September 4, 2022 TOP PRIORITY IN LIFE
2 John 6-8 “And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.”
Our priorities and our values reveal who we are. John has a way of presenting the gospel in a simple, yet powerful way. For example, he says that love is walking in the commandments of God; no one has difficulty getting the point. There are indeed many deceivers in the world and many deceptive philosophies that would lead us from the truth of God’s word, thus, we must ‘watch ourselves’ and avoid being deceived and led astray by anything or anyone that is contrary to the gospel. We may be quick to recognize and avoid what are obvious contradictions to the gospel, but it is often the things that do not seem like a big deal that lead us astray. For example, if I live a life of being self-centered, then I have fallen into the deceptive philosophy that says I should focus on doing the things that make me happy. Or, if I am unkind, harsh-or whatever, then I have chosen not to walk according to the gospel. The good news is that Jesus has set us free from the self-life, He has revealed truth to us, and He has shown us the way that leads to abundant life. Also, the amazing thing is that when we come to know and experience the love of God in a personal way, it becomes our desire and our nature to walk in his ways-to abide in the teachings of Christ-it’s that simple. The love of God changes our hearts; this is why John powerfully says that if one does not abide in the teachings of Christ, He does not have God. That bold statement may make us uncomfortable or make us question ourselves concerning whether or not we have God because at times we do not ‘abide in His teachings.’ We will at times will err in our walk with the Lord, but it does not have to be habitually. When we recognize we have erred, we repent and confess it to God and continue walking in His ways. Repenting and confessing is keeping His ways. Let us know that God has made a way for us to walk according to His commandments; we are no longer bound to live any other way. If you have not experienced His love or do not know His love for you, read His word to learn of Him and ask Him to reveal His love for you and your new identity as His child. Whatever we are doing in life and no matter our circumstances, let it be our priority to live in the teaching of Christ, and not be led away.
Hebrews 3:1-13 “Take care, brothers and sisters, that there will not be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls from the living God. But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called ‘today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Blessings,
Buddy
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