No Balancing Act

As I see many Christians in the news sharing that they are "who God made them to be" it comes across a little confusing and weird. Then you have a celebrity who is upset because they feel "judged" when they do something wrong, and their lifestyle makes those who do not agree with them wonder what is going on. I heard one singer say "it was a balancing act" to live their faith in such an evil world. Confusing? Naw! Scripture gives us pure answers to what needs to happen and if we ignore it we are on the wrong path.

First of all, we are not given the Godly privilege of judging, or "picking fruit" as some like to say, which is still judging. God is the only one who can judge, and God is known to give grace, to which I receive eagerly in my sinful condition. Secondly, we are not given the undgodly privilege of doing whatever we think is ok, even if it goes against God's Word. We seem to have to live a balancing act here. Not really. God's Word says the following in Matthew 12:30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

To be "with" Jesus means to follow Him in lifestyle and direction. The early followers of Jesus were known to be "followers of the Way." Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life per His words in John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. When we are born again in the Spirit, the Spirit controls our lives, and the Spirit directs us to follow Jesus, and that way leads to life eternal in heaven. The Spirit also directs us to follow Jesus as the truth, which gives us the way to live and grow in God's grace. The Spirit also leads us to follow Jesus as the life, and Jesus said this life is an "abundant" life. The key person to all of this is the Holy Spirit. John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

If you "accept" Jesus, you are giving Him your life and that surrender you give if you giving Him your will and following His will. Thus, the above verse about being "for" God and not "against" God. There is not balancing act. You have cross over the chasm and no you are on the side of Jesus, and you have left the other side behind, because there is only spiritual death on that side. That side is "the world." Jesus Christ and His death on the cross made it possible for me, a sinner, to cross over th divide between me and God, and then live on the side that is eternal life in heaven. This is a one time step of faith, and this born again position changes me at my soul level. I am a new creation and ALL things have changed, and God's grace makes those changes possible. The Holy Spirit continues to lead me to a new way of thinking and living, no matter my impressions about my life after all of this happens. The Bible shows me what to do, how to live, and affirms the changes Jesus made in my life. There is act to balance, because the chasm has been crossed and I only live for Jesus, and the control of my life has been handed to Him and He leads me to be more like our heavenly Father. I have given up my rights, and Jesus is changing me at my core on a daily basis, If a person has been again in the Spirit they will not be able to do whatever they want, because control of their life has been given to God, and the Holy Spirit convicting them of sin, is God's way of keeping them on the right path, and that path is made possible because we now have God's righteousness. The Spirit of God is so strong in our life, we will not bow to follow satan anymore, and the freedom we have in Jesus "holds in place" this Godly desire to grow in the grace given to us. We do not have judgment, we do not seek the world's ways, we do not make excuses to sin more, and this is not from us being a human, because we now have life in the Spirit and the Spirit is controlling, our thoughts, our actions, our prayers, our all. God is not our last option, He is our very first option when making decisions, and we believers have a word for that and it is the word "called." God is the one doing the calling, so listen, and you will hear Him.

The writer of Proverbs has all this for us to read and realize in Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seems right to a person,

But its end is the way of death..

Jesus is the way to life. That means eternal life and "this" life, and we cannot help but seek Him and follow Him because we are no longer in control. He is. End of story.

Today's Message,

David Warren