July 17th 2016
Have you created a god in your image, instead of following the God who created you in His image?
Romans 10:9-10 (NLT)
If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
It seems that for most of us, it is easier to create a god in our image, than to follow the God that created us in His image. If you admit that God created you then you need to be beholding to Him, and most people do not want to consider that as a realistic view of their life. However, for those reading this today who believe they have been born again, then this view of belonging to God should be near and dear to your heart. As it is not a limiting factor, but instead a freedom factor, as we know we are saved because of what Jesus did for us. As the selected verses indicate, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
As Paul has written we have become a new creation when we were “born again” through our acceptance of Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If we have become new by being “twice born” then we should be receptive to honoring Jesus by following Him, as best we can, and to wonder “What Would Jesus Do” when we encounter negative situations in our lives. Paul tried to impress this attitude and motivation to the members of the church of Colossians. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (Colossians 3:9-10). Do you feel renewed, “since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self?” Has following Jesus actually made a change in your attitude about life?
Has following Jesus changed your attitude and outlook on life, or are you still feeling shortchanged by missing out on the pleasures some people have? The real change it seems is a change in your (our) attitude about what we want to do, and keeping a perspective of wanting to please Jesus. Can you imagine being an actual follower of Jesus, as the Apostles were, and your desire to learn from Jesus, and to try and please Him. That should be our attitude in this life to really having that feeling of being with Jesus in everything you do, and say! Are there places you go, and things you do, which you would not go or do, if in fact you were really taking Jesus with you?
Do you (we) really feel a freedom because we take the Holy Spirit with us, in our heart, everywhere we go, and in everything we do? If we can think like that, then we really could be “happy in Jesus” as a song puts it! Have you been freed, as Paul wrote to the church in Rome? And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. (Romans 8:2, NLT). Have you really been freed from “the power of sin that leads to death?” Do you allow the Holy Spirit to direct your life, rarely, sometimes, or often? Do you really believe that this Holy Spirit does indwell your heart? Think about it, pray about it!
Do you ever try to hide from God? Immediately after Adam committed that first sin that brought the “Fall of Man” curse into this world, God went seeking Adam, and then Adam was confused by this new sinful nature that he now possessed. Adam felt for the first time a feeling of guilt! God called to Adam, as He sought to converse with him. (Adam) He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." (Genesis 3:10). For the first time, mankind feared God, because Adam now knew both good and evil! Exposed in the sight of God is a place none of us want to be, unless we have taken Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior!
Paul wrote about the sheer joy we should have in being followers of Jesus. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NLT). Can you, “Always be joyful,” and do you “Never stop praying.” What about your ability to “Be thankful in all circumstances!” Okay, so we need to be realistic here, and admit these are good attitudes to work on as we try to become more Christ-like! It is always possible to improve on these difficult attitudes to maintain on a long time basis!
In the Old Testament before Jesus came to be our Savior, God was viewed as the Savior, and of course, rightfully so. For your Maker is your husband—the LORD Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. (Isaiah 54:5). When Jesus came to be born on this earth to live as a man/God then we came to recognize Jesus as our Savior. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:16, 19-20)
We like to think that Jesus brought peace to this earth, but He said His presence here has caused division amongst the people groups. Religious unrest has plagued this earth since the fall of Man, brought in the disagreement about how and when this universe was created. People have looked in all the wrong places for love and conformation of their worth. There are many leaders of religious movements that are directed by belief in gods or multiple gods, and even belief in creation of this universe by itself, without any plan or design in mind. Not many people actually believe in the God of the Bible. The Bible claims He is the only God, but not many people are willing to accept that as a fact.
All of the worldly religions are following some man or woman who died and decayed back into dust. Such religions do not honor Jesus as anyone special. Jesus talked about such religious movement when He walked this earth. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10:33-34). The fact that Jesus came to this earth has caused much division amongst the peoples of this earth. Even the followers of Jesus stay split over minor differences instead of trying to conform on the areas of agreement.
Since Jesus never changed, why have His followers changed? Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8)
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Romans 10:9-10 (NLT)
If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
It seems that for most of us, it is easier to create a god in our image, than to follow the God that created us in His image. If you admit that God created you then you need to be beholding to Him, and most people do not want to consider that as a realistic view of their life. However, for those reading this today who believe they have been born again, then this view of belonging to God should be near and dear to your heart. As it is not a limiting factor, but instead a freedom factor, as we know we are saved because of what Jesus did for us. As the selected verses indicate, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
As Paul has written we have become a new creation when we were “born again” through our acceptance of Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If we have become new by being “twice born” then we should be receptive to honoring Jesus by following Him, as best we can, and to wonder “What Would Jesus Do” when we encounter negative situations in our lives. Paul tried to impress this attitude and motivation to the members of the church of Colossians. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (Colossians 3:9-10). Do you feel renewed, “since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self?” Has following Jesus actually made a change in your attitude about life?
Has following Jesus changed your attitude and outlook on life, or are you still feeling shortchanged by missing out on the pleasures some people have? The real change it seems is a change in your (our) attitude about what we want to do, and keeping a perspective of wanting to please Jesus. Can you imagine being an actual follower of Jesus, as the Apostles were, and your desire to learn from Jesus, and to try and please Him. That should be our attitude in this life to really having that feeling of being with Jesus in everything you do, and say! Are there places you go, and things you do, which you would not go or do, if in fact you were really taking Jesus with you?
Do you (we) really feel a freedom because we take the Holy Spirit with us, in our heart, everywhere we go, and in everything we do? If we can think like that, then we really could be “happy in Jesus” as a song puts it! Have you been freed, as Paul wrote to the church in Rome? And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. (Romans 8:2, NLT). Have you really been freed from “the power of sin that leads to death?” Do you allow the Holy Spirit to direct your life, rarely, sometimes, or often? Do you really believe that this Holy Spirit does indwell your heart? Think about it, pray about it!
Do you ever try to hide from God? Immediately after Adam committed that first sin that brought the “Fall of Man” curse into this world, God went seeking Adam, and then Adam was confused by this new sinful nature that he now possessed. Adam felt for the first time a feeling of guilt! God called to Adam, as He sought to converse with him. (Adam) He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." (Genesis 3:10). For the first time, mankind feared God, because Adam now knew both good and evil! Exposed in the sight of God is a place none of us want to be, unless we have taken Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior!
Paul wrote about the sheer joy we should have in being followers of Jesus. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NLT). Can you, “Always be joyful,” and do you “Never stop praying.” What about your ability to “Be thankful in all circumstances!” Okay, so we need to be realistic here, and admit these are good attitudes to work on as we try to become more Christ-like! It is always possible to improve on these difficult attitudes to maintain on a long time basis!
In the Old Testament before Jesus came to be our Savior, God was viewed as the Savior, and of course, rightfully so. For your Maker is your husband—the LORD Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. (Isaiah 54:5). When Jesus came to be born on this earth to live as a man/God then we came to recognize Jesus as our Savior. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:16, 19-20)
We like to think that Jesus brought peace to this earth, but He said His presence here has caused division amongst the people groups. Religious unrest has plagued this earth since the fall of Man, brought in the disagreement about how and when this universe was created. People have looked in all the wrong places for love and conformation of their worth. There are many leaders of religious movements that are directed by belief in gods or multiple gods, and even belief in creation of this universe by itself, without any plan or design in mind. Not many people actually believe in the God of the Bible. The Bible claims He is the only God, but not many people are willing to accept that as a fact.
All of the worldly religions are following some man or woman who died and decayed back into dust. Such religions do not honor Jesus as anyone special. Jesus talked about such religious movement when He walked this earth. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10:33-34). The fact that Jesus came to this earth has caused much division amongst the peoples of this earth. Even the followers of Jesus stay split over minor differences instead of trying to conform on the areas of agreement.
Since Jesus never changed, why have His followers changed? Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8)
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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