“Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.” (Philippians 2:14-18 NASB1995)
As followers of Jesus Christ, this is what our lives are
supposed to look like. We should not be people who like to pick fights with others,
who speak to others with hate and with cruel and unjust remarks. We should not
be nasty with others just because we don’t agree with them on some issues. We
can disagree respectfully, and maturely, and with kindness, but still stand our
ground on what the Scriptures teach as truth, especially as it regards the
gospel of our salvation. For speaking the truth in love is kindness.
And we are to be people of God who are living holy lives,
pleasing to God, who are no longer walking in deliberate and habitual sin, but
who are walking in holiness and in righteousness, and in walks of surrender to
and in obedience to our Lord. Sin must no longer be our practice, but now holy
living and obedience to our Lord, and to his commands, and to his will and
purpose for our lives, should be what we obey. And we should be those who are
submitting to the Lordship of Christ over our lives, living to please him.
But we live in the midst of a crooked and perverse
generation. And this is not claiming that we are absolutely perfect in every
way. But the Scriptures do make it a point to divide those who are walking in
obedience to the Lord, who are no longer walking in sin, from those who are
living wicked lives in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord, and not in
obedience to God. And to point this out does not at all have to mean that if we
are obeying the Lord that we are self-righteous people who think we are superior
to others.
Sharing the truth of the gospel, if done in love, with
kindness, with respect, and not in hate, is not to be translated as snobbery and
not love. It should be and it can be a sign that we love the people of this
world so much that we are willing to tell them the truth of the gospel, even if
it means being hated and mistreated and misunderstood, in return. I know for
myself that I do what I do every day because I love God, and I am obeying him,
and because I love the people of this world who need to hear the truth of the
gospel.
For, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be those who
are shining the light of the truth of the gospel to all people. For we live in
the midst of a crooked and perverse generation where so many people are altering
the gospel to make it more acceptable to human flesh, and less offensive to the
ungodly of this world. So we need to be holding out that candle of light which
shines forth the truth of the gospel for all to see, regardless of whether or
not we are well received and accepted by those who listen to what we share.
For, if indeed what we are sharing is the truth that Jesus
taught, and that his New Testament apostles taught, in the correct biblical
context, we are going to be opposed. Some will hate us. Some will attack us
personally and will falsely accuse of us of wrong motives or of having a false
character. And some will oppose the gospel message we are teaching because they
have believed in a false gospel which makes no requirements for death to sin
and walks of obedience to the Lord. But we have to stay faithful to the truth.
For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny
self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if
we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity.
But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience
to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with
God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew
7:21-23).
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John
6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1
Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32;
Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2;
1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth
for the water
So my soul longeth
after You
You alone are my
heart's desire
And I long to
worship You
You alone are my
strength, my shield
To You alone may my
spirit yield
You alone are my
heart's desire
And I long to
worship You
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Holding Forth the
Word of Life
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