Today's
scripture: Psalm 4:2-3
We followers of Christ use a long, sometimes confusing word when we talk about our relationship with our Savior: sanctification. Simply said, it means that those who have committed their lives to Christ and have accepted His gift of salvation are "set apart." Because we are "set apart" from the world, our lives should be different from those who are not followers of Christ.
We should love more, have more joy, patience, and kindness. We should practice self-control. We should pray continually, saturate our hearts and minds in God's word, and live as Jesus did.
I can't remember who asked it, but have you heard the question, "If you were arrested for being a Christ-follower, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" Do people look at you and see love ... or hate? Do they see you patiently dealing with adversity ... or complaining about your "lot in life"? Are you guilty of doing what James wrote: "... with our tongues we speak both praises and curses. We praise our Lord and Father, and we curse people who were created to be like God, and this isn’t right" (3:9-10, CEV).
This life on earth is so very short, and we must not waste it. If we are truly "set apart," then we need to live like we are. Instead of focusing on how the world says we should live, let's focus on how God's word says we should live.
One day, we'll all stand in front of God's throne and tell Him how we lived our lives for Him ... What evidence will you give?
We followers of Christ use a long, sometimes confusing word when we talk about our relationship with our Savior: sanctification. Simply said, it means that those who have committed their lives to Christ and have accepted His gift of salvation are "set apart." Because we are "set apart" from the world, our lives should be different from those who are not followers of Christ.
We should love more, have more joy, patience, and kindness. We should practice self-control. We should pray continually, saturate our hearts and minds in God's word, and live as Jesus did.
I can't remember who asked it, but have you heard the question, "If you were arrested for being a Christ-follower, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" Do people look at you and see love ... or hate? Do they see you patiently dealing with adversity ... or complaining about your "lot in life"? Are you guilty of doing what James wrote: "... with our tongues we speak both praises and curses. We praise our Lord and Father, and we curse people who were created to be like God, and this isn’t right" (3:9-10, CEV).
This life on earth is so very short, and we must not waste it. If we are truly "set apart," then we need to live like we are. Instead of focusing on how the world says we should live, let's focus on how God's word says we should live.
One day, we'll all stand in front of God's throne and tell Him how we lived our lives for Him ... What evidence will you give?
No comments:
Post a Comment