What Does God Expect??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #492

 

Jesus makes it very clear that to know Him and follow Him, I must die to myself and be ready to live for Him, through His Holy Spirit, and walk the narrow path that leads to life, as my Lord directs my steps; but it requires the new birth! (See Matthew 7:13-14)

“Saying,

The Son of man must suffer many things,

and be rejected of the elders

and chief priests and scribes,

and be slain,

and be raised the third day.

23 And he said to them all,

If any man will come after me,

let him deny himself,

and take up his cross daily,

and follow me.

24 For whosoever will save his life

shall lose it:

but whosoever will lose his life for my sake,

the same shall save it.

25 For what is a man advantaged,

if he gain the whole world,

and lose himself,

or be cast away?”  Luke 9:22-25

Paul reiterated this very thought in his letter to the Galatian believers—not seeking to live a successful life on my own before the world–but being yielded to Jesus in my life, my all! This can only be done when we are enabled to live the “crucified” life—dying to self each day, and living unto Jesus; walking by faith and the direction of His Holy Spirit in all our ways.  Not easy but remember, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me…”!  Only by being born again of the Spirit of God!  Living the new birth on display before a lost and dying world in need of a Savior!

“I am crucified with Christ:

nevertheless I live;

yet not I,

but Christ liveth in me:

and the life which I now live in the flesh

I live by the faith of the Son of God,

who loved me,

and gave himself for me.”  Galatians 2:20

The Apostle John explained this in his Gospel.

“He came unto his own,

and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him,

to them gave he power

to become the sons of God,

even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born,

not of blood,

nor of the will of the flesh,

nor of the will of man,

but of God.”  John 1:11-13

Jesus—what God gives to meet His own expectations; His very Son to die for my sin and yours, if we’ll but repent of our sin, in trust and believing in Jesus’ substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for sin—my sin; receiving the new birth, becoming “sons of God”!

God also spoke through His prophet Micah, with an amazing picture of the character of God, which Jesus came to replicate in us; not just keeping ten commandments, or ever the Law of Moses, but having His Spirit within us as His reborn, adopted children.  How about you, have you been to Calvary and received this new birth?  I pray that you have!

“Wherewith shall I come before the LORD,

and bow myself before the high God?

shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

with calves of a year old?

7 Will the LORD be pleased

with thousands of rams,

or with ten thousands of rivers of oil?

shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 He hath shewed thee, O man,

what is good;

and what doth the LORD require of thee,

but to do justly,

and to love mercy,

and to walk humbly

with thy God?”  Micah 6:6-8

I’ll close with Paul’s great contrast between the works of this flesh and the fruit of The Spirit (not something we work up, but the produce of the very presence of God within us!)! It’s all of, from, and unto God.

“For who hath known the mind of the Lord?

or who hath been his counsellor?

35 Or who hath first given to him,

and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

36 For of him,

and through him,

and to him,

are all things:

to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”   Romans 11:34-36

Paul also reminded the Galatian believers that it’s all about God’s work, not ours! HIS grace, mercy and the payment for our sin! (And note there is no ‘s’ in “fruit”!)

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;

Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,

lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft,

hatred, variance, emulations,

wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness,

revellings, and such like:

of the which I tell you before,

as I have also told you in time past,

that they which do such things

shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is

love, joy, peace,

longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,

faith, 23 Meekness, temperance:

against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ’s

have crucified the flesh

with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit,

 let us also walk in the Spirit.”  Galatians 5:19-25

All this because of Jesus’ work of redemption on the cross.

“For he hath made him to be sin for us,

who knew no sin;

that we might be made the righteousness of God

in him.”  2 Corinthians 5:21

Where are your steps leading?  It’s your choice but choose wisely there is a test.

Amen and Amen!!!