Because of Obedience

https://www.kcisradio.com/2016/01/28/romans-122

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct. I Peter 1:14-15 (ESV)

The Apostle Peter echoes the instructions of Paul. Paul told the believers at Rome do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.

Peter gives those in exile and us a reason for our changing our demeanor and our behavior. He tells us to not be conformed because of our obedience.

He further writes that we are to be holy (complete) as Jesus is holy.  As born-again believers, we are to reflect Him in all we say and do.

How we react to the world events can tell others about our beliefs and about the LORD. Several years ago, I heard an admonition “Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some person ever reads.” ^(1.)

When we obey Christ, people notice. They might not say anything but they do watch how we act and react to events that go on around us.

Dear Father:

As we walk with Your Son through this world, please let us keep in mind that we belong to You and that we are to follow You and You alone. We are Your feet and Your hands as we live in this world. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

                       

1     1.)  William J. Toms (1803-1885) An Australian and a Methodist.

Christian Witness Spelled Out

ministryhouse.org

  

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil to no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle. And to show perfect courtesy toward all people. Titus 3: 1-2 (ESV)

Paul gives guidance to Titus that he is to remind those in his flock to:

           

•Submit to the rulers and authorities.

                  We are to cooperate with those who preside over us and those who enforce the laws t                   that protect us.

● Be ready for every good work.

● Pray about your involvement in a mission project.

● Participate, if you are led to work on one and are able.

● Pray for the efforts of those who can. Financially support the work, if you can.

● Speak evil of no one.

●If we happen to hear something about someone and it’s not good. Ask Jesus to step in and take it away from your mind. Try not to pass it on.

● Avoid quarreling.

●If someone says something to us that is hurtful. We should turn the other cheek. We should not retaliate.

●Be gentle.

We don’t know what that other person is going through. It might be something that could be traumatic.

●Show perfect courtesy toward all people.

Open doors for those we see. Thank those that open doors for you.

●Allow those with fewer groceries to go through the check-out line before you.

●At a four-way stop. Allow another vehicle to go ahead of you. He or she might be uncertain if it is their turn.

●Always try to smile when you see neighbors outside. Wave, if you can.

            If we would practice these points that Paul gives us, we would see God’s kingdom expand, would we not?

Thoughts on The LORD’S Prayer

Warner Sallman

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

    on earth as it is in heaven.

 Give us this day our daily bread,

 and forgive us our debts,

    as we also have forgiven our debtors.

 And lead us not into temptation,

    but deliver us from evil.

 Our Father

God created us all. He desires a special relationship with us. Jesus calls Him Father because that was He was Jesus’ Father. By addressing God as “Our Father”, the Lord includes each of us as God’s children.

 hallowed by your name.

God’s name is to be treated as special. No one else can be called Abba, except the one who created us. We all have one Father. He loans us to earthly parents for them to raise us.

Your kingdom come,

Our Lord Jesus requests that God allow His rule to guide and direct us.

 your will be done

Jesus asks that His Father’s desire for us, His children be accomplished. When God’s will is done, it is done to please Him.

 on earth as it is in heaven.

What would our world be like if everything on earth was done according to God’s will?

●No crime

● No wars

● No debt

                                                    ● No divorce

                       ● No illness

  

Give us this day our daily bread,

Jesus asks God to give us what we NEED each day. Basically, our needs are simple, food, clothing, shelter, and rest.

 and forgive us our trespasses

The church I belong to uses the word, ‘trespasses’, while most use the word ‘debts’. The word trespass means to transgress or enter an area without permission. When we happen to sin, we do just that. We enter an area, by action, speech, attitude, or behavior, where God does not want us.

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

   

Jesus finishes His teaching on prayer with these words, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you.”

And lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil.

Jesus asks His Father to keep us safe from the paths that will bring us into the difficulties of life and bring us out of those areas should we wander into them.

For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever, Amen

God’s kingdom will last forever. He has all the power in this world and deserves all the praise and glory we can give Him.

Obedience and Being in God’s Will

http://angelaambroise.blogspot.com

Now, if anyone has caused you pain, he has not caused it to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough. So you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he shall be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything.    2 Corinthians 2:5-9 (ESV

Paul writes to the Corinthian church. He tells them that, if someone brings hurt to them, that person causes injury to all of them.

He continues by telling them that the offender deserves forgiveness and comfort lest he becomes saddened. He pleads with them to reaffirm their faith in the one guilty of wrongdoing. Each of us, when we cause hurt to the LORD, can seek forgiveness and receive comfort from Him. When someone brings hurt to us, we are to extend forgiveness to that person. Sometimes we have to ask God to do it for us. But we must forgive because God will not forgive us if we don’t forgive others.

The Apostle Paul then explains the reason for his writing. He took the time to test the believers and to know if they were obedient in everything. Paul speaks of forgiveness and of obedience in this passage. We are to forgive the sinner because of God’s love for us and for them. Paul tells us Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13 –(NIV)

Our motive for extending forgiveness to someone who has sinned is that we want to be in God’s will and obey Him. I wonder, have I ever not been completely obedient to God? Due to being human, I probably have not always obeyed Him.

Waiting is a Part of Obedience

 

             Wait on the LORD; be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD (KJV) Psalm 27:14

             Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD. 

                Psalm 27:14(ESV)

WAIT FOR THE LORD;

David advises us to wait for God to guide us. Sometimes we run ahead of Him.

BE OF GOOD COURAGE

               Don’t be afraid. We are not to bury our heads in the sand. 

               Instead, we are to look the issue straight on, no matter how much it may hurt.

HE SHALL STRENGTHEN THINE HEART:

God will give us what we need in our inner being. He will help us withstand whatever we face.

WAIT ON THE LORD.

            Sometimes, we humans get in too much of a hurry, mess things up, making matters worse.

            These are the words of David. As humans, we don’t like to wait. However, we must wait. In our society, we have become impatient as we wait for the microwave oven to end its cycle, stop lights to change to green, the weather to break, and healing. We even have to wait for the hot water to become warm. All these things we have to wait for. There is a great lesson here.

Complete Obedience

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:5-6(ESV)

Paul wrote these words to the believers at Corinth. Paul had concerns about the Corinthian Christians. “False teachers were a constant threat to the gospel and the early church.” ^(1.)

He had to repeatedly warn and correct the thinking of these new believers. 

“The church at Corinth was weak. Surrounded by idolatry and immorality, they struggled with their Christian faith and lifestyle.” ^(2.)

I see a parallel between the Corinthian church and the Christian church of our day. Paul ministered to a weak church while the modern Christian churches seem weakened.

By weakened, I mean the church may have fallen under the influence of the world. We have churches in other parts of the world who face persecution and continue to grow in strength and in number. However, we have churches in my nation that struggle because they have allowed the ways of the world to penetrate into their way of thinking.

Paul tells the Corinthian believers to take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

The Message Bible states this passage like this: We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity. ^(3.)

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are directed to filter whatever we see, hear, or think through God’s word in our obedience to Him.

In my devotional reading, I found that when learn and practice obedience, we are in the experience of sanctification.     

1.      Life Application Bible, (NIV) Tyndale House Publishers Wheaton, Ill. And Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Mich. © 1988-1991 p.2091

2.      2. IBID

3.      The Message, Navpress © 1993-1996, 2000-2002 p.1596

Walk in God’s Command

missionventureministries.wordpress.com

And now I ask you, dear lady-not as though I were writing you a new commandment but the one we had from the beginning-that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so you should walk in it. 2 John 5-6 (ESV)

The Apostle John penned these words to “the elect lady and her children”. He emphasizes the importance of the commandment that we love one another. He stresses our need to live it out before others.

The Life Application Bible gives a good explanation of John’s message. “The statement that Christians should love one another is a recurrent New Testament theme. Yet love for one’s neighbor is an old command, first appearing in the first book of Moses (Leviticus 19:18) We can show love in many ways by avoiding prejudice and discrimination, by accepting people, by listening, helping, giving, serving and refusing to judge. Knowing God’s command is not enough. We must put it into practice, walking in obedience to his commands.” ^(1.) (Emphasis is mine.)

In my prayer group, we recently had a discussion about displaying God’s love to others, especially those who struggle with difficulties that stem from traumatic events in their lives. We thought on loving our neighbors as we love ourselves.

We realized that when we love our neighbors, our Christian brothers and sisters, and even our family members, we are not to judge them. Loving them involves serving them, giving them an ear when they need to talk, and hugging them when they need reassurance.

John reminds us that we should truly love one another, obey God’s commands, and walk the Christian walk with Him beside us.

( (1.) Life Application Bible, New International Version © 1973, 1978, 1991 Tyndale House Publishers Inc. Page 2286 (Notes)