Let’s ponder the relationship we should have together as the Lord’s people. Especially since we have a responsibility to evangelize the community around us, we need to remember the effect believers’ love for one another can have on unbelievers.
Separated from our Creator — cut off and alienated from Him by sin — the thing we call “life” is hardly worth the name. With Paul, we may well be moved to cry, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).
Our motives are crucial to our discernment: the question is not whether we want to know the truth, but what we plan to do with it once we find it. Let’s think about whether our basic disposition is to obey all of the truth we presently know to obey.
Before it’s too late, we need to repent of the sinful traits that have crept into our character. Let’s quit making excuses for unacceptable conduct, repent of our wrongdoing, and make up our minds that we’re going to accept the help God gives us.
When the clouds roll in and obedience is the last thing on our minds, we need to hear the Lord say, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). We must want to obey God even when the circumstances are difficult.
Whatever the opposition, whatever the dangers that must be faced, we can steel our wills to act obediently unto our Heavenly Father — and when we do, we can be assured that He is willing and able to give us all the help and protection we need.
Let’s strengthen our faith, so that when God sees our hearts, He will know that we, like Job, can be counted on. Let’s be a steadfast people, a people who would not blink if the devil himself looked us in the eye and tempted us to deny God.
In evangelism, many things are beyond our control, but it’s always possible for us to sow the seed of the kingdom. We can’t make decisions for other people, but we can see that they have a chance to decide for or against God. That’s our job.
Since the Christian has been born twice (once physically and once spiritually), he has but one death to anticipate. Because he has been reborn spiritually, he need not fear the “second death” that would otherwise follow his physical death.
God is eager to accept our repentance and clear us completely of our wrongdoing. But we must have the courage to admit that the command to repent applies to us. As we go through this week, let’s consider this often-neglected command of God.
