Do you love Christ? Prove it!
"Which Jesus do you follow?
Which Jesus do you serve?
If Ephesians says to imitate Christ,
Why do you look so much like the world?"
A quote from the song "My Jesus" by Todd Agnew. A very powerful song that makes you think. Which Jesus do you follow? Do you follow the Jesus people portray? Or do you follow the Jesus from the Bible? Ephesians 5:1-2 says "Be imitators of God, therefore as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
Are you imitating Christ? Look at your life? Are there things in your life that shouldn't be? Cursing, Drunkenness, Sexual Immoralty, Lieing, Innappropriate talk/joking, etc...
The reason I ask this, is because the majority of people out there today are claiming the name of Christ, yet living the ways of the world. Ephesians 4:22-24 "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." When we accepted Christ into our lives, we chose to follow Him, Yes? To strive to be like Him, Yes? Ok, so you ask, how do we live like Him? What standard do we set ourselves by? The answer: The bible. The bible has all the answers you could ever need regarding everything in your life. Do you read it? It is like our instruction manual for life. Our how to survive guide. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Ok with that said, let's look up what the bible says about how to live your life, and what is glorifying for God.
Galatians 5:16-26 "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucifed the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."
Ephesians 5:1-7 "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ love us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
Ephesians 5:18-20 "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 "It is God's will that you should be sanctified; that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantable of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit."
Exodus 20:1-17 "And God spoke all these words: 'I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not misue the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Honor your father and you mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.'"
2 Timothy 2:16 "Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly."
Proverbs 6:16-19 "There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers."
These are just some of the scriptures. These are just some of the examples of how God wants us to live. Like I said before, examine yourselves. Are there things in your lives that shouldn't be, according to the scripture?
Now I know we are going to stumble. We are human and it is in our nature. If we didn't, we wouldn't need Jesus Christ as our Savior. But he does expect us to strive to be perfect like he is perfect. 1 Peter 1:13-16 says, "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" He wants us to follow ALL of his words and commands. Not just some of them just because you don't feel like it, or you don't think it applies to you. No where in the word does is say "OPTIONAL". James 2:10-11 "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, 'Do not commit adultery,' also said, 'Do not murder.' If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker." You can't follow some and not others. It doesn't work that way. It's like in school. They have a list of things you can not do. Now just because you follow most of what is said, doesn't give you the right to do others. You will still get in trouble for it, right? I don't know one teacher who would go to her student and tell them, well since you yelled at me instead of hitting me, I will let you off the hook. HELLO!! Ain't going to happen! Your butt would be hauled off to the principles office, I bet. Which leads me to the next thing. Consequences. The church today doesn't teach that when you sin, there is going to be a consequence. When you choose to sin, you are choosing the consequence. Like we tell our children. You touch that, you are going to go to time out. Just like in real life as an adult. You choose to sleep in, instead of being at work on time. Consequence, probably loose your job. Maybe not that harsh, but something is still going to happen to you. Galatians 6:7-8 "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."
God loves us. He doesn't want us to sin. He knows what it will do to us if we sin. So he disciplines us like a parent does to a child. Proverbs 3:11-12 "My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." He WILL discipline those who choose to sin. Look at this example:
1 Corinthians 10:1-12
"For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did--and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test the Lord, as some of them did--and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did--and were killed by the destorying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death."
My friends, I love you. No one likes to see a friend, a brother, or sister hurt. But beware. Like it says in Galatians above. You will reap what you sow. My friends, please hear me. I have been there. Before I got married, I fell into sexual sin. Badly. I never had actual sexual intercourse, but did everything else. I endulged in it. I ignored what God was telling me and what the word said. But, I paid the price, and to this day, I still struggle with it, and am still reaping what I have sown. After I got married, my husband and I had a lot of problems, and I had some health problems, that I relate to the experiences. Mostly now, it is the memories I have to deal with. I have asked God for forgiveness, and I know he has cast my sin as far as the east is from the west, but that doesn't mean I personally don't remember them. 1 Corinthians 6:18 "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body." Like I said, I chose to ignore what God was trying to tell me, and I got caught with my pants down. I tried to keep it in the darkness, but like the scriptures says, God will bring what we do in the darkness into light.
I urge you, please turn from the sinful ways of your lives, repent and "live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Ephesians 4:1 If you are not prepared to do this...then stop claiming the name of Christ. Stop calling yourselves a follower of Him. Stop defacing His name. Not only are you hurting Christ, but you are hurting your chance to be an effective witness. Because of the things I have done, I have ruined my witness to many people. I am sure you remember the ways I was living in before. I was wrong. Now, with certain people, they look at me as a liar and a hypocrite. Now anything I say about God and Jesus Christ, they will not listen or hear, because my actions spoke louder than my words, and my actions were that I wasn't living for Christ.
Is there someone in your life that you love? I know there is. Would you do anything for them? Change your clothes style, hair color, the way you laughed, the way you walked, help them in everything, talk to them any time night or day cause they just needed someone, etc? Why? Cause you love them. They mean so much to you that you want to make them happy and be there for them. That is what Christ wants and that is how he feels for us. He went to the ultimate extent and died for us, though we didn't deserve it, so that we could live. Would you do that for the one you love? "If you love me, you will obey what I command." John 14:15
Well, if you say you are a follower of Christ, that you love him, like he loved you.....then prove it.
Which Jesus do you serve?
If Ephesians says to imitate Christ,
Why do you look so much like the world?"
A quote from the song "My Jesus" by Todd Agnew. A very powerful song that makes you think. Which Jesus do you follow? Do you follow the Jesus people portray? Or do you follow the Jesus from the Bible? Ephesians 5:1-2 says "Be imitators of God, therefore as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
Are you imitating Christ? Look at your life? Are there things in your life that shouldn't be? Cursing, Drunkenness, Sexual Immoralty, Lieing, Innappropriate talk/joking, etc...
The reason I ask this, is because the majority of people out there today are claiming the name of Christ, yet living the ways of the world. Ephesians 4:22-24 "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." When we accepted Christ into our lives, we chose to follow Him, Yes? To strive to be like Him, Yes? Ok, so you ask, how do we live like Him? What standard do we set ourselves by? The answer: The bible. The bible has all the answers you could ever need regarding everything in your life. Do you read it? It is like our instruction manual for life. Our how to survive guide. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Ok with that said, let's look up what the bible says about how to live your life, and what is glorifying for God.
Galatians 5:16-26 "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucifed the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."
Ephesians 5:1-7 "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ love us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
Ephesians 5:18-20 "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 "It is God's will that you should be sanctified; that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantable of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit."
Exodus 20:1-17 "And God spoke all these words: 'I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not misue the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Honor your father and you mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.'"
2 Timothy 2:16 "Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly."
Proverbs 6:16-19 "There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers."
These are just some of the scriptures. These are just some of the examples of how God wants us to live. Like I said before, examine yourselves. Are there things in your lives that shouldn't be, according to the scripture?
Now I know we are going to stumble. We are human and it is in our nature. If we didn't, we wouldn't need Jesus Christ as our Savior. But he does expect us to strive to be perfect like he is perfect. 1 Peter 1:13-16 says, "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" He wants us to follow ALL of his words and commands. Not just some of them just because you don't feel like it, or you don't think it applies to you. No where in the word does is say "OPTIONAL". James 2:10-11 "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, 'Do not commit adultery,' also said, 'Do not murder.' If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker." You can't follow some and not others. It doesn't work that way. It's like in school. They have a list of things you can not do. Now just because you follow most of what is said, doesn't give you the right to do others. You will still get in trouble for it, right? I don't know one teacher who would go to her student and tell them, well since you yelled at me instead of hitting me, I will let you off the hook. HELLO!! Ain't going to happen! Your butt would be hauled off to the principles office, I bet. Which leads me to the next thing. Consequences. The church today doesn't teach that when you sin, there is going to be a consequence. When you choose to sin, you are choosing the consequence. Like we tell our children. You touch that, you are going to go to time out. Just like in real life as an adult. You choose to sleep in, instead of being at work on time. Consequence, probably loose your job. Maybe not that harsh, but something is still going to happen to you. Galatians 6:7-8 "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."
God loves us. He doesn't want us to sin. He knows what it will do to us if we sin. So he disciplines us like a parent does to a child. Proverbs 3:11-12 "My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." He WILL discipline those who choose to sin. Look at this example:
1 Corinthians 10:1-12
"For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did--and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test the Lord, as some of them did--and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did--and were killed by the destorying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death."
My friends, I love you. No one likes to see a friend, a brother, or sister hurt. But beware. Like it says in Galatians above. You will reap what you sow. My friends, please hear me. I have been there. Before I got married, I fell into sexual sin. Badly. I never had actual sexual intercourse, but did everything else. I endulged in it. I ignored what God was telling me and what the word said. But, I paid the price, and to this day, I still struggle with it, and am still reaping what I have sown. After I got married, my husband and I had a lot of problems, and I had some health problems, that I relate to the experiences. Mostly now, it is the memories I have to deal with. I have asked God for forgiveness, and I know he has cast my sin as far as the east is from the west, but that doesn't mean I personally don't remember them. 1 Corinthians 6:18 "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body." Like I said, I chose to ignore what God was trying to tell me, and I got caught with my pants down. I tried to keep it in the darkness, but like the scriptures says, God will bring what we do in the darkness into light.
I urge you, please turn from the sinful ways of your lives, repent and "live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Ephesians 4:1 If you are not prepared to do this...then stop claiming the name of Christ. Stop calling yourselves a follower of Him. Stop defacing His name. Not only are you hurting Christ, but you are hurting your chance to be an effective witness. Because of the things I have done, I have ruined my witness to many people. I am sure you remember the ways I was living in before. I was wrong. Now, with certain people, they look at me as a liar and a hypocrite. Now anything I say about God and Jesus Christ, they will not listen or hear, because my actions spoke louder than my words, and my actions were that I wasn't living for Christ.
Is there someone in your life that you love? I know there is. Would you do anything for them? Change your clothes style, hair color, the way you laughed, the way you walked, help them in everything, talk to them any time night or day cause they just needed someone, etc? Why? Cause you love them. They mean so much to you that you want to make them happy and be there for them. That is what Christ wants and that is how he feels for us. He went to the ultimate extent and died for us, though we didn't deserve it, so that we could live. Would you do that for the one you love? "If you love me, you will obey what I command." John 14:15
Well, if you say you are a follower of Christ, that you love him, like he loved you.....then prove it.
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