and ressurection, repentance, submission to His Lordship?
     This might sound like I'm complaining, but in truth I see the same thing every year. The same people coming to these events for entertainment and leaving the same way they came in. A Christmas program is a great thing if done to exalt Christ, and perhaps there is a chance to see an individual saved during one, but let each one of us be filled with the Holy Spirit, and ready for any chance we have to reach the lost all year long!

Prayer, a measurement of Spiritual life.

     In Luke 18,  Jesus teaches that in prayer we must be persistent. We need to pray with an intensity and fervor that does not give up. He closes this lesson by asking the question "When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on the earth?".
     Where there is spiritual life there will be fervent prayer. There will be the kind of prayer that seeks God and the interests of His kingdom. There will be prayer that hangs on without giving up, until the answer comes. True prayer is kindled in the heart by the Holy Spirit. Where the Spirit is present there will be prayer, deep intense prayer.
     There is a lot of praying going on, shallow empty prayers, selfish prayers, prayers that do not expect to be answered. E.M Bounds stated that all the unanswered prayers could more than fill up the earths oceans. I heard of one minister who got in his prayer time while brushing his teeth in the morning. He was just too busy to find anyother time. This is the case with so many today. Too busy to pray, content to send up a few prayers now and then when it is convenient, or when something important comes up. This is not the kind of faith that Christ desires to find in us.
     When He returns will He find true faith in you?