September 17, 20201 A ROADMAP FOR LIFE
1 Thessalonians 5:14-24 “And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men. See that no one pays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may you spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He will also bring it to pass.”
It’s not complicated. Man tends to complicate everything. God is the giver and sustainer of life and His intention was, and is, that we as His created ones live in fellowship and in harmony with Him. The relationship that Adam and Eve and God enjoyed was God’s desire for mankind. Even though Adam and Eve sinned against God and the fellowship that they had was marred, God made a way for the redemption of man and a way for the fellowship and enjoyment to be restored. Even though we live in a fallen world that has not yet been fully redeemed, we must cling to the fact that the life that Adam and Eve lived in the garden before they sinned, is the life that God still desires and still makes available. Jesus came that our sins might be forgiven and fellowship with our heavenly Father restored. With all of that being said, the point is that God takes no pleasure in us living complicated and unfulfilled lives; He came to give us life to the fullest. In His word, we discover the keys to life; and these ‘keys’ are contrary to the ways of the world. As we read His word, we should do so with the mindset that His word is the blue print or roadmap that leads to life; His word is not up for debate-it is THE way to life. When we accept His word as the authority on life and we adjust our thinking and our actions according to His word, we are blessed and we find that we can enjoy fellowship with God! In His word we find that He is not against us, but for us, and that He supplies all we need. The verses above are a good snapshot of the life that God has for us; and these verses are doable because the Holy Spirit living in us gives us the desire and power to do what God commands. (The ‘commands’ that God gives are not burdensome, but life-giving.) Let us not be guilty of reading and forgetting; read the verses above again and find ways to implement today what God has said. It’s quiet simple; today-encourage someone; be patient with others; seek what is good; rejoice; give thanks; pray to your heavenly Father; be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit; and abstain from evil. The major thing is for us is to lay our will and our ways aside, and make the choice to walk in the ways of the Lord; He has given us a roadmap to life-and that roadmap is the word of God.
Colossians 3:1-4 “If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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