So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Christians, especially leaders, it’s dangerous to draw people to ourselves… desiring to increase in the esteem of others to attract more people.
It’s not the Spirit of God motivating us when we want to promote ourselves, it’s the spirit of the world.
We desire to decrease and for the Lord to increase.
We’re called rather to humble ourselves before the Lord.
What we want is men and women to be drawn to Jesus – not to ourselves.
Jesus had a few confrontations with the Pharisees… in one he told them that outwardly they were righteous but inwardly full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Cutting words to hear for religious people.
Here’s the thing though, …there’s things on the inside that the Lord needs to deal with in all us.
It’s impossible to think we have “arrived.” The moment we think we have is the moment we risk aiming those cutting words straight at our hearts.
Our security is knowing we haven’t arrived yet, we’re constantly in need of His grace and strength at work in our lives.
The wisdom of God… to perfect us in weakness for our own good so that pride and self righteousness doesn’t take root.
Christianity is not about reading books. It’s about living life. Life lived as it comes… trusting that He is able to keep us to the end.
We’ll be saved by this faith… guided by the conviction that comes with it.
Faith not for possessions or the outcomes we want, but faith that Jesus is able to keep us. Faith that He is able to uphold us. Faith that the word of God will not fail.
What grace!
Although it’s seems foolish to accept… the testing of our faith is precious. If precious, then it’s from the Lord. Doesn’t he know how to give good gifts?
We’re kept by the power of God. Trust him, he knows what he’s doing.
that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
1 Peter 1:7 NKJV
The church – a manifestation of the wisdom of God to powers and principalities. Constructed by our lives – the spirit of God inhabiting our lives – together – as born again Christians – representing the fullness of Christ.
Awesome! Yes it is.
Our place of safety.
Run to it while we can and allow our lives to be established on the foundation it’s built on… “wholesale” rejection of the wisdom of God is on the horizon… the church is going to come under a lot of pressure… Christian’s we’ll really need to have been “well grafted” into Christ.
The tide is turning quickly against us.
