Character

Whenever God’s people did evil in his sight there seemed to be server consequences, take for example when they had just come out of being blessed by God for 40 years, and then God delivered them into the hands of the Midianites. It is not as if they had the freedom to do what they wanted and then still expect a blessing. And yet how often do we cry out to our God expecting to be blessed regardless of our behaviour? It gets a little trickier for New Testament believers because of the work of the cross and our Saviour’s great achievements on Calvary. It is finished! The work of salvation is complete, believers are now covered by the blood of the Lamb. That has been cemented by the Lord Jesus’ resurrection, with many eyewitnesses confirming that. Not that this is required by faith. Nevertheless, in a court of Law, the verdict would stand.

 

If the work of God has been finished in the Lord Jesus Christ, which it has, how do we need to behave as believers? This is where deception can often play its part in our lives, especially when our selfish wants gets in the way.  Excuse after excuse is often our mantra. This is why I have often spoken about the mirror in my life, looking into it with honesty and asking God to show us who we are. If we miss this step we are no better than the ostrich that buries its head in the sand when the going gets tough.

 

It’s easy to voice that we Love the Lord, and I know that is the truth if we confess Jesus as Lord, but the reality of that watered-down confession often has hypocritical connotations. It is all linked to keeping the WORD of GOD as a rudder to our lives. Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my word. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. (John 14:23-24) – We can most certainly tie this into this statement; “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (John 14:15) – This very statement often causes many to stumble, and at times, guilty as charges! Nevertheless, it’s the Goodness of God that brings his children to repentance, so that they can fall to their knees asking for forgiveness, which God gives in spades, thank you, FATHER! 

However, life’s journey must bring us to a place where we acknowledge that the commandments of God are a rudder to our lives and should set the tone for how we conduct ourselves. If not we have been deceived. And just like Gideon broke down the altars of Baal we need to do the same if we have allowed any to live in our lives.  

 

The storm is coming; just like any well-trained soldier before battle, we need honed skills for the upcoming war. Enough of the excuses and it’s time for me at least to prioritize God first in my life as it matters. There is nothing I desire above this truth. “Let God be true and every man a liar”, in the context of those who oppose his voice. And I want nothing more than to please my heavenly Father with my conduct and compliance to His word. I know this purpose is of the highest order and I sincerely seek out your prayers to accomplish my goal.

 

Remember we need to read our Bibles to understand God’s character, and the law often shows us another dimension to His character. The Tora, the first five books of the Bible is where we can learn about this.

 

Signing off

 

Tyrone