by David Brenneman
"Now then let the fear of the Lord be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the Lord our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe.” 2 Chronicles 19:7.
"Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.” But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:15-20.
"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:14-16.
How often do you really consider yourself before God? How often do you weigh your motives between what you want versus what you know God wants of you?
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." Matthew 6:19-24.
These events that you are very intentional about plugging into your life...these choices that you make where you don't even look at Jesus to see if He approves or not...are they worth it in His scheme of things for you?
How often have you went with the world in a decision to include someone or something in your life that God's Word is absolutely against?
It starts with peer pressure as a child and the process to desensitize you concerning the ways of the world. Training you in your upbringing and education to believe and accept things that are against the Word of God both for you and the world.
When someone comes to Christ...there's a life more abundant to be had...but we need to live in obedience to see it.
Living in the past won't achieve it.
Always finding ways to be busy regardless of no necessity to be busy won't achieve it.
Embracing facets of humanity that only appear to be safe and harmless...without first asking God...won't achieve it.
"Oh its harmless! I'm not hurting anyone!" always hurts someone: you.
Raging against others all because of the status quo says to isn't Biblical.
There's nothing harmless in ridiculing others. There is nothing harmless is disobedience to the Word of God: the person most impacted is you.
In 2025 what are you going to do to be serious about your walk with Jesus more than you were in 2024?
When Jesus took the Disciples away from others...it was to be with Him...not to fill that time with arbitrary things.
Our lives are not our own. We were bought with a price, the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
Isn't that reason enough to behave accordingly? Isn't that enough to realize that we need to live out our salvation?
When you look at what you have planned even for today. Is Jesus in it beyond asking Him to bless the food? How are you going to look Him in the eye when the deeds done in your life are examined?
As Joshua once said...so do you say as well?
"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15.
It does take work, effort, on the part of Believers to live out the Christian life before men and women. What would you rate your effort on a scale of 1 to 10?
Is your life a list of have to do's?
Is your life a list of need to gets?
Is your life really about living a life in such a way that people see your good works and glorifying your Father in Heaven?
The time we are given by the grace of God isn't ours. It's His. What are you really doing to live it that way?
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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