But One Thing…????  A Word from THE WORD!!! #432

As we continue into this new year, I’d like us to check our perspective; I want to be in tune with Jesus and His Word.  That is such a difficult thing to do consistently, but it is doable, yet I think we often miss the target because we are so easily distracted by this world.  Jesus confronted a young man in his ministry.

“And Jesus said unto him,

Why callest thou me good?

there is none good but one,

that is, God.

19 Thou knowest the commandments,

Do not commit adultery,

Do not kill,

Do not steal,

Do not bear false witness,

Defraud not,

Honour thy father and mother.

20 And he answered and said unto him,

Master, all these have I observed

from my youth.

21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him,

and said unto him,

One thing thou lackest:

go thy way,

sell whatsoever thou hast,

and give to the poor,

and thou shalt have treasure

in heaven:

and come,

take up the cross,

and follow me.

22 And he was sad at that saying,

and went away grieved:

for he had great possessions.”  Mark 10:18-22

Here a seeking young man wasn’t able to comprehend the truth (at least at this time…we don’t know about his future, and some think a young man who later came to Jesus…), and I think this is a story from which we can learn a lot; but we must realize that “One thing thou lackest…”. What are you and I lacking?  Faith? Trust? Obedience? Prioritizing Jesus, His Word and His direction for our lives?  It is so easy to forget that following Jesus is what He has called those who believe to do—taking up my cross doesn’t mean just living with the aches and pains of life—it means dying to self and living for, with and unto Jesus each day.

“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

Paul told the Colossians believers what it meant to belong to Jesus, and it’s one of my favorite, and most concise definitions of our relationship to Jesus—in redemption and forgiveness of sins!!!

“Giving thanks unto the Father,

which hath made us meet

to be partakers

of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us

from the power of darkness,

and hath translated us

into the kingdom of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption

through his blood,

even the forgiveness of sins:” Colossians 1:12-14

And as Paul spoke to the Galatians, we must consider ourselves as dead to self and alive to Christ Jesus!

“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

And in all simplicity, how do you have a relationship with Jesus?  Only one way; by being born again into God’s kingdom through the blood of The Son of God, Jesus Christ The Lord.

“Jesus answered and said unto him,

Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

Except a man be born again,

he cannot see the kingdom of God…

… 5 Jesus answered,

Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

Except a man be born of water

and of the Spirit,

he cannot enter into the kingdom of God…

…. 16 For God so loved the world,

that he gave his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in him

should not perish,

but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son

into the world to condemn the world;

but that the world through him

might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him

is not condemned:

but he that believeth not

is condemned already,

because he hath not believed

in the name

of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation,

that light is come into the world,

and men loved darkness

rather than light,

because their deeds were evil.”                     John 3:3-5, 16-19

What do you lack?  Are you ready to follow Jesus?  Here are His demands.

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples,

If any man will come after me,

let him deny himself, and

take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life

shall lose it:

and whosoever will lose his life for my sake

shall find it.

26 For what is a man profited,

if he shall gain the whole world,

and lose his own soul?

or what shall a man give

in exchange for his soul?”  Matthew 16:24-26

I pray that if you already belong to Jesus, you will join me in a renewed commitment to draw nearer to Jesus and follow Him more closely and undistractedly!  If you don’t know Jesus, I pray that you will call on Him today in repentance of your sin and faith in His substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for sin—my sin and yours!  His arms are waiting for you!

Amen and Amen!!!