For those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. 1 Samuel 2:30
One of the many truths of the kingdom of God is that if we will honor God, He will honor us. If, however, we dare to treat Him disrespectfully, we will also be treated as least in His kingdom. The initiative rests with us. Our response to God determines His response to us. Eli had been the priest of Israel for many years, and he knew the standards for righteous living that God required. Yet Eli faced a dilemma, for his sons were living in direct opposition to God. As their father, Eli had to decide whom he would honor. He could not defer to his immoral and ungodly sons and also exalt the God he served. By default, Eli chose to honor his sons, for he did not insist that their behavior conform to God's standards. Eli would have pleaded that he still loved God but that he simply could not bring honor to God with his family. Yet God viewed Eli's behavior differently (1 Sam. 3:13–14). Eli revealed his own heart when he failed to honor God before the people of Israel by the way he dealt with his sons. This is why God punished Eli and his sons severely (1 Sam. 4:17–18). God is not pleased if you praise Him at church but not at your workplace. It is not acceptable for you to revere God when you are with other Christians but not in your school or neighborhood. He expects you to honor Him completely, with your words, with your actions, with your life. If you honor Him, He will honor you. Blackaby Experiencing God Day by Day
Ii have read through the Bible more times than I can remember. I can, however, remember about Eli and his sons. While we read of him and them in Samuel's first book, their lives are hardly unique. Every generation from Adam to Noah and from Noah's Sons to today is filled with the same.
An oft told joke at the workplace to some people is to call them part-timer's because of the time off they earned and took advantage of. In Christ there's no room for that, in fact Jesus addressed that. You come to Christ He wants all of you, not the leftovers.
Luke 9:57-62 "As they were going on the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say goodbye to those at my home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
In living for Jesus it's never presented as an optional thing.
It's not when you aren't busy with something else.
It's not when you feel like it.
Read the book of Acts...see anything about serving half-heartedly that was accepted?
Read anything about Jesus telling a Disciple about not concerning himself about what will or won't happen to another Disciple, as for him he was to follow Jesus.
Serving Satan or serving God is what is really happening in this world. Jesus separated people in Revelation between those who were believers from those who were not. There absolutely was no middle ground. No questionable group that would require more time to sort through. You either were a sealed by the Spirit Child of God or you were not.
There is no sneaking into Heaven by just being good enough.
You must choose, much as Joshua, who it is you will serve, as have I.
You will give an account someday as to why you lived as you did, as will I.
Scripture says that all the fullness of Christ fills us when we are saved. It's how much we obey that determines what He does in our lives. Many invite Jesus in to be their Savior, yet religate Him to the status of a Butler. Some religate Him to a room in their hearts, only bringing Him out on Easter and Christmas. Some, on only Sundays, some not even that. They just wanted salvation to escape Hell.
You and I must choose to live for the One who saved us. Paul's big concern was that he would do everything God called him to lest he find he disappointed Jesus at the end.
Our world wants nothing to do with Christ, God, the Bible or Christian living. I have heard comments all my life about how the Christian life is so dry. That its no fun. That you have to give up on enjoying your life if you become a Christian. The reality is quite the opposite.
People in many places believe the lie of Satan that there's a party going on in Hell. Jesus stated clearly what Hell is about.
Luke 16:19-31 " “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, enjoying himself in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed from the scraps which fell from the rich man’s table; not only that, the dogs also were coming and licking his sores. Now it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s arms; and the rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades he raised his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his arms. And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set, so that those who want to go over from here to you will not be able, nor will any people cross over from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I request of you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not come to this place of torment as well.’ But Abraham *said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
You are the one who must choose.
You.
You choose to live for yourself or for Christ. He who gave His life for you or yourself.
In Revelation in a letter to a Church, Jesus rebuked them for being lukewarm. Said He would spit them out. He rejects lukewarm people. Half-hearted people.
My morning drive includes prayer. Every day I ask for His help in doing whatever He puts before me to do. I am a Christian cleverly disguised as a Workflow Specialist. In Colossians 3 we are to do all things as unto the Lord. Do you?
Examining ourselves is repeated in the New Testament. Do that today to see who you are living for.
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