I very much
want my relationship with God’s Son to be better than it has ever been before.[iii]
“One
way to define spiritual life is getting so tired and fed up with yourself you
go on to something better, which is following Jesus.”[iv]
Following Jesus in 2017 will mean several things for us
all. At this stage in my life, I don’t submit well to anyone, but Luke 14:27
(AMP) doesn’t leave with many options if I wish to be obedient to Jesus.
“Whoever does not carry his own cross [expressing
a willingness to endure whatever may come]
and
follow after Me
[believing in Me, conforming to My
example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith
in Me] cannot be My disciple.”[v]
“When Jesus is
truly our Lord, He directs our lives and we gladly obey Him. Indeed, we bring
every part of our lives under His lordship - our home and family, our sexuality
and marriage, our job or unemployment, our money and possessions, our ambitions
and recreations.”[vi]
If you have
asked Jesus to become your personal Lord and Savior, there are actions that
should be present in your life as His follower. Your own unique story of
salvation is something you can give as a witness to others. 1 Peter 3:15 (TLB) states this:
“Quietly
trust yourself to Christ your Lord, and if anybody asks why you believe as you
do, be ready to tell him, and do it in a gentle and respectful way.”
“I think God is perfect, all-powerful and has an
unstoppable plan for everyone, including those who love Him and those who
don't.”[vii]
Once Jesus comes into
your heart, your whole life becomes changed, and different than it was before. It’s
time to put feet to your faith (in the real world).
James 2:14 (MSG) says, “Dear
friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right
words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a
person really has it?
If being a Christian doesn’t change the way I act [on
the] outside; then how can I say there really was any change [on the] inside? [viii]Something is wrong when
our lives make sense to unbelievers.[ix]
It’s logical that a follower of Christ will be interested
in what Jesus finds important. Below are some clues to the correct answer. Can
you guess it?
God loves people more than anything
God loves people more than anything
And more than anything, He wants them to know
He'd rather die than let them go
Cause God loves people more than anything[x]
God loves people more than anything
And more than anything, He wants them to know
He'd rather die than let them go
Cause God loves people more than anything[x]
“Aloneness can lead to
loneliness. God’s preventative for loneliness is intimacy, [which is]
meaningful, open, sharing relationships with one another.
In Christ we have the capacity
for the fulfilling sense of belonging which comes from intimate fellowship with
God and with other believers.[xi] Evangelism without social work is deficient;
social work without evangelism is impotent.[xii]
As crucial as it is to reach (and fellowship with) others
for the glory of God’s kingdom, what negative habit of yours does Jesus need
you to conquer with His assistance in 2017?
“To really understand what love is, you've kinda got to
dig down deeper than just how you feel at the moment. [xiii]Look, God does not
command you to pray to be strong enough to do something He told you not to do.”[xiv]
[i]
This post was inspired by the sermon, Following Jesus: Commitments for the New
Year Ryan Edwards Sunday, January 1, 2017, CenterPoint Church Gahanna Gahanna, OH
[ii] Quote by Henry Rollins
[iii] The title of this post means asserting that important matters should be dealt with before other things. (Google Answers)
[iv] Quote by Eugene H. Peterson
[v]Brackets in this scripture were added by The Amplified Bible, and not me.
[ix] Quote by Francis Chan
[x] Chorus of "More than Anything" (performed by Point of Grace)
[xi] Quote by Neil T. Anderson
[xii] Quote by John Mott
[xiv] Quote by Paul Washer
Robert, excellent thoughts. The problem is, if we are not careful, that we base being right with God on the external works and not the internal motives of the heart. Change a man's heart with the redemptive work of Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit then see the behavioral changes that follow. For too many years we had that inverted.
ReplyDelete