March 8, 2022                                      OUR  AMBITION
2 Corinthians 5:4-10 “For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do  not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-for we walk by faith, not by sight-we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
Some observations from these scriptures:                                                                                                              This body is our temporary dwelling; we are living in a ‘tent.’ While we live in this tent, we groan and are burdened because we know there is much for us than we are now experiencing in this mortal body. One day, this mortal body of ours, this tent, will be swallowed up by life. God prepared us for this purpose and He has given us the Spirit as a pledge that God will fulfill this purpose for us.
Because God has revealed His purpose for us, we can always be of good courage; we find encouragement because we can see from our ‘tents’ what God has prepared for us-we see where we are moving to-that gives us strength and energy for the present-for life in the tent.
If we are fearing death, it’s an indication we do not understand or believe that God has something far greater for us after the death of our mortal body. If we do believe what God says about this mortal body being swallowed up by life, we had rather be absent from the body and be home with the Lord. We all have a natural longing to be home-but this mortal body we live in is not out home. We can’t see with our physical eyes what God has for us; we walk by faith. If we live according to what we see with our eyes, we are blind to the things of God.
Because of this fantastic purpose God has for us, it is only natural that it will be our ambition to be pleasing to Him. Being connected to and joining in with the plans and the ways of God transforms our lives to the point that we want to live as unto Him-selfish ambition vanishes.
Finally, the reality that many believers overlook is that one day we will stand before Christ and will be recompensed for the things we have done in this life-whether good or bad. Many misunderstand grace; we are saved by grace, but grace is not a license to sin and we are not to take sin lightly. Jesus went about doing good. There are many admonitions in scripture for us to be about good works. We have been made righteous in Christ, and righteousness expresses itself through good works. James says that faith without works is a dead faith.
Romans 14:8 “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”
1 Peter 3:13 “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”
Blessings, Buddy

 
March 6, 2022                                    PAY  CLOSE  ATTENTION
Hebrews 2:1-3 “For this reason we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also bearing witness and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.”
When the writer of Hebrews says “For this reason” he is referring to what was said in the first chapter of Hebrews where we are reminded of the great works and miracles of God and how God has spoken to us through His Son. The Son of God came to earth to make purification of sins, and then sat down at the right hand of God-that is an amazing truth! Hebrews 1:1-3. In the last verse of chapter one, we are told regarding angles “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?”  (There are angles working on behalf of believers!) One message rings out loud and clear in Hebrews; we must never forget what the Creator God has done and we must pay close attention to what we have heard-what He has revealed in His word. He has made Himself know through His mighty deeds; long ago God spoke to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways; in these last days He has spoken to us through His Son, and God has appointed His Son heir of all things. Our salvation came as result of the Son of God being crucified on a cross! Salvation is not cheap. You could rightly say that the apex of all times, the single greatest event of all times, was Jesus coming to earth in the form of man and giving His life as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. We must come face to face with the fact that God said “every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense.” Am I saying that we must fear God? Yes. But it is a holy fear that we are to have; it is being overwhelmed with the power of God and that we are accountable to Him. Simply said, our response to God should be one of humility and obedience-because He alone is God. Our God is mighty and powerful, but He is also a God who loves us and forgives us and has compassion on us. As said above, if we transgress and are disobedient to what God has said, we will receive a just recompense. (I know that sounds hard, and perhaps it challenges our view of God.) Think about it-if a believer sins, even though God will forgive him, the sin has consequences; for certain, sin breaks our fellowship with God, and it may have devastating consequences. The point of this truth is that we need to pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. The serious and stern warning for us is that we must not neglect our so great a salvation-if we do how shall we escape? (That’s what God said.) To prevent drifting from what we have heard, we must have a steady diet of the word of God, be committed to obeying what God has said, and find our place in the body of Christ where we share life with one another as followers of Christ. We are not to be stagnant-we are to be growing in the faith and in the knowledge of God. Let us be careful not drift from what God has plainly spoken; let us embrace the word of God and adjust our lives to live according to all that God has spoken. We have a great salvation-may we not neglect it.
2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
March 4, 2022                                         YOU  WILL HAVE  TRIBULATION
John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
James 1:2-4 “Count it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Ephesians 6:16 “In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
One thing for certain, in the world, we have tribulation and we have trials! I must admit that I do not always ‘count it all joy when I encounter various trials.’ Trials come in all forms, including disease and sickness, addictions of all sorts, division, conflict, depression, corruption, broken relationships, financial, and wars and rumors of wars. In the early church, the most difficult and trying tribulation came as a result of their faith. (That may say a lot about us.) Another thing for certain is that trials and tribulations test our faith. Obviously, Jesus was saying that there was something to be gained in experiencing trials; trials are not just random happenings we must endure with no possibility of benefiting from the trials. The testing of our faith produces endurance. Instead of complaining about the trial or trying to escape the trial, we are to let endurance that is being worked out in us have its perfect work; the perfect work is that we will be ‘perfect and complete, lacking nothing.’ At times can be on the mountain top where everything is wonderful and we can just sail through life-and we can thank God for those times-but we do not always live on the mountain top. In the good times, our faith may not be put to the test; it is in the fire and in the trials and tribulations that our faith is tested. In the heat of the trial, it is our faith that enables us to endure. Once we go through the trial with endurance, it’s like getting a ‘certificate of completion’ and we find that we are ‘perfect, complete, and lacking nothing’-we endured the trial, we overcame. Of course we cannot overcome or endure trials as God intended in our own strength; Jesus was our example and He tells us to take courage, because just as He overcame the world and all of its trials, so can we. Not only can we survive the trials, but we can derive benefit from the trials. We are to be like the seasoned warrior who comes out of the battle a victor. We are told to ‘take up the shield of faith;’ with our shield of faith we can extinguish all of the flaming arrows of the evil one. Even though we may be having difficulty ‘counting it all joy’ when trials come, let us be moving toward what James says about trials and let us not loose heart in the trials, and by faith believe that God does a good work in us as we endure the trials. It is a blessing indeed to be able to have peace even in the most difficult times-because Jesus overcame the world, and we are in Him and He is in us, we can have peace. Tribulations are difficult; but God is able to produce good fruit in us in the midst of the trials.
James 1:12 “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
Blessings,
Buddy

​March 1st, 2022                                SLAVES OF  RIGHTEOUSNESS
Romans 6:16-18, 22 “Do you not know that when you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching  to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”        “But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.”
We are enslaved to something or to someone; not by an outside force, but by our choice. Paul starts out by saying that we are slaves to whom we obey; either sin which leads to death (spiritual death and eventual physical death, separated from God) or righteousness. Simply said, we either obey our flesh, that part of us that is self-centered, or we obey the Spirit of God who lives in us. Before one comes to know God as His Lord and Savior, the only option for that one to is to live according to his flesh-to live with the goal of satisfying self. However, when one comes to know God as his Lord and Savior, he is made a new creation and is given a new mind, a new spirit and a new heart, and the Holy Spirit of God comes to live in him. That changes everything! When one is born again, he is made righteous in the sight of God and is set free from the power of sin. Here is the crucial point we must understand; a believer can choose to revert back to living according to his or her own desires, ignoring the Holy Spirit and ignoring the call to walk in righteousness. As believers, we have the power of choice; we choose who we present ourselves to; we choose who we will obey-either sin (the self-life), or righteousness. This brings us to the crux of the issue, and it amplifies why it is essential that we know our true identity as believers. If we do not know who we are in Christ (to be made new) or what it means to be in Christ, we will find ourselves trying to measure up to God’s word in our own strength-and that leads to defeat, frustration, and a legalistic mindset. As said above, God has set us free from the power of sin-that means that we can say no to sin. We still have an old sin nature that wars with our new spirit man, but we do not have to yield to the old nature as we did before we were saved. Galatians 5:16 makes it clear: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” So, if we sin, it is by our choice. We see now why Paul was reminding believers that it is critically important to understand that we are to present ourselves as slaves to righteousness, obedient to the Spirit who lives in us. If we are slaves to righteousness, we will enjoy the fruit of the Spirit. (Sometimes I fear that we have become accustomed to living with doubts, fear, worry, anxiety, and the such-which are sin.) What a blessing it is for us to be able to present ourselves as slaves of righteousness, walking in the ways of the Lord and living life as He designed.
Romans 6:12-13 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey the lust thereof: neither present your members unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”
Blessings,
 Buddy
​

 
February 25, 2022                                 ADOPTED AND  SEALED
Ephesians 1:5-6,13-14  ‘He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in  the Beloved.”                 “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”
We are not fatherless; we have been adopted and placed in the family of God. Our Father who adopted us is kind, and He has expressed His grace to us by adopting us. Our adoption was not based on our credentials; our being adopted was a choice God made-it was the grace of God. We were adopted as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ; in order for us to be adopted by God, Jesus had to give His life for you and me. We cannot fully understand it, but those who have been adopted by God, have heard and believed the truth of the gospel. When we hear and believe the message of the truth of the gospel that Jesus proclaimed, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise; the Holy Spirit was given to us as a pledge of our inheritance. The life we have now with the Holy Spirit living in us is awesome-but there is an inheritance yet to be given to us. Being given the Holy Spirit is a guarantee that when we die physically, we will be in the presence of the Lord and will be with Him for all eternity. Being conscience of our being adopted by God-being a child of God-impacts in a great way the mindset we have as we live here on earth. We no longer have to approach God as orphans, but as a son or daughter; we do not have to beg as though we are unworthy to approach God-we are His kids! Our Father wants to bless us, and He knows better than we do what truly blesses us. God invites us to make our request known to Him; our Father cares for us and He is continually drawing us to Himself and He is always watching over us. It is important for us to understand that our Father is a loving and caring Father, but we must not view Him as a heavenly ‘Santa Clause’ passing out presents to us. As our Father, He is committed to transforming us into His image and making us overcomers in this life. Because He loves us and is about transforming us, He will allow pressures and trials to come, and He will discipline us when we need it-because we belong to Him. We are to be humble in spirit, and at the same time we are to be bold in spirit; let us relate to and approach God in confidence, knowing that we are now His sons and daughters.
Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace…….”
John 1:12, 3:1a “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”         “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”
Philippians 2:15 “That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
February 23, 2022                              DO  YOU  NOT  KNOW
1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19 “Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”  “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?”
These two verses highlight two truths we must know in our inner man if we are to live as believers according to the desires and plans of God. First, we must know that GOD dwells in us and that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. That sounds simple enough-but have we yet grasped the awesome truth that the creator God lives IN US? I am not sure we will fully grasp this truth and the impact of it until we are with the Lord in heaven, but at least to some degree we can grasp it, and even as we begin to understand it, life takes on new meaning. Seeing ourselves as a temple of God affects how we perceive ourselves-our physical bodies and our spirit; since we are the temple of God, the choices we make concerning our bodies and our spirit should reflect this amazing truth. Obviously, we are to never ‘worship’ our physical bodies as apparently many do, but we are to be good stewards of our physical bodies, and we also must nourish and keep our spirit in good health. It is no doubt that the spiritual is more important than the physical, but the spiritual is to impact the physical. Romans 6:10-11 makes this truth clear: “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” The second truth we must embrace is ‘that we are not our own.’ This truth is the acid test of our walk with the Lord; we are called to die to self, to abandon ourselves-our life- fully to the Lord and live under His lordship. From our heart, we must desire His ways more than our ways. Not being our own means that our trust and our allegiance to Him is the main thing in our lives. God wants us to experience life to the fullest, but that is possible only when we die to our preferences and embrace the Lord and His ways with all of our hearts. As believers, we can live primarily focused on our lives; we can even be focused on what we must do if we are to be ‘good’ Christians-that’s still the self-life. The scriptures are clear; we are called to die to self and to live as fit temples of the Holy Spirit. Let us daily die to ourselves, knowing that we are not our own; dying to ourselves is the doorway to abundant life.
Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
February 21, 2022                            CAN THESE  BONES LIVE ?
Ezekiel 37:3-5 “And behold He said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ And I answered, ‘O Lord God, Thou knowest.’ Again He said to me, ‘Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’ Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life.”
1 Peter 5:10 “And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”
Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
There are times when we feel discouraged and overwhelmed; we may find ourselves without hope, and we question why things are the way they are. I think everyone has at some point had their dreams, their expectations, and their visions shattered; things did not turn out the way we envisioned and hoped for. In such times, we must remember that God knows that we will face such times, and that He has compassion for us and He comforts; He does not condemn us or chasten us for a lack of faith. When we are in need, when we feel broken, when we feel helpless; God hears our prayers; there is something about ‘crying’ out to God. During such times, God is calling us to trust Him and to walk with Him in spite of the circumstances-I think that is the lesson for us. Job illustrates this when he said “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.” Let’s face the truth; we do not like it when things do not go our way-and that is what God is working out of us. Jesus told us in advance that we will have trials in this life-so we should not be surprised or dismayed when they come. Perhaps the hardest trial we face is when a loved one is suffering and we can’t ‘fix it’ or relieve the suffering. So, what should our response be when we are hit by the trials?  I certainly do not have all the answers, and there is no simple answer. What does help when we feel we are ‘walking through the valley of the shadow of death,’ is to remember that God knows in detail what we are going through and He wants to comfort us in the trials of this life. No matter how severe the trial might be, it does not void our relationship with our Father. Now the really good news; God is ruling and God is able to build back from the ashes. God is our deliverer and God hears our prayers. God uses the most difficult times for our good-even though we may not understand how. It helps to know that grieving is normal when we hurt; Jesus wept; Jesus was acquainted with grief. Isaiah 53:3. But, weeping and suffering does not last forever; ‘weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.’ God will rescue us and deliver us and we will rejoice again. We live in a fallen world where bad things happen-but God is in the process of redeeming us and our destiny is sure in Him. “And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” 1 Peter 5:10. The valley of dry bones  was surely a desolate looking place, void of all signs of life; yet, the miracle working God caused the bones to come  together and bodies reformed; then He caused breath to enter the bodies and they lived again! Our God is not limited, He is all-wise, He restores, He comforts, and He works all things for good for those who love Him. In the trials that we are sure to face, remain strong in the storm not matter how severe the storm might be. Our God is with us.
Psalm 23:4: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me.”     (Note: we walk through the valley-we do not stay there.)
Blessings,
Buddy

 
February 18, 2022                                 THE  NEED  FOR  COMUMITY
Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, and not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Genesis 2:18 “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
1 Peter 3:8 “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.”
It is obvious to most that our culture is one where individuals are finding themselves more isolated-not connected; many believe that we have become ‘addicted’ to technology, viz. smart phones, I phones, lap-tops, and thus more isolated. In an article by Dudley Hall, he says that men are in a crisis-a crisis of not having friends-a crisis of loneliness. I agree that not only is there a crisis of loneliness among men, but women and young people as well. We must remember that in the beginning of the creation of man, God said that “It is not good that the man should be alone.” We can rightly conclude from that statement, whether male or female, we need others. As you read the New Testament, as well as the Old Testament, you see community-people being connected. In the New Testament particular, you get a clear picture of believers being in community; believers make up the body of Christ, and as a part of the body, we are connected. Each believer has been given a spiritual gift that is to be used to strengthen and bless other believers.  (Being connected, being in community, is not always a ‘bed of roses;’ Just as there is sometimes conflict within a family, there will at times be conflicts and differing opinions as we live in community with others.) There are many blessings and many good reasons for being a part of body-life, of being in community. As we are connected to others, we discover that where we may be weak, others are strong; where we may lack understanding, others can give wise counsel; when someone is suffering, we can comfort; in community, through honest and real conversation, we can find strength and support; in community, we can share struggles without fear of rejection or embarrassment; and, we can enjoy each other, and have some fun together. Some are more social or outgoing than others, and some or more private-and that is fine; the point is, that no matter our temperament, we need others. Someone has said that ‘No man is an island,’ and that is true. God has placed within us a need to share life with others. However it may look for you, find ways of connecting with others in the body of Christ and grow together.
1 Corinthians 12:12 “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.”
John 15:12 “My commandment is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
1 John 3:17 “If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?”
Blessings,
Buddy
​

 
February 18, 2022                                 THE  NEED  FOR COMMUNITY
Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, and not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Genesis 2:18 “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
1 Peter 3:8 “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.”
It is obvious to most that our culture is one where individuals are finding themselves more isolated-not connected; many believe that we have become ‘addicted’ to technology, viz. smart phones, I phones, lap-tops, and thus more isolated. In an article by Dudley Hall, he says that men are in a crisis-a crisis of not having friends-a crisis of loneliness. I agree that not only is there a crisis of loneliness among men, but women and young people as well. We must remember that in the beginning of the creation of man, God said that “It is not good that the man should be alone.” We can rightly conclude from that statement, whether male or female, we need others. As you read the New Testament, as well as the Old Testament, you see community-people being connected. In the New Testament particular, you get a clear picture of believers being in community; believers make up the body of Christ, and as a part of the body, we are connected. Each believer has been given a spiritual gift that is to be used to strengthen and bless other believers.  (Being connected, being in community, is not always a ‘bed of roses;’ Just as there is sometimes conflict within a family, there will at times be conflicts and differing opinions as we live in community with others.) There are many blessings and many good reasons for being a part of body-life, of being in community. As we are connected to others, we discover that where we may be weak, others are strong; where we may lack understanding, others can give wise counsel; when someone is suffering, we can comfort; in community, through honest and real conversation, we can find strength and support; in community, we can share struggles without fear of rejection or embarrassment; and, we can enjoy each other, and have some fun together. Some are more social or outgoing than others, and some or more private-and that is fine; the point is, that no matter our temperament, we need others. Someone has said that ‘No man is an island,’ and that is true. God has placed within us a need to share life with others. However it may look for you, find ways of connecting with others in the body of Christ and grow together.
1 Corinthians 12:12 “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.”
John 15:12 “My commandment is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
1 John 3:17 “If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
February 16, 2022                                       HOLINESS
2 Corinthians 7:1 “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
Romans 6:22 “But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.”
1 Peter 1:15-16 “But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
To some, the word holiness has somewhat of a bad connotation; if someone claims to be holy, then some think of them as looking down on others. Many believes would never claim to be holy. Yet, in spite of the objections to the word holiness and the hesitancy to embrace the idea of being holy, we cannot ignore the clear calling of many scriptures for us to be holy. To make sure we understand, we are not justified before God by our good works; we are made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ-nothing else; also, we cannot live holy lives apart from the working of the Holy Spirit in us. With that being said, there is an indisputable calling from God for us be ‘holy in all our conduct.’ As believers, we are not to focus on ourselves being sinners who are saved, but rather, we were sinners who have been saved and made new. (As believers, we can sin, but we do so by choice-the power of sin has been broken.) The key is that because God is holy and we belong to Him, we too are to be holy like our Father. To be holy in all our behavior requires that we understand that we can walk according to the Spirit; and when we walk according to the Spirit, our behavior is holy and we do not sin; when we choose to walk according to our flesh, our behavior is not holy. Our mindset should be that “we are perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Our most basic desire in life should be to live in a way that pleases the Lord because we love Him-not to earn His love and acceptance. The scriptures were given to us by God as instructions for living; simply said, we are to do and to believe what the word says. As we go about life day by day, we will face choices-do we walk by the flesh, or by the Spirit. We will at times hear our flesh telling us to do one thing, and the Spirit saying not to do it-that is the time when we must choose to lay aside whatever it is that would not please the Lord, and follow the leading of the Spirit. “But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil.” Hebrews 5:14. So, let us not be hearers only of God’s word, but doers. Today, may we practice what we read in the scriptures.
Romans 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
Blessings,
Buddy