There is a lot of confusion today about God and His desire for us. Too many people think of God as some distant being who never cares for humanity. Some even feel or believe that God only seeks to punish us. Some people talk about God laughing at our plight as He looks upon our miserable existence. This view of God is not what we find in Scripture. In fact, God’s Word gives us a completely different understanding of God and His desire for us.
Our responsibility to live Spirit-controlled lives each day is not to be taken lightly. Every day, the struggle against the flesh is real. Even though we have a renewed spirit resurrected by the Holy Spirit, we still have our physically corrupt bodies to deal with. It is not until Christ returns that our bodies will be changed (1 Corinthians 15:52). Until then, we battle each day to reign in the lusts that our flesh desires. It is a battle. However, we can overcome the flesh by yielding to God through obedience.
Any person sleeping is usually unaware of what is happening around them. They are not ready to react or act appropriately to their circumstances and surroundings. God wants us to be fully awake and cognizant of all happening around us.
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated something significant that is related to today’s blog. Worldwide events can happen suddenly and without warning. Undoubtedly, many were taken by surprise when the pandemic occurred. It was an event that affected the entire world at once. In fact, thinking back through history, only one other event affected the whole world in such a short amount of time.
Biblical love is a purposeful commitment to sacrificial action for God and others. On the other hand, hope is a desire to experience God’s promises of blessing and a strong expectation that we will see them come to fruition.
These believers could love others because of what they had learned from God. In other words, their willingness to spend time with God and His Word led them to thoughts, words, and actions of love toward others. One of the biggest issues in many believers’ lives is their lack of time spent in God’s Word.
W must pursue and invest in the spiritual development of those we lead to Christ. It is not enough to see them know Christ personally. We must also assist in their spiritual growth.
Pursue and Invest in the Spiritual Development of Other Believers – Part 2 Read More »
However, over the years, I learned that many believers can be very stern in their approach to giving the Gospel to others. A certain draconian mindset was often taught when sharing the Gospel. In fact, the focus of witnessing was often more about duty than about love.
Approximately 34 different verses encourage us to consider one another. In addition to those 34 verses, many other places in the New Testament teach the same principle. Such is the case with 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3.