Archives for April 2020

And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Luke 9:62

To enter the kingdom of God is to turn from darkness to light, from sin to righteousness, from the power of the devil to the power of God. Once we start living a holy life by faith in Jesus Christ, there is nothing to look back for. All that lies behind us is death, misery, destruction and hell. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature! God makes all things new. To look back at our past life of sin might open the door to temptation to return to our former ways of lust and pride.

For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

2 Peter 2:20-22

Once we come out of sin and start living a righteous life, we are doubly accountable for how we live. In our past life we may have been in darkness and ignorant of what we were doing. Now that we are free from sin and have experienced the freedom of a life in Christ, it is inexcusable and unthinkable that we would return to our vomit. We know too much now to turn back. We are morally accountable for the truth that God has taught us since we were saved. If we return to a life of sin, we will have more damnation than if we had never come out of our sins.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

It’s good to remember past lessons we’ve learned, for good or for bad. Yet Paul says to forget those things that are behind. Forget in the sense that we can’t let our past mistakes define who we are today in Christ. There is a glorious future and present for us in Jesus. That should be our focus and not our past. We can’t live in the past. Our sins have been removed from us as far as the east is from the west. God will remember our past life of sin no more as long as we stay faithful to Him from here until eternity. Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. He will give you strength for the present and the future, because you belong to Him.

Remember Lot’s wife.

Luke 17:32

After being told not to look back, Lot’s wife did indeed look back at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. God takes our faithfulness to Christ seriously. We should as well. There is NOTHING GOOD in our past life of sin. Nothing worth remembering or focusing on. We are told to think on pure things like the Word of God. Don’t look back on the things of the world. They are crying out to you and tempting you to return to what you once forsook. Don’t give them an inch! Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Submit yourselves unto God. Keep His commandments and read His Word daily. It will give you strength to say NO to bad temptations.

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Philippians 3:20

The greek word translated as conversation in this verse means citizenship. Our citizenship is in heaven if we’ve truly become part of the body of Christ by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To be born again is to be born from above, that is, from heaven. Once we have new life in Jesus, we stop living like the world lives. We are new creations in Christ and it’s our duty to live in a way that becomes God and His kingdom.

It’s like God has issued you a passport, stating that you are a citizen of heaven. You are free to travel throughout the world, upholding the standards of the country that issued you the passport. God calls His citizens to live lives of sacrificial love, mercy, kindness, goodness, faith and so on. When citizens of the world see that you are a child of Christ, they should be inspired to be born again! That’s God’s plan for the multiplication of His Word.

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:10

God’s will is always done in heaven. Oftentimes it’s not done in earth. As citizens of heaven, our job is to always do the will of God in the earth. The will of God is always done by those seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Citizens of heaven are obedient children. Obedient to the commands of God as found in His Word and as issued by the Holy Spirit to our hearts. God’s commandments are simple to understand. He wants us to praise Him, worship Him, thank Him, read His Word, pray, fast, seek His face, preach the gospel to the church and to the world, walk in the Spirit. Doing all things to glorify Jesus Christ and His Father God. This is the life of a citizen of heaven.

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

1 Peter 2:11

We are foreigners in this earth. Christ said His kingdom is not of this world. We are missionaries to the earth, sent from heaven by Jesus Christ. While we are going about doing the will of the Father, the enemy of our souls is trying to get us to lust and sin against God. The devil is trying to win our hearts back to him. We must guard against the devil’s wiles by ALWAYS DOING THE WILL OF GOD. Righteousness should be a habit for those that have been in Christ for any length of time. We are to pick up our cross daily and follow Christ. Being obedient unto death. Dying to self. Living to do the Master’s will. That’s the calling of a citizen of heaven. Be faithful during your short time in this world, and Christ will give you a crown of righteousness, for one who lived victoriously in this present evil world.

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Revelation 4:11

We have two choices in life: go God’s way of righteousness or go the devil’s way of selfishness and sin. Both ways have already been well traveled, but it is up to this generation to choose which one they will follow. God takes pleasure when we walk in His way of love and righteousness. We were made in God’s image with a will, so that we can choose the path of love and obedience to God’s commandments. God never intended us to use our will selfishly for sin. God knew that mankind could choose sin, that’s why He warned Adam and Eve in love not to break his commandments.

Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

Hebrews 11:25

There is selfish, satanic pleasure in choosing to disobey God. It is thrilling and pleasing to do things you know you shouldn’t do. It is a path of living by feeling rather than God’s Word. This is the path satan and his demons have chosen. They were created by God to be holy angels, living by the Word of God. They did this for a season, until sin was found in them. Now they are wandering the earth, looking for people to deceive into following their way of selfishness and sin. They have had great success in this. Most people choose to live selfishly or against their nature. This is why your conscience bothers you when you sin. Sin is not natural, although one can sin so much that sin seems to be the normal thing to do. This is a developed habit of sin and not one anyone is born with. We have to learn how to sin. We have to learn how to walk in love. Both are a choice. Choose you this day who you will serve (Joshua 24:15)!

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Psalm 16:11

It is also pleasing to live a life of faith, surrendered to the will of Jesus Christ. It pleases the spirit of man to do what is right in God’s eyes. This is also the way of life that makes sense to the mind of mankind. It is the way of truth, the way of logic and reason. Love is the highest good of God and mankind. It’s the only intelligent way to live. It ensures the pleasure of God and every moral agent that chooses to live by love. It is the only solid foundation available, the foundation of Jesus Christ’s example of self sacrificial love. There is no reason to choose selfishness when such a glorious alternative is available! We were made to love and only by loving God by His Word can we realize our God given destiny of immortality and eternal life.

Those that live a life of sin will pay for it. God will cast each unrepentant sinner into the lake of fire. People have until their death or Christ’s return to choose to repent (change their mind) of their life of sin. The Bible says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. When we repent, we realize the glory of God in our lives! It is glorious to walk in love and do good to God and others. God rejoices when a sinner is born again by the blood of Jesus. It shows how wise God is to extend mercy to fallen mankind.

Live for Jesus. Walk in love as He has taught you. Labor with the Lord in prayer and ministry to reach the unsaved with the message of LOVE! Choose to live intelligently, fulfilling your design by God to walk as holy children of God. God has formed you for His glory and it is wrong to disobey His righteous commands. Choose the way of eternal pleasure by faith in Jesus Christ! If you won’t, only eternal punishment and torment awaits!