Tag: excellent

22.k. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, or self.”

 

 

1 Corinthians 10:31   So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

 Colossians 3:17    And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 1 Peter 4:11   whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 Colossians 3:23   Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

 Philippians 1:10    so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

Do you give thought to “all that you do”, you are doing for the glory of God?  How much of each of our days are spent without the thought?  If God and His Word are not consistently within our thoughts we can be certain then honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ is not being honored.  We may do good things that honor Him but if the intent is not to honor Him by what we are doing then we miss honoring and glorifying Him.  A good place to start is by practicing the presence of Jesus Christ.  For sure He is always present but are our actions, thoughts, and tendencies reflecting we are aware.

15.s. “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?””

ohn 5:45  Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

Romans 2:17-29     But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God  and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law;  and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness0  an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—  you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal?  You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?  You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.  For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Romans 3:19-20   Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.  For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Jesus did not call these religious leaders to a new or a different faith. He called them to believe what Moses, what the Scriptures, what His works, what John the Baptist each testified about Jesus: that He is the Messiah, the Son of God and God the Son. If they refused to believe this overwhelming testimony, it was unlikely they would believe Jesus’ own words.  It is hard in this flesh to rely on faith.  We always seem to want to add something to it to make ourselves more right with God.  The fact remains though, that faith alone in Jesus is what makes us right before God.  In and through faith in Him we have been cleansed from our sin.  We have been born again.  We are a child of God.  There is nothing we could have done to earn this adoption into His family.  It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that we have been brought from death to life.  In this new life, our works should bring honor, glory, and praise to Jesus Christ.  In this new life, our actions and words should be directing people to give glory, honor, and praise to Jesus.  In this new life, we find purpose and satisfaction in humbly serving and honoring Jesus Christ.  In this new life, obedience is not an obligation but rather a desire.  In this new life, we seek to know and do His perfect will.  In this new life, our trust and reliance never stop growing, “UNLESS”  neglect and complacency have found root in our hearts and minds.

The Price is Paid

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

“But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

“For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.”

Psalms 50:23  The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”

Isaiah 48:22   “There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.”

Isaiah 55:6  “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;  let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Ezekiel 18:27   Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life.

Isaiah 1:11  “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.  “When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts?  Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.  Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.  When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.

Jeremiah 7:4  Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’  “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another,  if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm,  then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.

Matthew 7:3  Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Romans 2:17  But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God  and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law;  and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,  an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—  you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal?  You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?  You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.  For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.

Psalms 25:14   The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

Psalms 78:36  But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues.  Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant.  Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.

Jesus Christ went to the cross to redeem all who would come to him, believe in him, and trust in his sacrifice for their sin.  Scripture says “for the joy set before him” he willingly bore our sin to redeem us.  We come to this saving grace knowledge not by words but by a God drawn, Spirit led, Christ redeemed changed heart.  The price paid was God’s only son.  The price paid was freely and willingly given for the single purpose of redeeming those who would turn to him, trust in him, believe in him, cling to him, and rely on him alone for salvation of their soul.  This is the most important decision ever made this side of eternity.  It determines eternity with him in heaven or being forever tormented in hell.  The time for this decision is NOW.  The urgency of this decision is NOW.  Your eternal life depends on this NOW.  Seek him while he may be found.  Making this decision is never regretted now and for certain forever but not making it will certainly be regretted forever.  There is no better time than Now to trust in, rely on, cling to and humbly serve, honor, follow and obey Him.

Precious Promises

” by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

“I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.“

Psalms 36:5  Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart!

Job 37:23  The Almighty—we cannot find him; he is great in power; justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate.

Matthew 10:29  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

1 Peter 2:6  For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”  So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”

Psalms 139:17   ,

2Peter 1:3  His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

Hebrews 8:6  But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.  For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.  For he finds fault with them when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,  not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Great and precious promises have been given to us to escape the corruption of the world.  What promises are coming to mind? David recorded it this way, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!”.  David found value in thinking about God, His thoughts and promises.  He called them precious.  Something very dear to his heart.  He found comfort, refuge, strength, hope, peace, faith, love, joy, mercy…… and more staying close to God.  His daily purpose was to know and serve God deeper and fuller each day.  He had a heart desire to seek God in both times of trials and in times of blessings.  We would do well to reflect each day on God, His promises, and how we to would know and serve Him fuller.  Spend time in His word.  Seek to know Him.  Desire to serve Him.