Category: Inspirational

James 1:21

“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

I love the book of James! He’s so practical in his writing isn’t he? His book is full of suggestions that we can apply to our everyday living, in order to live abundantly, in step and in tune with God.

James is confident, that God has planted His word and His truth within our hearts, yet so often we avoid it and maybe even run from it. We choose selective hearing, choosing only what we want to hear, only those things that will satisfy our own cravings, pleasures and desires. When we compromise in our living this is the way we choose to live? It’s not that we don’t know what’s right. We do! We have a conscience that even gives us an alert, yet we ignore it! We know what’s right. We know what we should do, but we don’t do it, instead, we react against it and find ourselves dabbling with temptation. We do the wrong thing just because it looks enticing. It’s interesting in Verse 19 and 20 James speaks out on listening, speaking and anger and connects these things to this verse with a therefore. Read verse 19 and 20 to see how he applies it. By nature we are a rebellious and angry people defiled in sin. Only God’s Words can break through hardness to soften a heart and save us from ruin. We must put off the filthy, decaying rags that we wear, listen to His healing words within our hearts and follow in obedience.

Acts 20: 24

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”

What a sacrificial attitude Paul has when he addresses the elders of the church in Ephesus. Paul had lived quite a life before God transformed him, but here he has only one message to deliver and he makes no apologies for be being bold in speaking the gospel of repentance from sin by turning to God through faith in Christ. He not only has the message, but he has an overwhelming passion to deliver it, in spite of the persecution and suffering that he knows awaits him for doing so. He knows that his life pales in comparison to the crown of life that awaits him after death, if he remains faithful to the calling of Christ on his life. In Verse 28 he pleads with the leaders to follow the same, stand firm on the Truth and shepherd the flock; the church, faithfully.

Friends, like Paul, let’s not weary of well doing. Find that passion to deliver the message of God’s grace, in spite of…
Our life pales in comparison to what awaits for our faithful service.

Romans 12:15

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”

This section of Romans sets out the moral and ethical demands of the Gospel. God is not satisfied with just forgiving our sin, He wants to transform our lives. Salvation has to make a difference and requires active response to show in our Christian conduct towards others. God’s love, grace and mercy lavished upon us must show up in our character as sensitivity, tact, kindness, compassion, joy and honor for others with a genuine love for them, working hard, being enthusiastic in the Lord’s work, faithful in prayer and ready to help in time of need. We are to bless our enemies with these good Christ like qualities that lie within us. There’s nothing any more tactless than throwing a wet blanket of complaint over someone’s success or jumping for joy about our good fortune in the face of another’s adversity. Either one is like pouring vinegar on a wound.

Can you take it if your enemy or perhaps your friend does well? Can you rejoice in their success and their gains and mourn with them over their failures, setbacks, losses, discouragements, and disappointments? Sometimes our pride and jealousy make it’s tough to be tactful, but friends that’s our calling and only by God’s grace can we succeed in it.

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A Beautiful Day to you!!

Galatians 5: 13.

” You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”

Let’s put this verse into it’s context and read farther.

Galatians 5:13 – 18.

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. So I say let the Holy Spirit guide your lives, then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

Paul’s letter to the Galatians proclaims that that salvation comes by faith alone and is not based on our performance and now he goes on to address the question, “What happens if we don’t keep the law?” What guides our conduct? Remember Christ didn’t come to abolish the law or do away with the Ten Commandments but rather He came to fulfill it and He did! By being the perfect, spotless, sinless lamb of God, He became our living sacrifice so that we are no longer under obligation to sacrifice an unblemished animal for our sin. You can imagine a world without any kind of rules. With our sinful nature, it would be chaotic and violent with all manner of evil. The commandments serve as guidelines or boundaries over which we dare not cross, or the consequences of sin will catch up with us, however, we are not under it’s law of spiritual condemnation if we fail. Christ’s once and for all sacrifice and shed blood paid for our sin, and places us, as believers under God’s grace and forgiveness. Hallelujah, we are free from the law of Moses!

Righteousness comes from the Spirit indwelling us and we in Him. Christ’s holiness living in us spurs us on to passionate obedience because we simply love Him. We are free in Christ, but that freedom can be a slippery slope to our moral ruin if we don’t use it wisely. Freedom is great isn’t it? It’s wonderful to be free, not have to answer to anyone, make our own rules, live our own lives. Enjoy the day, the moment! Ahhh, but if that freedom is used for selfish desire to get what we want, to indulge in the pleasure of the moment at all cost, it quickly becomes our bondage, our addictions and our destruction. Freedom is not a license to sin, because sin is bondage, ruin, misery and death. A true Christ One with a heart of obedience out of love for our Creator, Redeemer, Saviour, Sustainer and Provider, will live to please Him and strive serve others out of love, as we press on in abundant life, to our eternal, heavenly goal.

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