03/16/2024
Becoming a child of God.
Many people are under the assumption that being a Christian is a simple thing that only requires a simple prayer. When some people have prayed the sinner’s prayer, they might have been caught up in an emotional event, and took the step forward. The problem with that was, once the moment was over, so was their desire to know God. Others have prayed the sinner’s prayer and were genuine in their faith, yet they had no follow through or guidance on the next steps to take. Or maybe the story went something like this… Once the prayer was recited, they are told that they are totally secure, their sins are covered and that is all they needed to do. Now, they have the assumption that they can still live the way they have always lived. They feel like there is no change required…. Sadly, this is not true.
One you become a Christian, there is work to do in all of us. We must repent. We must hold our thoughts captive. We must allow the Lord to change us into His image. We must serve others like Christ did to help them see the love of God. All these things I do because He died for me. He took my sins. He gave me salvation. I owe Him my life. I love the Lord and I do not see my service to Him as work or something that I am required to do. I do it out of love and I will serve Him with all my heart. I will make mistakes and I am not perfect, but I will continue to trust in Him, serve Him and reflect Him to the best of my ability.
For a Christian, prayer is mandatory. It is the best way to stay connected to God and to talk to Him throughout the day. If He has given us a way to spend time with Him, why wouldn’t we make advantage of that? Not talking to God every day would be like being in a marriage where you never speak to your spouse. You and I both know that a relationship like that would fail.
Next, you must be reading your Bible daily. There are things we are supposed to be doing to stand firm. I wouldn’t know about those things unless I read the Bible. Just like praying is a way to hear God, the Bible let’s God speak to us plainly. It helps us understand our roots, His plans and the lessons we need for a productive and changed life. Not reading daily would be like wanting to be an astronaut, but never studying, training and working towards the position. Think about your life and the things you trained for: a new job, going to the gym, specific classes, etc. Anyone who wants to do better in life puts some effort in, so why wouldn’t you put effort into the most important decision of your life? Once you are reading the Bible, you will see the direction God wants you to take in your life.
We may think we are good people, but in all honesty, compared to God and His righteousness, we are the lowest of low. By Hilter’s standards, he thought he was doing right by Germany. Obviously that was not the case. Hi**er relied on his own thoughts and acted on them. He needed to understand God’s direction to understand what good really was. You and I would have no idea of what “good” is if it wasn’t for a perfect God to show us. If man had invented the Bible, they would have never put morals, values and goodness in the Bible because it is not naturally in us to act or think that way. That statement alone proves there is a God. What do I mean by that? If it goes against our very fiber to serve and think of others as better than ourselves, then how did the 40 authors of the Bible (from 3 different continents, 3 different languages spanning over a 1500 year period) all get come up with the same views, the same message and describe the same God? Man could never have written a book like this without the guidance of God.
As an example, we all have laws we have to follow or society would fall apart. Do not kill, do not steal, do not lie, etc.... All good things for people to avoid. Most cultures have decided to enact laws to help each other. Those principles came from the Bible. God gave us laws in the Bible to help each other and to reflect His righteousness. Unfortunately, the farther we get from God, the less people see a need to follow laws in general. In cities where liberalism reigns, things are falling apart, drugs are rampant, r**e, and murder are the norm. Does this sound like humans invented morality, values and goodness? The farther we get from God, the farther we fall into sin.
If I remove or forget about prayer, Bible reading and serving others, I would no longer be the reflection and example of Jesus. I would also lose touch with Him. It used to be that we had to follow law. Now we get to follow with a heart that seeks His righteousness.
I follow the Bible, not theories. The scriptures are clear and we need to follow those instructions, not teachings of men. Please take a moment and read these verses below. Do not shut out the Word because of your own belief. I follow the Lord and live it out. I do not live by the law but I let the law of love live through me.
God bless you!
Brett Creamer
Romans 12:2 - Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Galatians 5:13-14 – 13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Ephesians 5:1-2 – 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
1 John 5:3 - For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
Romans 2:13 - For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous
Matthew 7:21- “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
James 1:22-27 - But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.
James 2:14-24 - What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ...
Matthew 5:17 - “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Ephesians 6:11 - Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
Romans 13:12 - The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Colossians 3:5-10 - Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices
Galatians 5:19-24 – 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, or**es, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Ephesians 5:3-5 - 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 – 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sine a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
2 Cor. 6:4-10 – 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
