THE URGENT DUTY OF A DISCIPLE OF JESUS

                                   THE URGENT DUTY OF A DISCIPLE OF JESUS

 

“I Am the Vine, and you are the branches. He that abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit, FOR WITHOUT ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING.” John 15:5

“He has shown thee, oh man, what is good and what does the Lord requires of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” Micah 6:8

“I therefore so run, not as uncertainly, and so I fight, not as one that beats the air; but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway/disqualified.”

1 Corinthians 9:26-27

INDEX:

THE GROOMING OF OUR CHARACTER?

THE BALANCE BETWEEN GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY

THE STRUGGLES WITHIN, AND YIELDING TO CHRIST

JESUS ENDURED A LIFE LONG BATTLE UNTO PERFECT OBEDIENCE

 SOME AREAS OF NEEDED SCRUTINY AND DISCIPLINE:

 CHARACTER TRAIT # 1 - BEING TEACHABLE AND CORRECTABLE

                                          2 - CONTROLLING THE TONGUE

                                          3 - LIVING 2 LIVES - A DOUBLE STANDARD

                                          4 - HAVING AN OPEN/TENDER HEART BEING VULNERABLE

                                          5 – PETTY INDULGENCES and VICES vs REIGNING ONESELF IN

                                          6 - ANGER

                                          7 - THE CONSIDERATION AND PREFERENCE OF OTHERS vs ENTITLEMENT AND GETTING OUR WAY

                                          8 - RIGHTEOUSNESS & GODLINESS

                                          9 - HOLINESS

                                          10 - THE LAW OF KINDNESS

THE GROOMING OF OUR CHARACTER?

  Many of us want to do great things for God and hopefully reveal to the world some portion of the glory and majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ, but what does God really need from us? Doubtless the answer is faith and obedience. The aspects I want to touch on specifically are our character and behavior. Above all, our lives should be reflecting the matchless character of CHRIST now in us, not our fallen, self-centered, and corrupt nature. Our responsibility is to take up OUR cross, and not live a life  in the  pursuit of our assumed rights and privileges. Most of us have heard countless stories and testimonies regarding Christians and ministers of God bringing shame to the Gospel, hurting people, and causing them to stumble. Some of us have been the victims of the ignorance of others, and some of us may have even unwittingly been the guilty party.

WHAT ARE WE TO DO?

  As surely as Christ in us has transformed us, (“Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” 1 Corinthians 5:17) and works through us, He is also needing to discipline us.

“And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to children, “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked of Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father does not chasten? But if you are without chastisement, where of all are partakers, then you are bastards and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they truly for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; BUT HE FOR OUR PROFIT, THAT WE MIGHT BE PARTAKERS OF HIS HOLINESS. Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them which are exercised thereby. ” Hebrews 12:5-11

“…and you shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and all of your soul, and all of your mind, and all of your strength…and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Mark 12:30-31

THE BALANCE BETWEEN GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY

  There is that continual struggle of determining what is our responsibility, and what we need to expect from God that we cannot do ourselves. which is everything since every ability we have comes from Him. Still, there are reasonable expectations on us from the most basic to the critical. When the angel released Peter from prison in Acts 12, as one sister pointed out, the angel had to wake him up, loosed him from his chains, and opened the passage ways for Peter to escape, but he did tell Peter to put on his clothes and sandals. That was something Peter could do. God does not often do for us what we should be doing for ourselves. "He that knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." James 4:17  It appears that we can safely say that whatever He asks us to do He has fully enabled us to accomplish. So let's move on from here.

LET'S WORK ON OUR THINKING...

  Though our spirit has been rebirthed, our mind must continually be conformed to the mind of Christ by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). True we have the Mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) as He is now in us, but the thinking patterns and memories must be filtered through His Word so that we can discern which thoughts are from Him and which are ours or possibly from elsewhere. That is where some of our resistance stems from.

 ... AND OUR AFFECTIONS

  The affections of our heart and soul must flow from a new directive (“Set your affections on things above, not on things of the earth.” Colossians 3:2) – according to His Holy Spirit and His Word.

THE STRUGGLES WITHIN, AND YIELDING TO CHRIST

  And our flesh, which still is hell bent on having its own way, must constantly undergo the training and discipline of the Spirit of Christ (“For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing.” Romans 7:18). Be assured, He will not force your will. He will take us as far as we are willing to co-operate. I read a statement by Charles Finney long ago. He said that most backsliders rarely break the backsliding cycle - get up then fall (in my own words). As the Lord works in our life, uprooting and bringing to the surface habits, mentalities, attitudes, behaviors, we come face to face with them and we have a choice. We either surrender to His Word and Spirit, or we resist and get our own way. One reason why we take so long to change is because we do not always recognize that the day to day situations that we may be struggling with are opportunities God is giving us to conform our reactions and behavior to the image of Christ. These situations are likely orchestrated in the arena of our daily life among the people with whom we are involved, and some of whom we may resent. We can feel justified, dig in our heels, and fight to have it our way. At that point, not only do we fail to grow in the Character of Christ, but also thwart our usefulness to Him and are consequently less helpful to those around us (speaking from the perspective of the Kingdom of God). Oh, He can certainly work around our attitudes, but not without a cost to our self, others, and the growth of His Kingdom- “…one sinner destroys much good.” Ecclesiastes 9:18 

  We must constantly submit to His disciplines, instruction, and guidance. Let me assure you that you cannot do it on your own, but nor can you succeed without your full co-operation and humility. Herein you will not only need to cleave to the cross of Christ for your righteousness, but bear your own cross wherein you will die again and again that the glory and nature of Christ Jesus may come forth in you. At the end of every successful trail all bragging rights are Christ’s alone – Praise His Holy Name! And oh yes, expect them to never end, struggle and glory, struggle and glory. As long as we are in this flesh, the battle will rage, but in Christ Jesus, so will the victories.

   Jesus said that HE WILL BUILD HIS CHURCH, so to be able to serve Him in any capacity is totally to our honor. Living for Him is to glorify Him and bring Him honor in order that people may see Him and not us, that they may be drawn to surrender their life to Him. He has never failed and His Character will eternally remain untainted, but that is not always so with us. I am going to be frank here, our petty indulgences, our pride and arrogance, insisting on having our rights, our lusts and unchaste behaviors, our bigotry, our lack of genuine love, and so on… have done untold damage to the Gospel work and the souls striving to enter the Kingdom of God. Dear Lord Jesus, forgive us and have mercy!

  Quite frankly, when I first became a believer, I felt that the Lord got a pretty good deal. I felt so righteous (except for what I would have esteemed minor faults), that I quickly despised others whom I felt were not as righteous. Over the years of trying to follow and serve Jesus, I can easily say like the apostle Paul, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15

  Now don’t get me wrong, I am not and have not lived in any particular sin, but the temptations are terrifying when we understand what they are about and where they can take us. This is no game we are in, and the price is high. Now only Jesus Christ could fulfill the mission of being a sinless sacrifice which His Father in Heaven sent Him to do, but be assured it was far more difficult than we can imagine. Let’s look at this a little:

JESUS ENDURED A LIFE LONG BATTLE UNTO PERFECT OBEDIENCE

“Who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared. Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things He suffered.” Hebrews 5:7-8

 This passage of Scripture is huge! We can get a glimpse from it about Him, His work, His fierce struggles as our Example. Why would Jesus have to pray with such urgency to be saved from death? Dear friends, He was tempted in all points as we, yet without sinning. We rightly speak of the matchless work of Jesus on the cross, but do you not realize that had He failed in what we sometimes call the “LITTLE THINGS” of life, and sinned when tempted to steal, to lie, to lust, to hate… that His sacrifice on the cross would have been a defeat for the whole world. We would all be lost! Obviously, He would not have undertaken the mission if it was not certain that He would succeed, but be assured, He had to scrap it out with all His heart, soul, mind, and strength, all His life right to His death on the cross. Do you not realize that even as He was suffering unimaginably and dying on the cross while the mockers were ridiculing Him and tempting Him saying, “He saved others, but Himself He cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Mark 15:31-32, that the devil was right there pressing Him to do as he knew He was very able to? Or perhaps even wipe them all out in anger and revenge? That was fully in His ability. The battle against sin and our fleshly tendencies are no joking matter as we often make them out to be.

  My goal here is not to produce a fear of sin and falling. We are safe as we abide in Christ, but rather to take seriously the call of Christ to take up our cross and follow Him. The cross is a death to self, wherein are all our weaknesses. Our unbridled behavior can do all kinds of harm, and not only to ourselves, but to our loved ones, and to the world around us.

   SOME AREAS OF NEEDED SCRUTINY AND DISCIPLINE

  As the writer of Hebrews chapter 12, stated that no discipline is pleasant, but when exercised it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness in those who go through it. We therefore must be ever ready to yield to it. Notice from the verse above, that even Jesus Christ, the sinless and Holy Son of God learned obedience by the things He suffered. If we look at the incident when He was twelve years old, and stayed behind talking with the Temple priests and elders, that He was actually out of line as far as safe behavior for children goes. Now He was innocent and it was not a sin in that He did not know better. That is something every parent is most fearful of, losing a child in a public place. “And he said to them, ‘How is it that you sought Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?...And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was SUBJECT to them…but notice the fruit of His steadfast obedience... And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with a God and man.”Luke 2:49-51. Do you think that He was not scolded by His earthly parents?

CHARACTER TRAIT # 1 - BEING TEACHABLE AND CORRECTABLE

    This is the kick off point for every disciple of Jesus Christ. I want to add in here, is that the day when we are no longer teachable or correctable, is the day when our usefulness to Christ and the world around us starts to diminish. Furthermore, you will be more likely to hurt others, and could be heading for a fall yourself. All the training in Christ is to exemplify the humility, love, and holy character of Jesus Christ in all our actions.

 We must recognize and embrace the learning and growing process. None of us get it right every time, rarely the first time. Furthermore, it is the hard knocks of making bad decisions that typically help us figure it out. Some of us may have to endure many episodes before we get it. But do not give up. It is more than worth it for you yourself and those around you. As we can see, Jesus the Messiah Himself had to learn the same way, and He was always perfectly co-operative. By the way, this is an "All you Life" event - being teachable and correctable, and you don't always get to choose through  whom you are going to be taught and corrected If we find ourselves constantly bumping into a wall, so to speak, or ending up in some kind of conflict, maybe we need to stop and figure out if we are doing something wrong. "When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." Proverbs 16:7 Perhaps you need to change - just a little.

  Some of the struggles in receiving instruction and correction are:

a.     OUR PERCEPTION AND UNDERSTANDING -We have trouble agreeing with the subject matter of God’s Word. For instance, “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, Except you eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you’…Many therefore of His disciples, when they heard this said, ‘This is a hard saying, who can hear it?’ When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples murmured at it, He said, ‘Does this offend you?’…From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.” John 6:53, 60-61,66

   Dear friends, this is serious. There are many hard sayings in the Bible/God’s Word, on which we must build our life of faith. At times they run completely contrary to OUR thinking and logic, social values, understanding of right and wrong so that we can struggle with embracing them. Don’t forget that our way and thinking are so far below God’s. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.’ says the Lord.’ ‘For as the heavens are higher that the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’” Isaiah 55:8-9. Regardless of how difficult it may be to grasp, accept, and receive these instructions, if our walk of faith with Jesus is to endure the trials and storms of life, we must trust and embrace His Word with complete confidence that He is perfectly Just, Righteous, and Good. Interesting enough, if we follow Him in faith and love wholeheartedly, we will see the justice, truth, and the flawlessness of His counsel. Don’t forget, our values and standards are sometimes more influenced by the society and or the background we grew up in, than we realize. For the advancement of God’s Kingdom they need to be changed in our heart and mind to His. Are you teachable???

b.     PRIDE - Our pride is one of the greatest adversaries: For instance, “Likewise, you younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yes, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5  Pride does not like to admit being wrong, let alone being corrected. We all know that we not only do not know everything, but that our perspectives are limited and often tainted with bias and prejudices. Nor are our behaviors without fault. Dear friends, we need so seriously to humble ourselves, be wrong, accept correction, and be teachable, and at all times. Surly we can never assume that we have arrived. What makes matters more difficult is that the instruction and rebuke may come from someone you totally despise. But God is testing our heart, and our pride He resists. You know, they actually may have a genuine grief against us that needs to be considered and dealt with. A little humility goes a long way, and we might be amazed at the wondrous results. How many marriages would have been saved? How many churches would not have split? How many wounded people would have been healed and reconciled instead of going down, sometimes even a path of destruction?! HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR YOU TO BE RIGHT, HOW RIGHT ARE YOU???

 2 – CONTROLLING THE TONGUE

  James 3 really nails this topic. We can assume we have the right to speak and say what we want. Jesus Himself never made that assumption. Quite frankly, that is one area I know that has restricted me in my potential service in Christ to this day. When I am writing I am able to be more deliberate and careful, but in an open debate my mouth often beats my brain to the finish line. This is serious. The Bible says, “Reckless words pierce like a sword.” Proverbs 12:18. What do swords do? They hurt, they wound, they maim, and they kill. This does not only apply in our direct service to God, although everything we do should be in and for Him in our everyday dealings with others. Sometimes it may be casual jesting, which is often at someone’s expense. Or it may be a reaction to a contentious situation. Whatever the reason or situation, our words can, wound, cripple, and destroy those closest to us. How about your spouse and your children? What about others who may have been listening to our careless or loose conversation, did you realize that you hurt or stumbled them? Do you even care??? “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:6, “Let no unwholesome word proceed out of your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need at the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29 NAS Do you listen to yourself and hear yourself? Does what come out of your mouth glorify God, help those listening? Do they come from the Loving Holy Spirit of Christ? If not, you had better search your heart and thinking and repent!

3 - LIVING TWO LIVES – A DOUBLE STANDARD

INTEGRITY - "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me." Psalm 25:21 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8

  There is a popular statement, "A man is only as good as his word." This is true. If we say one thing, promise something, do another, or don't follow through, what does that make us? Can we be trusted in the little things? Jesus said, "He that is faithful in that which is least, is also faithful also in much, and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." Luke 16:10 Beware of the attitude: "It is just a little thing." Integrity implies - no other motive, that means that we carry out the little things with the same diligence that we carry out the big things.. It is the other motives that corrupt our character, cause us to be undependable and not keep our word. As disciples of Jesus, these are unacceptable behaviors. May the Lord help us ever purify our motives and intentions. Are we trustworthy? 

  Are you holding on to some worldly affection, ambition, or sin??? This is another dangerous lifestyle that has brought much criticism over the centuries – the double standard lifestyle, or hypocrisy. We all hate it in others, but what about ourselves? Are we the same person everywhere we go? Do we show one face and character in one situation, and a different face and character in another. Are we living the Christ-like walk only when convenient, and then  putting it aside while in pursuit of another interest, or when we are not around Christians are we another person with a different standard? Jesus addressed this more than once, and not just for the Pharisees. “But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; the master of that slave will come at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.” Luke 12:45-46 and Matthew 24:48-51 IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO BE UNCONDITIONALLY SOLD OUT TO JESUS IN EVERY AREA OF OUR LIVES. Again, I am not saying that we will never make mistakes, but there should be no lifestyle of compromise to the values and character of Christ. If there is, a genuine repentance is in order.

4 - HAVING AN OPEN/TENDER HEART BEING VULNERABLE

  When I was a young or new believer, I heard one of the older Christian women say that the Lord told her to open up her heart or He could not use her. Well that hit me, because shortly before that I felt the Lord tell me the same thing. There is that part in our heart that seems very tender and vulnerable, and we tend to (and rightly so) guard it carefully so as not to get hurt. The trouble with that is that it is from that most tender place He, by His Holy Spirit begins all His deep works in and through us, our inner most being “He that believes on Me, as the Scriptures has said, out of his belly (innermost being) shall flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38. By the way, that is where all our worship and our service of faith should come from. A person who does not open up, but is a believer will always have a front and or a restraint of some kind. This is a great starting point of exercising our faith - trusting Jesus with the most vulnerable part of our being, and wholeheartedly so. That means no holding back. He then is able to dwell in us, work in us, and work through us without our interference. There may be times when we have to go back and reaffirm this commitment, but it is all so worth it. He is faithful, loving, gentle, and good. Open up your heart of hearts to Him completely.

5 – PETTY INDULGENCES and VICES vs REIGNING ONESELF IN

“…no to trust in uncertain riches, but in the Living God, Who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” 1 Timothy 6:17

"Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked." Proverbs 25:26

 We have amazing liberties in Christ, all of which has been lavished on us through Christ by His unfathomable grace, but always be leery of excess, unhealthy indulgences, and personal advantage where we may thereby play into the hands of the devil through our flesh. We are in a war, and even a seemingly harmless thing can become dangerous. A terrible snare for us is to allow what we consider harmless indulgences to cater to our fleshly appetites. True, it may even be allowed from a Biblical and Gospel standpoint, but if in the end it enslaves you, causes a stumbling block to someone, or excites conflict, you may have to set it aside or forsake your “right” altogether. It is all for the love of Christ. Are not He and His people not worth it? Are we not now dead and our live is now hidden with Christ in God? "For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Colossians 3:3

”All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient/helpful: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” 1 Corinthians 6:12 Christ alone is to be our Master. The thinking, "I can, therefore I shall." may not always be wise. I can, does not necessarily mean I should. Is is best, wise, helpful. Notice what Paul says here, "...but I will not be brought under the power of any."  We must be ever on our guard against any fleshly appetite and idolatry. They can overpower us before we realize it. Anything or activity that hinders, weakens, hurts the work of Christ in us is to be considered as such. I had said this before, there is the expression, "Others may, but you cannot." It is important to know our own necessary boundaries. Some people may be able to drink alcohol and it not adversely affect them, or they may be well disciplined with it, but you may not be (I am not advocating the use of alcohol. The Scriptures only condemns drunkenness). A person of character knows when and how to reign himself/herself in, especially by depending on the LORD. A sure sign of petty indulgences and vices are taking precedence in us is the "Me first" "My rights" attitude, and other forms of selfish behavior.  Let Christ be our Lord lest we be enslaved by any works of the flesh and petty indulgences. 

6 - ANGER 

"Therefore, by beloved brothers, let ever man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God." James 1:19-20

"Be angry, and sin not: let the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil." Ephesians 4:26-27

  Keeping our anger under control is of huge importance for a Christ-like behavior. True there are things that we can justly be angry about, but not at the expense of hurting unnecessarily those around us. Proverbs says that, "He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding, but he that is hasty of spirit exalts folly." 14:29 When our minds and emotions are locked into anger, our judgments and behavior are subject to error, and even to fall under the influence of the devil. James tells us to be swift to hear and slow to speak. We are also not to allow our anger to brew, not even for a day, or we can end up doing or saying something we may forever regret (Lord help us). Take the issue to the Lord and ask Him for His perspective and understanding. Think it through. Do you have all the facts? Are you believing evil of someone - Love "thinks no evil." 1 Corinthians 13:5? Are you able to see clearly the issue from the beginning to the end?

  If you are given to anger, understand that getting angry is not a right, but to control it is our responsibility. If you are not controlling your anger, you must take it to the Lord in repentance. There is indeed a place for anger, but it is not to be ever used as a tool or weapon against people. We are then in the realm of the flesh and evil. It is Jesus Christ Whom you are to serve, not your whims, interests, or emotions. 

7 - THE CONSIDERATION AND PREFERENCE OF OTHERS vs ENTITLEMENT AND GETTING OUR WAY

 Again, with regards to our duty as believers, our consideration for the concerns and needs of others plays a big role in the service of Jesus Christ. For Christ's sake, our liberties, preferences, rights should always be prepared to be set aside in view of the consideration, help, and betterment of others. "But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak. For if any man see you which has knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; and and through your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died. But when you sin so against the brothers, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ." 1 Corinthians 8:9-12.

 The walk of faith and love calls us to the constant consideration of those around, for their ultimate benefit with regards to their faith and salvation. Is that not the heart an mind of God our Heavenly Father? Don't worry, your liberties will always be there waiting, and if not possible because of the constant pressing needs, the apostle Paul put it like this, "Therefore, if meat makes my brother to offend/stumble, I will eat not flesh while the world stands, lest I make my brother to offend." 1 Corinthians 8:13 That is how serious this is. 

8 - RIGHTEOUSNESS AND GODLINESS 

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that , denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ." Titus 2:11-13  

  There is a tendency to veer off in one of two directions in our life after getting saved. The first is the zealous dive into righteous and godly living, which is great. The problem with that is that we can become enslaved to religious behavior if not tempered by the grace and love of Christ. Furthermore, especially in a family setting, we may attempt to enslave others with our religious behavior and laws and not allow our family, or other Christians for that matter, the liberty and joy of serving Jesus Christ in their world. True we must not be partaking of ungodliness, and to shun evil, but we can make almost everything evil, even things that God may not be concerned with. Here is where religion/legalism takes over. Everything is "Touch not, taste not, handle not..." Colossians 2:21, and leaves the grace of faith behind. Legalism becomes slavery, and we are no longer walking in the truth of the Gospel.

  On the other hand, we can drift into worldliness and ungodliness. Instead of walking in the fear of the Lord,  we begin to make small compromises. Next out devotion to the godly duties of prayer, Bible reading and study, going to church begin to fall back. Our zeal for Jesus begins to be replaced by the troubles and cares of this life, or simply the desire for worldly things, and our care for the lost, the suffering, and those struggling, especially for the Kingdom of God, becomes at best token service. 

 The Christ-like character is the spontaneous commitment to making right choices by faith and love in Christ, and  in the fear of God. The fruit thereof is righteousness and godliness. Right choices before God may look like compromise to some, and to others - religious. But the walk of faith is a narrow spiritual road, not driven by the law, nor the flesh, but led by the Spirit of God. We are disciples of Christ. Let that be our motive.

9 - HOLINESS

"...for as you have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness." Romans 6:19

 "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."  2 Corinthians 7:1

 "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you; to the end He may establish your hearts unblameable in HOLINESS before God, even our Father, at he the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints." 1 Thessalonians 3: 12-13

  Holiness is the end product of a walk with Christ. It is not based on merely "Not doing bad things", but rather yielding wholeheartedly to the will of God in every day to day situations. That begins in righteousness and the fruit is holiness. But what we must not lose sight of is that all the motives of our heart are birthed out of love - love for God, and love for people. If that is our motive, how then can we do or be anything but holy?

 10 - THE LAW OF KINDNESS 

 "And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord God. Behold I judge between cattle and cattle, between rams and the he goats. Seems it is a small thing to you to have eaten up the good pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures, and to have drunk of the deep waters, but you must foul the residue with your feet? And as for My flock, they eat that which you have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which you have fouled with your feet. Therefore thus says the Lord God to them, behold I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. Because you have thrust with side and shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns till you have scattered them abroad; therefore will I save My flock, and they shall no more be a prey, and I will judge between cattle and cattle." Ezekiel 34:17-22

"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the LAW of KINDNESS." Proverbs 31:26

  Last of all I must address this, and I myself have been guilty. In our pursuit of Christ, in our pursuit of obedience, righteousness, and holiness, have we missed the mark with those struggling, with those in doubt, confused, misguided...? Have we walked in love, grace, understanding, forgiveness, and mercy. Have we despised those whom we feel are not measuring up, but actually rejected and condemned without a proper hearing and trial. This is a great sin and stumbling block for those struggling to find their way. The Lord in this passage of Ezekiel reveals how seriously He takes this, and that He will deal with it. Notice the difference between the attitude of the father of the prodigal son, and his brother. The older son was not walking in the awareness of the tremendous danger of his brothers situation, nor in the appropriate love. Instead he was concerned about the right and wrong, and the apparent injustice of the whole situation. His father did not condemn him for his attitude, but tried to reveal to him not only what was truly important, but how to regard and treat his brother. Oh dear friends, how often have we missed the mark with those struggling and fallen? How often have we despised, pushed away, rejected those needing our compassion and help. Remember Jobs friends. Have we been like that??? Oh Dear Lord Jesus, may we ever be Your mouth, hands, and feet for those who are struggling, lost, and perishing! May Your Kindness be the law of our tongue and actions!

CONCLUSION 

 Following and living for Jesus is and awesome experience and joy. In it all we have a responsibility to allow Him to conform our character and behavior into His. We need the instruction of the Scriptures, the guidance of His Holy Spirit, and the humility to submit to the instructions and corrections of His servants to help us with that. "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit your-selves, for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you." Hebrews 13: 17 None of us has it all together. None of us are always right. We all need to grow and improve until He takes us home. So until then, let your character and behavior be under the gracious and faithful grooming of our loving God and Heavenly Father. May the love, mercy, and peace, of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

 

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