Luke 6:46-49 "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and it's destruction was complete."
The Lord's grace and mercy abounds and is plentiful; and His work on the cross is more than sufficient for our salvation. But His words in Luke give us a stark warning. If we accept His grace, but not His word...we are like the one building our house without a foundation. We have to not only listen and read his word, we have to put it to practice in our lives daily.
1 Peter 5:8-9 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
When we don't put what the Lord tells us to practice in our lives daily we leave ourselves open. The storms and struggles of this life will push us, they will shake our faith. We become vulnerable to the enemy and he will pick our weakest point and pounce. If we are not doing what the Lord tells us, how can we resist him? How can we stand firm in the faith?
He says about the house with no foundation...that "it collapsed and it's destruction was complete"
If we "hear" and "put them into practice"...we can stand tall in the face of the storms and struggles. Our foundation built on our Lord will hold and we will not be shaken.
How is your foundation today?
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Do you have a seriousness about following God?
Colossians 3:1 - Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,...
Have you been raised in Christ? It's important to know that what comes through the rest of Colossians 3 is directed to those who have been raised in Christ. So what does it mean to "have been raised in Christ"?
Do you believe that you are a sinner? Do you believe that you have rebelled against God? If not, then you haven't been raised in Christ.
1 John 1:8 - If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1:10 - If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
Further, do you believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, sent as the wrath absorbing sacrifice for your sins? Do you believe that Christ was crucified for your sin and raised again on the third day?
If you say no to any of these questions then you probably haven't been raised in Christ. But if you have been raised in Christ, what are you to do?
Colossians 3:1 (continued) - set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Do you have a genuine affection for God? I mean a true deep love for God? Are you serious about following God? Do you have a desire to submit and humbly walk with Him?
Colossians 3:2-4 - Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
What should we be doing if we have a seriousness about following God?
Colossians 3:5-10 - Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourself of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Do you have a seriousness about following God?
God Bless!
Have you been raised in Christ? It's important to know that what comes through the rest of Colossians 3 is directed to those who have been raised in Christ. So what does it mean to "have been raised in Christ"?
Do you believe that you are a sinner? Do you believe that you have rebelled against God? If not, then you haven't been raised in Christ.
1 John 1:8 - If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1:10 - If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
Further, do you believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, sent as the wrath absorbing sacrifice for your sins? Do you believe that Christ was crucified for your sin and raised again on the third day?
If you say no to any of these questions then you probably haven't been raised in Christ. But if you have been raised in Christ, what are you to do?
Colossians 3:1 (continued) - set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Do you have a genuine affection for God? I mean a true deep love for God? Are you serious about following God? Do you have a desire to submit and humbly walk with Him?
Colossians 3:2-4 - Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
What should we be doing if we have a seriousness about following God?
Colossians 3:5-10 - Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourself of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Do you have a seriousness about following God?
God Bless!
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