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The Price Of Walking Away Godliness by yommyuk: 5:08am On Sep 04, 2011 |
Too many believers have walked away from God. No, He has not moved, they have. The moment we stop drawing near to our heavenly Father, we put a limit on our knowledge and understanding of Him. This is completely true of the lost man or woman, but to a certain degree, it also applies to the Christian who isn't living a godly lifestyle. More than once, believers talk about how they can no longer trust the Lord. These individuals may have made a series of wrong choices, but they blame God for failing to prevent the negative consequences. We must keep in mind that His primary desire is to draw us into an intimate relationship with Him. Sin has consequences, and the Lord will not change the principles He has established. If we want to know why something has happened, we need to move closer to Him, not farther away. We also need to seek His forgiveness when we sin. Someone might ask, "Didn't Christ's forgiveness take care of my sin––past, present, and future?" Yes. If we have accepted God's gift of salvation, our guilt is completely erased in terms of our eternal destiny. But you and I still need to confess the wrong choices and decisions we make as believers. Let me use an analogy to explain this truth. Think for a moment about being dressed in white—this is exactly how God views your life the moment you turn it over to Him. But then you receive an invitation to visit a building site. You want to go but realize white clothing is inappropriate for such an adventure. Nevertheless, curiosity and pressure from friends lead you to accept the offer. Soon, you are in the site and covered with dust and grime. Your clothing needs to be cleansed. Therefore from henceforth, Isaiah 64:6 applies “such person becomes infected, impure with sin and a filthy rag before God.” Believers are often tempted to walk away from God's call on their lives. We live in a corrupt world, where all manner of wickedness, profanity, and filth are within our reach. When you and I give in to temptation, it's as if we have just reached out and touched the dirt of a building site and wiped it on our white clothing. But we can ask for forgiveness and become completely clean again. Every believer is sealed with an eternal "stamp" signifying that he or she belongs to Jesus Christ Ephesians 1:13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the TRUTH, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. Meaning our salvation is secure. Even so, you and I can become spiritually dirty and in need of God's cleansing touch. That is why when David committed the abominable act of Adultery he prayed in Psalms 51:7 “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” The Lord does not want us to mix purity and sin, so we must make a choice. One leads to inexpressible joy, peace, and security, while the other results in isolation, insecurity, regret, and deep sorrow. God demands our full commitment. Anything less has serious consequences. Of course, all of us can have moments of drifting devotion. But despite that, there should remain an underlying irresistible sense of love for God that we are not willing to compromise. Knowing the truth about sin and its path to destruction is important, but we must also choose to be God-focused rather than self-centered or worldly-minded. If you are carrying around sin, you are going to be weighed down. You can't enjoy life completely, and you certainly cannot experience the full measure of God's blessings and goodness. Jealousy and resentment will steal your joy and prevent you from reaching your potential in Christ. Greed will limit your ability to know what the Lord is calling you to do. And endless pursuit of worldly fame and wealth will harden your heart to the simple pleasures that He gives each day. Lust and immorality will deaden the heart and spirit to such a degree that hearing God becomes impossible. As believers, we cannot engage in sin and remain in close fellowship with our Father. Over time, we will become spiritually deaf to the principles written in His Word. That leads to one wrong decision after another. That is why it is key to confess sin immediately we come short. A fact that David knew in Psalms 66:18 If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But the Lord did listen! He paid attenstion to my prayer. Why? Psalms 118:29 Let us give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. --------- Amen CONCLUSION When you have taken the wrong path (and all of us will yield to sin at some point),there is someone who will stand with you before God 1 John 2:1-2 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins – and not only our sins but the sins of the entire world ------ Amen! If you have walked away from God and said no to His plans for your life, confess that sin to Him. He will forgive you and cleanse you from unrighteousness 1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. Then, you can once again enjoy the peace, joy, and security of an intimate relationship with your heavenly Father. God bless ![]() |
Re: The Price Of Walking Away Godliness by Dainy1(m): 5:53am On Sep 04, 2011 |
Thank u. honestly d word of GOD is true, pure n full with grace. am bless. thank u |
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