Imitators of God (Part 3 – Walk in Light)

Verse of the day: Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

As God’s children we are no longer children of darkness. We are no longer members of the devil’s family (Jn 8:44). Jesus is the Light of the world, and as born again believers, and followers of Jesus, we are no longer in darkness, but walk in light (Jn 8:12). To walk in those things which were discussed in yesterday’s devotional is to walk in darkness (v. 3-4). The Scriptures tell us in 1 John 1:6 that if we say that we have fellowship with Jesus, but walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. To walk in the light is to walk, or live, in goodness, righteousness, and truth (v. 9). To walk in goodness, righteousness, and truth, is to walk in the Spirit (v. 9). If we are to be imitators of God, we are to walk in the light, and if we walk in the light, we cannot work in darkness as the darkness cannot exist in the light. What happens when we attempt to walk around in a place that is completely dark? We are unable to see what is in front of us. If we are in a place that is completely dark, and far from an exit, unless there is a light in the distance that we can work our way toward, we may not be able to find our way out of the darkness, and in the process injure ourselves via any unseen obstacles. This is what it was like for us before we came to know Jesus as our Savior. We were walking in darkness, blinded by our sin, heading for eternal condemnation and being kept in the dark by our enemy Satan (2 Cor 4:4). We blindly, and ignorantly, tried to find our way to God by our own works, trying to light our own way. It was not until we called upon Jesus, by faith, and called upon Him to be our Lord and Savior, that the darkness was dispelled and we saw the Light of Truth (Jn 1:4) that now guides our feet and lights our path (Ps 119:105) so that we now have the ability to know God’s truth about who He is, and what is acceptable to Him (v. 10); and know who we were without Him, and now are, in Him (2 Cor 5:16-17). Just as the moon does not reflect its own light, but the light of the sun; so we also do not reflect our own light, but the light of Jesus; as such, we are to shine that light brightly so that our Heavenly Father is glorified before men (Mt 5:14-16). So often we avoid making people feel uncomfortable around us, and as a result we often compromise what we say we believe to avoid the conflict or the persecution. However, it was for this reason that Jesus was always in conflict with those who rejected Him, and internal conflict (conviction) for those who came to know and believe on Him. John 1:4 tells us that the darkness did not comprehend the Light, and in John 3:20 the Word tells us that those who do evil, or walk in darkness, avoid the Light because they fear that their evil deeds will be exposed. Therefore, everywhere Jesus went, and everyone He interacted with was made well aware of their sinfulness, which is uncomfortable of the unsaved, and should bring conviction to the saved, and put them on the path to repentance. So we too, when we shine the light of our Lord and Savior it should cause others to be uncomfortable around us when they are doing that which is wrong before God. We should be so set apart from the practices of the world that we should not even entertain conversations about those things that are wicked and offensive to our Lord (v. 12). Jesus’ light shining through us should be a reminder and conviction to our brethren without us having to say anything. To imitate our God, as we walk in light, does not mean that we walk around judging others, and being self-righteous in our attitude; what it does mean is that whenever we interact with others, whether at work, at play, gathering socially with unsaved family and friends, or fellowship with other believers, our presence should make a difference, and a positive impact, within our circles of influence for the glory of Jesus our Lord and Savior.

The Light of this world came into this world to lay down His life for us and bring us into His light. Today, He extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing their sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Imitators of God (Part 2 – Walk in Love)

Verse of the day: Ephesians 5:5 For this you know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

As imitators of God there are behaviors that do not belong in the life of a child of God who is walking in love, as we are told to do in verse 2 of this chapter. How can we truly claim that we are followers of Jesus if our lifestyle is no different than how the unsaved live? How are we loving God and our neighbor if we are practicing that which is sin against our God and injurious to our neighbor? As born again believers we are called to holiness (1 Pt 1:14-16). Those of us who want to model our behavior, in Christ, like that of our God’s, will take extra measure to avoid being fornicators, or having sex outside of marriage. God calls us to purity and has created the sexual relationship exclusively for the marriage bed (1 Thess 4:3; 1 Cor 6:18; 7:9). We must avoid all forms of immorality in both our thoughts and actions. Instead, we are to think on, and focus on, those things which are pure, true, honorable, excellent or praiseworthy (Phil 4:8). We must learn to be content and avoid covetousness and idolatry; avoiding the love of money and material things (1 Tim 6:10; Mt 6:24). If we have nothing that this world has to offer, and all we have is the Lord, then we have all we need. He calls us to not be covetous and be content with such things as we have, knowing that having Him is enough (Heb 13:5-6). Like Abraham, let us be content with having the Lord as our Reward (Gen 15:1). Although these sinful behaviors are common in the world, and we are in the world; we are not of the world (Jn 17:16). We are called to stay in this world, to be separate from the world in our attitude and behavior, and lead others to the One who gave His life for us, and them. We will not accomplish this by being like them. If we are no different, then what do we really have to offer? The Apostle tells us that it is because of these sinful behaviors that God’s wrath looms over the unsaved (v. 6). This is the reason Jesus was nailed to the cross; to pay for these very sins that many of us have committed. May I also remind each and every one of us, lest we forget, and get too judgmental toward those who are unsaved and practice these things, that we too were in the same place they are currently in? Some of us are still battling with the temptation to give in to such behavior, as the Lord works in us to change us. If we are not careful to approach those who need Christ with humility or restore a brother/sister who has stumbled and fallen into sin, with humility, we may very well find ourselves in the same boat (Gal 6:1-3). In this chapter, in verse 4, the Apostle also tells us to avoid obscene speech, inappropriate joking, and foolish talk. Our speech should be that which gives thanks and praise to God, offered in Christ as the sacrifice of our lips (Heb 13:15; 1 Thess 5:16-18). Our speech should bring encouragement and be a blessing (Col 4:6). Foolish talk or obscene speech will only cause hurt and bring division. James tells us that the same mouth that praises God should not be used to curse men (Jm 3:9-12). In 1 Corinthians 5:9-13, the Apostle Paul makes clear to the church that those who practice these things, and are unsaved, are not the ones we are to stay away from. These are the people we are supposed to be leading to Jesus. It is the one who claims that he/she is a fellow believer and practices these behaviors that we are to steer clear from, and put aside so that the Lord may deal with him/her. This is not to be done in a mean-spirited fashion, but in love, and with prayer (Jm 1:20). The bottom line is that regardless of who we are dealing with, we are to model our Lord and Savior in our behavior, avoiding such sinful lifestyles and being careful to walk in love for the sake of imitating our God and Savior.

God desires that not one of us perish, and that we all be imitators of Him. However, this cannot happen outside of a true relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Today, He extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing their sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Imitators of God (Part 1)

Verse of the day: Ephesians 5:1-2 Be you therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.

Our relationship with God is grounded in faith. It is by faith that we accept Jesus Christ as Savior. It is by faith that we receive eternal life that is only found in Jesus Christ. It is by faith that we are called to live each day. However, our Christian life is also a life of practical application. We cannot use faith as an excuse or justification for a refusal to put into practice the actions, attitudes, and deeds that demonstrate the faith we claim. In this chapter, which is a continuation of the previous, the Apostle Paul exhorts us to be followers, or imitators, of God. As little children desire to imitate, copy, and act in the same manner as their father, so we ought to be imitating our Heavenly Father in the way we live and treat one another. In the previous chapter, the Apostle reminded us to walk in unity by using our gifts to complement one another, and put off the old behaviors of the old man, putting on the new man. He also exhorted us to put away those things that grieve the Holy Spirit of God. To be an imitator of God is to do that which God would do in response to how we have treated Him. Jesus told His disciples that to see Him was to see the Father (Jn 14:9), and the Scriptures tells us that Jesus is the express image of the Father (Heb 1:3). Jesus is our Living Example of who God is, and of how we are to respond to life and its challenges. He is the ultimate Example of how we are to interact and respond to others, even when we suffer persecution and are mistreated. As Jesus loved us, we are now to walk in love and love others as He loved us, especially those we call brothers and sisters in Christ (Jn 13:34-35). 1 Corinthians 16:14 tells us to do all things with charity, or love. It was God’s love for us that allowed Jesus to be nailed to a cross for us. It was God’s love that allowed Jesus to lay down His life for us. It was God’s love that allowed Jesus to be the payment for not just our sins, but the sins of the whole world (Jn 3:16; 1 Jn 2:2). As He laid down His life for us, so we are now to lay down our lives for the sake of being obedient to God, and for the sake of unity amongst the brethren. Romans 12:1-2, tells us to be living sacrifices to God, renewing our minds and not being conformed to this world. In other words, dead to sin and the world’s ways, alive to God to serve Him; blessing God and others in our service. When we offer ourselves up to God by taking up our crosses daily (Lk 9:23), laying down our own desires and putting God’s commands, and our brethren’s well-being before our own, we are offering to our God, in Christ and by faith, a sacrifice that is acceptable and a sweet-smelling savor. If we were to just stop and think about how God treats us, even when we offend Him, and then copy that behavior toward one another, the world would see a church that is united, loving, and one that truly represents Jesus the way we are called to represent Him. 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 tells us that as new creatures in Christ we are now ambassadors for Christ. To be imitators of God in Christ means to love our enemies, forgive others (regardless of the offense) as God forgave us for Christ’s sake, be kind to others, be patient and long-suffering, seeking the good of others first, and not looking down on others, but like Jesus, in humility submitting to one another. What a transformation would take place amongst God’s people if we truly made a real effort to imitate our God. Imagine what God would be able to accomplish in our midst if we were careful to be more like Jesus. The revival that would begin in our hearts, and spread throughout the church, if only we were as concerned about the eternal destination of others as God was about ours. Let us put off all that hinders our walk with, and growth in, Christ; and do all that we can to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, and through us, to be imitators of our Heavenly Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

God desires that not one of us perish, and that we all be imitators of Him. However, this cannot happen outside of a true relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Today, He extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing their sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Beware of Hypocrisy (Part 7)

Verse of the day: Matthew 15:8-9 This people draws near unto me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

There were other instances when Jesus confronted the people of His time about their hypocrisy, and its affects. However, in this final lesson about being aware of hypocrisy, I want to close out with this verse that Jesus quoted, as written by the Prophet Isaiah (Is 29:13). Jesus, in quoting this verse is defining for us what hypocrisy is. It is saying one thing about what we believe, and giving God “lip service”, but living contrary to that stated belief. Sadly, we do not realize how much damage we do to our testimony for Christ and Christianity, in general, when we are hypocritical in how we live our Christian life. Hypocrisy affects both our relationship with God and our relationship with others. When an unsaved person hears us standing up against what is wrong, and we go on our long dissertations about what others should not be doing, we must be careful that we are not practicing those same things we are condemning. We must take care to be the example of what doing right is, and what it means to live righteously. Our morals should be measured by what God says is morally right, and not what is morally acceptable by society. Man and his acceptance or rejection of certain moral or immoral practices is not our measure; Jesus is our Measure. We do not fall short of the glory of anyone but God (Rom 3:23). The best way to avoid living hypocritically before God and man is to we truly love Jesus and obey His commands (Jn 14:15). Too many of us turn that into a unnecessarily difficult process. We complicate it by adding our own preferences, personal convictions, and man-made traditions to God’s truth. Simply put, if we just love God with all that we are and love our neighbor as ourselves (Mk 12:29-31), we will have a better chance at succeeding in representing Jesus without hypocrisy. When we treat others in the same way we would like to be treated, we will be far less likely to mistreat, look down on, or cheat, others (Lk 6:31). The bottom line is that our road to living a life that is not stained with hypocrisy begins with our true worship of the Lord. We must break down our facades, and stop worshiping God with just our mouths. Our faith in the Lord must manifest itself in the way we behave, in our attitude and actions towards others, motivated by and grounded in our true faith in the Lord. When we allow the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in our lives, and we actually demonstrate that by the way we respond to people’s rejection, persecution, and life situations in general, God will be able to use us greatly to draw others unto Himself (Gal 5:16-26). Too many of us would never admit that we are like the scribes and Pharisees, but when we are hypocritical in our Christian living, we are no better and are just like them. In Matthew 23:29ff, Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for being like their fathers who killed the prophets sent to them by God to prepare them for the coming of their Messiah. He warned them that they would be judged and condemned, just like their fathers, because they followed in their footsteps by rejecting and persecuting, not just Jesus, but those who would later bring the Gospel message to them. So we, when we act in a way that pushes people away from following God, and take the glory that belongs to Him for ourselves, and cause people to speak ill of our faith and our Lord, we too are no better than the hypocrites of the Lord’s days here on earth. Let us strive to live for the Lord honestly and righteously so that we do not become laughing-stocks for our faith, and so the world does not mock us for our inconsistencies in what we say we believe and how we live. Let us avoid misrepresenting who our Lord is, and put an end to our discouraging of our brothers and sisters in Christ when we treat them wrongfully, look down on them simply because they do not follow our personal convictions, or preferences, and causing division within the body because of our lack of a true relationship with God; preferring to demonstrate our religiosity for the sake of trying to make ourselves seem like we are better Christians, and more blessed, than our brothers and sisters in Christ. I do not believe I have to remind us that God hates division amongst His people (Pro 6:16-19). Let us not be the cause of that division within God’s church because of hypocrisy. Let us, instead, glorify God by being consistent in our words, attitudes, actions, and deeds. Let us worship God by avoiding the teaching and insistence that others live according to our man made rules and doctrines and exemplify what it looks like to worship God by living for Him, in accordance to His truth.

Jesus loved us without hypocrisy, and suffered the death of the Cross for us. Today, He extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus in repentance, confessing their sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Beware of Hypocrisy (Part 6)

Verse of the day: Matthew 23:25-26 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 You blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

The one observation that stands out strongly in Jesus’ rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees is that God is far more interested in our inner being than our outer appearance. I am a firm believer that we give God our very best; however, too often, I have seen God’s children looked down on people who visited the local church who were not dressed in what was, in their opinion, “their very best” for corporate worship. Yet, some of the best dressed in the church building were some of the vilest from within because of secret sin or open hypocrisy that they were themselves blind to. Jesus used the Pharisees own tradition of washing their cups and plates before eating on them to make a comparison to their hypocrisy. The Pharisees would not eat or drink anything unless their cups and plates were washed and cleansed, yet the food and drink they put in those cups and plates were often gain by way of their own corruption, deceit, and cheating of the widows and the poor. A picture of whom they themselves were. They prayed lengthy prayers publicly, took the seats of honor in the assembly; their phylacteries that were usually small, tied around their forehead or arm, were usually bigger than most in order to give the impression that they loved God’s law more than most, and the tassels on the end of their robes were made large to indicate their dedication to God, which in reality was superficial at best and even nonexistent. Yet, in all of this they were hypocrites because their heart was far from God and their morals were corrupt, their behavior ungodly and wicked. In verse 27, Jesus compares them to whitewashed tombs. The idea behind whitewashing the tombs is that these tombs were beautiful on the outside, but inside they were filled with dead bodies that were unclean, decaying and filled with dead men’s bones. Could Jesus make any clearer the fact that God despised outward hypocrisy and was far more interested in what was inside of a person? The Apostle Paul, in writing to Timothy, warns him of what people will be like in these last days. 2 Timothy 3 tells us that men will be lovers of self, covetous, boaster, proud, disobedient to parents, unholy, and the list goes on. In verse 5 of that same chapter, the Apostle warns that there will be people who are religious, showing outward dedication by their rituals and keeping of traditions, but within they have not real power because there is no reverence or fear of God. There is no pure worship of the Lord. Jesus is not the inward source of the outward product. Though they know the Word of God, and have memorized the Scriptures, can explain the principles, they themselves lack the application to their own lives, and even twist the teaching to benefit them or justify their own sinful actions and behavior. We have already noted in this series of messages that God is far more interested in our hearts than the facades we create to make ourselves appear more religious and dedicated to the Lord (1 Sam 16:7). In Luke 16:15, Jesus clearly states that those things which are highly esteemed by men are detestable to God, because He sees the heart. In John 2:23-25, it tells us that many believed in Jesus’ Name, because of what they saw Him do, but Jesus would not commit Himself to them because He knew what was in man. He knew that their belief in His Name was selfishly motivated by what they thought they could gain by believing in Him. Their motivation and the intentions of their heart were not pure. The bottom line is that when we accepted Jesus as our Savior, He began the process of changing us from within. His desire is to change our hearts and minds so that our change would come from within (Rom 12:1-2). He changes us from within so that we desire true change, and do our best to truly love Jesus by obeying His commands. When this happens, it will eventually show outwardly, and genuinely. We must choose to take a step back and ask God to examine our lives, and our hearts, and show us if we are just going through the motions, or still entertaining certain pet sins that we are critical of others for, and which keep us from truly maturing in Christ. Ask Him to not only show us, but truly cleanse us, and change us (Ps 51:10; Heb 10:16-22).

Jesus desires a true intimate relationship with each and every one of us. Today, He extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus in repentance, confessing their sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Beware of Hypocrisy (Part 5)

Verse of the day: Matthew 23:23-24 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought you to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 You blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

Over and over again the Lord tells us that He prefers obedience over sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22; Ps 51:16; Pro 21:3; Mt 12:7; Mk 12:33). The Pharisees’ hypocrisy was great in that they put great importance on the lesser, yet ignored that which was greater before God; in other words, they majored in the minors. In verse 24, the Lord was referring to the practice of straining their water or wine to remove the insect larvae. They were troubled and careful to strain the gnats, but swallowed a camel by ignoring that which was more important to God. How many of us have been guilty of the same? I would have to say that if we are honest with ourselves and God, we’d have to say that we all have. We put much emphasis on the sins of commission (the things we do that we are commanded not to do), and less emphasis on the sins of omission (the things we do not do that we are commanded to do). We readily condemn the murderer, rapist, thief, adulterer, fornicator, but turn a blind eye to the one who fails to love God and his neighbor, the one who fails to forgive, or show kindness; the liar, and the gossiper who causes division. Too often we pick and choose the biblical truths to live out that are convenient and make us seem “religious” and dedicated to God; all the while, behind closed doors, and in our hearts, we are far from being committed to the Lord. The Pharisees brought their tithe for all to see. Jesus was clear that our alms were to be given with humility and in secret (Mt 6:1-4). We are not to boast of how much we give when we are giving it to the Lord, for His purposes. Too often I have heard people give “testimony” of how they gave “this much or that much”, alleging that they are giving God the praise; when in fact they were looking to tell others what a great amount they gave, all for the pat on the back. They flaunted their “religiosity”, but failed to be just in the way they treated the people, the poor, and the needy. They were merciless and operated without true faith in God, always being self-reliant, and refusing to elevate God in their lives; instead, preferring the glory for themselves. As born again believers we must not just seek to avoid the sins of commission, but we must also put great emphasis on avoiding the sins of omission. A Christian who truly loves God and loves his/her neighbor does so when no one is looking. A Christian who desires to avoid hypocrisy will apply the Word of God equally, and will resist applying only that which is easy for that current circumstance or that which makes them appear godlier than they really are. God is not interested in our outward religion. He wants us to have a heart for God (1 Sam 16:7; Jer 17:10). We go to our worship services, bringing our tithes and offerings; we teach our classes and we speak our Christians words, praising God. Yet, in our hearts we harbor hatred toward a brother or sister. We refuse to forgive offenses that God commands us to forgive and hold on to grudges and thoughts of vengeance. We smile our fake smiles, all the while failing to love sacrificially as God tells us to. We openly behave like Christians, but privately we do all that grieves God and then justify our actions or inactions when we are caught in the web of our own deceit. King David is wonderful example of what God sees as a man who is after God’s own heart. King David sinned against God on more than one occasion. The one he is best known for is his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, and the murder of her husband Uriah, which he orchestrated in an attempt to cover up his adultery. Although he paid a great price via his consequences, in all of this, God called King David a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22). Why did God see him in this fashion, even after all he did to sin against God? It was because King David was a man of humility. He had reverence for God. He trusted God. He was obedient. He was devoted. He was repentant when God confronted him regarding his sins. King David was an example of one who did not ignore the sins of omission, even though he had moments of weakness with sins of commission. God sees beyond our “religious” actions and sees right into what we harbor in our hearts. Let us not be pharisaical in our Christianity; let us seek to serve and worship God without hypocrisy.

In Christ, we will be forgiven for all our sins. Jesus paid the price for the world (Jn 3:16; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10). Today, He extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus in repentance, confessing their sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Beware of Hypocrisy (Part 4)

Verse of the day: Matthew 23:16 Woe unto you, you blind guides, which say, whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

In this next portion of chapter 23:16-22, Jesus deals with the hypocrisy of making oaths, or making promises to God, on the basis of swearing on the gold of the temple or the gifts of the altar. This was yet another reflection of the greed on the part of the Pharisees, and their desire for worldly gain over seeking, and leading others to seek, God’s glory. Jesus pointed out their foolishness on putting more importance on the gold that was in the temple, when it was the temple that sanctified the gold (v. 17). In verse 19 He reminds them that the gifts on the altar, which they foolishly taught were of more importance, were sanctified by the altar; both the temple and the altar were sanctified by God and not the materials and gifts that they contained. The reality of what they were doing is that they cared nothing for lifting up the glory of God before men, but sought to have the people bring their gold and offerings to the temple, to make promises to God, seeking to get something from God, when in reality they wanted the gold and gifts for their own personal gain. Sadly, I have seen far too many so-called men of God boldly proclaim that if you sent them money or gave a certain amount of money God would deliver them from whatever troubles they were experiencing. They even claim that by giving more to their ministry, God would bless them by prospering them financially or materially. What foolishness! God is not our lucky rabbit’s foot or our genie in a bottle that we can just rub and demand whatever we want. Sadly, we have used the confessing of an oath a thing so trivial that we are no longer careful about the things we promise God or others. The fact of the matter is that our word, as Christians, should be “yes” or “no”, and people around us would know, and trust, that we will keep our word, without the necessity of having to swear on anything or anyone (Mt 5:33-37). This is not to say that we cannot promise the Lord that we will do something on His behalf, in being used for Him, for His glory. So often, the Lord wants to use us to be blessing in someone’s life or in service to our local church, and we make the promise or commit to perform a duty or complete a task, then we fade into the woodwork and fail to keep our word. When we do this, we are no better than these Pharisees. When we make a promise in connection to God’s service, we have made the promise, not so much to the person or people, but to our God. We take utmost care not to be careless with our words and promises; especially as born again believers. We, who know the Lord, are called to be the living example of what it means to be a child of God. When we lead others astray by our careless living, we will have the greater accountability before our God. Another lesson we see from this interaction is that we foolishly put more importance, and give more glory, to that which is created, and is sanctified by God, rather than God who is the One who sanctifies all that He sets apart for His own use. For example, all that we do that is good, regardless of how good and righteous it may be viewed by man, is like filthy rags to God if it is done outside of Christ, and done for the purpose of self exaltation or for the purpose of trying to earn what God is freely offering, by faith, in Christ; our salvation (Is 64:6; Eph 2:8-9). Yet, those same good works of righteousness become award worthy when they are done as a result of being in Christ, and performing them out of faith, trusting God to use them for His glory because it is being done sacrificially with the intent to humbly serve God. When we give our gifts, whether to the local church or to an individual; if we give it seeking a pat on the back, then that will be the extent of the reward (Mt 6:1-2). What sanctifies the gift is when we give it in obedience to God’s leading, again in Christ, by faith, seeking God’s glory. There is something wrong when the upkeep of the church building is more important than the upkeep of our lives, so that are living godly lives (Phil 2:12-13). The building is a meeting place that is sanctified when set apart for worship. We, the Christian, are the church. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and it is Jesus who makes us a priesthood of believers (1 Pt 2:1-9). It is Jesus who sanctifies us, the building, and the gifts brought to Him in the local church or to any individual, in His Name. Let us not make the same mistake that the Pharisees made by putting more importance on anything or anyone other than Jesus. For it is in Him that we exist and are set apart, and sanctified in. Let us be careful of what we promise our God, knowing that we will give account for every idle word spoken, and every promise made (Mt 12:36). Let us be known as people who keep our word, for the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

God has never gone back on a single promise. He promises that in Christ, if we trust Him, we will someday spend eternity with Him. Today, He extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus in repentance, confessing their sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).