How should we Live and Work in Light of God’s Provision

How should we Live and Work in Light of God’s Provision

Our Lord is a great provider. Throughout History God’s provision is well documented in the Bible. One could even make the case that God’s revelation of Himself to us, and His plan for our Salvation through Jesus’ work on the Cross, is provision enough.

In respect to a Holy God and sinful man, we should always be mindful of the fact that God extended His Hand of grace toward those separated from Him due to their sin. God changes the status of those who received that grace from sinner to saint, making right a relationship that was once broken. Those who become children of God through Jesus are no longer condemned to spiritual death. Even though all humans will physically die, followers of Jesus will remain spiritually alive throughout eternity in the presence of God, while others who reject God’s gift of grace and salvation will get what they desire, which is eternal separation from their Creator.  

So the question is this:

With all that God has provided, how should a follower of Jesus live and work in the present day?

One thing to keep in mind is Jesus’ promise to return. No one knows when that day will happen. So we need live in preparation for that event as well as take seriously the responsibility to tell and prepare others as well.

Matthew 24:36 ESV   

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 New Living Translation (NLT)

For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.

John 14:1-3 New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus, the Way to the Father

 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

So in light of Jesus' return, how should we live?

First and foremost - Our attitude should be the same as Jesus:

Philippians 2:3-8 NIV

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Remember our identity is in Christ and we must live with respect reverence toward God.

We are to have a profound respect for God for He is the Creator.  So out of reverence for God, in all things believers should work as if they are working for God and not for man. Yet, because of our human nature and desire for recognition, we can easily try to grab the glory and attention that only God deserves. We should all ask this question: Does my service for the Church (Body of Christ) point to God's glory or to mine?  We should evaluate our hearts on a regular basis to make sure we are not building a kingdom for ourselves. We must exalt God and direct our Worship toward Him and not the things of this world. We should all be careful that we are worshiping God and not idols.  

Some good bullet points to remember from the above Philippians passage:

·        Servanthood

·        Humility

·        Obedience

·        Sacrifice and Surrender

Personal Application for followers of Christ:

Servanthood:

Serve others with a Christ-like heart. Again, why do we serve? Jesus was an example of a servant leader. He even washed His disciple’s feet, humbling Himself before them. When we serve it should be out of love for God, incorporating the extension of His Grace that we can transfer wholeheartedly toward others. Everyone should know why we serve and why we are willing to put others interests above our own.

We can learn a lot from Jesus through His compassion for the poor, sick, hungry and lost. Jesus took time to make sure the people were fed physically and spiritually. Also, if we claim that our mission is to share the gospel and make disciples then we need to consider the spiritual component that helps us do both. Followers of Jesus know they can use their God given resources to help those in need. This desire to help others in the name of Jesus comes from the Holy Spirit who transforms us from the inside out. Once we are in this process of transformation, our love for God and our neighbor become more apparent in our lives as time goes on.

Followers of Jesus desire to put God first in their lives. They desire to live Spirit filled lives incorporating Bible study and application, discipleship, prayer, counsel, and using their spiritual gifts to serve God and others. I highly recommend Bible study for developing faith and trust in God.  Knowing God’s principles and commands will make us better servants. The Bible is the best and only real source for spiritual truth and life application. God’s Word speaks to us in such a profound way that it has the capacity to renew our minds. This renewal replaces a fallible worldview and knowledge with the infallible truth of God. Renewing our minds enables us to test anything with the wisdom of God.  We do not want to rely on a non-biblical worldview that has no real foundation in truth or eternal perspective.

Romans 12:2 NIV

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Serving others requires that we can handle the truth of God’s Word in the right way.

2 Timothy 2:15 NIV

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

We should also remember this truth about God's Word:  

God's Word equips the saints 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Humility:

Humility is a Christ-like character trait that can truly be an effective tool in gaining access into someone’s heart.  I find people tend to let their guard down when this attitude is displayed. If you have ever tried to tell your God story to someone, having a humble attitude toward yourself and a reverent attitude toward God can make for an interesting listen for those who God has prepared to hear the Gospel. Humility is a Christ-like character trait that God desires for people.

Ephesians 4:2 NIV 

 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Obedience:  

Obedience to God’s Word, shows love for God. Jesus said we can show love for God through our obedience to His Word.

John 14:15 NIV 
If you love me, you will obey what I command.

John 14:21 NIV 
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

Obeying God’s Word proves that we love God, value His Word as truth, and believe His promises are real.  We are commanded to love God and our neighbor.

Matthew 22:37-40 NIV

 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

It is important to remember that the world is watching how we live in accordance to the words we preach. One of the many complaints against Christians is that they are hypocritical. If we tell others to abide by God’s Word, then we should be the one’s modeling His precepts for the world to see. Let’s not forget the Bible is God’s story, His revelation to the world about Himself and His purpose for creation. If we fail to love, we fail to obey God.   

John 14:31 NASB 
but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me Get up,  let us go from here.

John 13:35 NIV

 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another

Sacrifice and Surrender:

The idea of dying to one’s self interest in exchange for God desire and will requires sacrifice and surrender. In essence, we are surrendering our lives in total to God. This is known as taking up our cross and just might be the hardest thing to live out as a follower of Jesus.

Luke 9:23-25 NIV

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?

The question is, are we willing to die to self in order to follow Jesus?

Absolute surrender is required from a follower of Jesus. (This is a process that will take a lifetime)

Following Jesus can be easy when life flows like a car over a smoothly paved road. However, when trials do occur, we reveal the true depth of our commitment to Him by the thoughts we have and the actions we display. Trials expose our character and God wants to develop our character through trials.

Jesus assured us that His followers would face trials:

John 16:33 NIV

 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Yet, God does allow trials for the sake of His purpose and development of our character and spiritual growth.

Romans 8:28 NIV

 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 5:3-5 NIV

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Discipleship demands sacrifice and surrender. Jesus never said it was going to be easy.

Taking up your cross could bring about:

·              Persecution

·              Losing friendships

·              Alienation from your family 

·              Tarnishing your reputation

·              Losing your job

·              Losing your life

·              Spiritual Battles

I don’t think anyone has a great desire for any of the above, but the reality is, there is a lot of opposition and hatred toward followers of Jesus.  Much of this opposition comes from peoples ignorance and stereotyping. We as a church can change that perception by modeling what Christ truly desires for each of us - a Christ-centered life. Jesus reminds us that hatred goes along with the territory of being a disciple.

John 15:18 New International Version (NIV)

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.

Our full sacrifice and surrender to God is not an easy task, yet to a greater degree, will help us in our desire to be Christ-like and endure whatever comes our way. 

There are also benefits to being a follower of Jesus:

•   A personal relationship with the Creator of the universe
• We become Children of God adopted into His family
•   Transformation
•   Living a Spirit filled life (receiving the Holy Spirit)
• Receiving the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Gentleness and self-control)                                                       
• Having a hope and a future
• Eternal life
• Getting to know and share God’s plan of salvation
• Experiencing the fruit of your labor
• Forgiveness of sin
• Freedom from the bondage of sin (Freedom in Christ)
• Peace beyond all understanding
• Grace (Unmerited favor)
• Jesus’ example of servant leadership
•  Fellowship with other believers 
• Counsel from other believers
• No longer and enemy of God (No longer under God’s wrath)
•  Becoming more like Christ  (Christ-like, the new self, a new attitude, a new life) 
• We have the privilege to serve God
• We have the privilege to defend the Gospel

God has been so gracious in His provision for His followers. I hope and

pray that we as the Church we will follow suit in trying to meet the physical and spiritual needs of others. Our lives should exemplify our love for God and our neighbor. Love is how we should live in light of God’s provision.

Just Sayin…………..Dave

The Good News About Sin Part 2

The Good News About Sin Part 2

A believer’s perspective on life:

·        We are imperfect and we know it.

·        We understand that God is Holy, righteous, good and truthful. He is 
      perfect in every way.  Only through Jesus’ work, can we as sinners be  
      reconciled to God.

A sinner saved has these qualities: 

 (Note: These qualities develop over time)

• One who does not habitually sin
• One who has a biblical worldview
• One who acts on their faith 
• One who trust in God's promises  
• One who loves God and desires to live in obedience to Him. 
• One who desires to live a Christ centered life. 
• One who loves others and fellow believers in Christ.
• One who puts the need of others even above His own.   
• One who has growing faith and displays signs of spiritual maturity.
• One who is undergoing Sanctification: A process by which God conforms  a person to the image of Christ. 
• One who reads, studies and abides in God’s Word. 
• One who has received the Holy Spirit and lives by the Spirit
• One who is able to recognize the sin in their lives 
• One who regrets their sin and is willing to repent of their sinful behavior. 
• One who understands the need for a Savior.
• One who is able to discern the truth from error. 
• One who recognizes false teaching  
• One who is bearing fruit and being productive and effective for God’s kingdom. 
• One who displays the Fruit of the Spirit (the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control)

So, what is the good news about sin?

The Good news about sin is that God Himself dealt with of the sin problem we all possess from the original fall of man. Jesus’ redeeming work on the cross was the solution for a sinful humanity that could not save themselves from spiritual death. Those who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior, have a new right relationship with God even though they still posses a sin nature. Jesus' blood pays the debt for sin once and for all. When believers do sin, the Holy Spirit convicts them of their transgression and that conviction leads to repentance. God will still discipline His people out of His love and desire for them to be Holy.  God will also allow His people to experience difficult circumstances as part of His good purpose.  

James 1:2-4  says this about trials:

 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything". 

Romans 5:3-5 says this about suffering: 

 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

So God has a good purpose for trials as well as suffering and that is good news for believers.
 

True followers of Jesus understand that their sin separates them from God and has detrimental effects on others, they know they must turn back to God in order to get the help they need to get back on the right path to a life pleasing to Him. Because of God's unfailing love, believers can rejoice over His persistence in wanting them to remain in a right relationship with Him. Believers can rejoice over the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who convicts them of their sin and leads them back into repentance.

As we develop a greater understanding of our sin nature, we also develop a greater awareness about God’s desire to see us live a life set apart to Him.

God wants believers to be effective and influential Ambassadors for Jesus and the Gospel. Because of this fact, followers of Jesus need to make whatever life style changes necessary that will honor God and transform them into having Christ-like character. Remember, sin causes harm to ourselves and others. In some cases the sin in ones life can cause others to stumble in their walk with God. To be sure that we don’t act on our temptation to sin, we must be determined to live a God centered Spirit filled life. With the help of the Holy Spirit we can turn away from sin. To help us live this Spirit filled life we must include daily prayer, the reading and studying of God’s Word, and application of God's principles. Ultimately our goal is to live under the direction of the Holy Spirit. It all comes down to us making a choice to live this way. True Followers of Jesus have the desire to live differently from the “world” and do what they can to avoid its trappings. That is why I say we have to make life style changes so that we do not conform to this world. It is God’s desire that we prepare ourselves for being in His presence for eternity. This means we need to take steps in anticipation for this event and not get distracted by the world.

Read these verses from Romans and meditate on their meaning:

Romans 12:1-2 NIV

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Our goal should be to honor, love, worship and praise God in everything we do.  Unless we daily turn from sin and change the way we think from a world influenced perspective toward a Godly eternal perspective, setting ourselves apart to God will be difficult. It is hard to live in a fallen world. There will always be tension between the God centered life and the self centered one. Both are battling to gain predominance in our lives. So what we must do is to ask God to help us live a life pleasing to Him. When God reveals to us what we must do, we must act on His revelation.  Acting on God’s revelation shows Him we are faithful and serious about living a life set apart to Him, willing to sacrifice worldly pleasure for His sake and desire. We are also conveying our love and devotion to Him through our obedience. The Bible says that those who show obedience to the Lord truly love Him.

1 John 5:3 NIV 
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

John 14:15 NIV 
"If you love me, you will obey what I command.

Lastly, here is some good news for followers of Jesus:


Because of God’s love, sinners saved are no longer condemned:

Romans 8:1 NIV 

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,


Because of God’s love, sinners saved have the gift of eternal life:

Romans 6:23 NIV  

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Because of God’s love, sinners saved are under God’s authority and protection: 

Romans 8:31 NIV  

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?


Because of God’s love, sinners saved will never be separated from God:

Romans 8:38-39 NIV  

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Because of God’s love, sinners saved will receive a new imperishable Body when Jesus returns:
 
1 Corinthians 15:42-43 NIV  

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 NIV

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—

in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead

will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.



Because of God’s love, sinners saved have a Home in Heaven prepared by Jesus who will come back to get them to bring them to that place:

John 14:2-3 NIV  

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Because of God’s love, sinners saved will not die nor suffer once in Heaven:

Revelation 21:4 NIV 

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Actually, there's really no good news about sin. The only good news is that God loves us in spite of our sin and does not want us to perish. The proof of God's love is demonstrated by God's plan of salvation through Jesus' work on the Cross. Believer's know they can trust God and His promise of forgiveness and eternal life. This hope of eternal life is available to anyone willing to put their faith and trust in Jesus.    

I love these verses below because they remind me that we have a merciful God who has gone out of His way to make Himself known to us. He is patient with us, giving us time to receive His gift of eternal life. This gives me hope for all those in my family still separated from God. 

1 Timothy 1:15-16  NLT
This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.  But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.

2 Peter 3:9 NIV  

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

No matter the depth of our sin, God’s Love is so much deeper. We truly have an awesome God. 

In conclusion, the good news about sin and spiritual death is that it has been defeated. Because Jesus paid the price for our sin, all who believe get to experience amazing love, amazing grace, hope, great blessings and eternal life.

Just Sayin……………Dave