But Do Not Take Advantage Of God’s Grace

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

When it comes to God’s grace, there is no quick exercise.  Grace is a gift bestowed upon us as children of God.  Grace is not inexpensive; It is costly.  Grace came at the cost of Jesus giving up His life for us.  Grace is given freely to us, but we are not to take advantage of His grace.  We ARE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH not by works.  Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”  We can NEVER boast about earning God’s grace because grace is a gift.  Rewards/Awards are earned.  Gifts are NOT earned; Gifts are given.

2 Corinthians 12:9 states, “Each time he said, ‘my grace is all you need.  My power works best in weakness.  So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me.”  What does that tell you?  That verse is telling you that you need God’s grace, and His grace is all your need.  Basically, we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).  No matter what situation or obstacle comes your way, you ARE victorious.  Despite all these things–trials, heartache, pain, sorrow, tragedy, death, and the like–overwhelming victory is ours through Christ (Romans 8:37).  You ARE an overcomer.

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EITHER YOU CHOOSE TO OBEY OR YOU DON’T. GOD WANTS WHOLEHEARTED OBEDIENCE.

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Here is what the Word of God says in Deuteronomy 30:19, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses.  Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make.  Oh that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!”  Obedience is a choice, and as believers, we have the Holy Spirit who empowers us to live a holy and obedient life as commanded by God.  You can choose life which includes blessing and being in right relationship with God and seeking after Him, or you can choose death which means you are out of right relationship with God, living for yourself.  God is the One who sets the standard to live by, and His standard is holiness (1 Peter 1:16) “Be holy for I am holy.”

In John 14:15, Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commandments,” and in John 15:5, Jesus says, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.  Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.  FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING.”  If you rely on self-effort and self-reliance to try to obey God, that is all it will amount to.  Trying to obey, anything based on man-made wisdom and understanding will collapse, amounting to absolutely nothing.  We are also told in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

The things of the Spirit are spiritually discerned.  The bible is not something we read with our carnal understanding.  As children of God, we have the mind of Christ, and we should be asking the Lord to help us to understand by leaning on the Holy Spirit who helps us to understand the truth of God’s Word as shown in John 16: 13 which states, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.  He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard.  He will tell you about the future.”  When the Holy Spirit helps us to understand the words in Scripture, we are getting understanding and wisdom from God.  With the mind of Christ, we are able to understand the things of the Spirit.  The Apostle Paul had this to say, in 2 Corinthians 2:13-16, “When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom.  Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.  But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit.  It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.  Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others.  For, ‘Who can know the LORD’S thoughts?  Who knows enough to teach him?’  But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.”

God does NOT make suggestions.  God gives commands, and His commands are clearly laid out in Scripture such as the Ten Commandments.  When God says, “Don’t lie,” that’s a command.  Make no mistake about it.  The Creator of the Heavens and the Earth DOES make commands.  You are merely the clay in the Potter’s hands.  You don’t get to tell the Creator who created you what to do.

The Scriptures demand you make a choice.  The Word is meant to be applied to our lives.  Even King David the Psalmist recognized this as he meditated on the law of God day and night.  King David understood God gave commands; “I will pursue your command, for you expand my understanding,” Psalm 119:32.  Also, King David understood the importance of believing in God’s commands.  He states in Psalm 119:66, “I believe in your commands; now teach me good judgment and knowledge.”  Understand and see God lays out His commands in the Scriptures.  However, when reading and studying God’s laws, His commands, His precepts, His demands, you are faced with having to make a decision.  Will you or won’t you obey the commands of God?  Choosing God’s way is choosing life.  Choosing your way only leads down the broad road to death, hell, and destruction.

CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE!

The Creator has made Himself very clear.  Now follow His laws and commands.  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ our Lord.

Second Corinthians 5:15 shows us, “He did for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves.  Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.”  According to that verse, we, as children of God, do NOT live for ourselves because we are not your own, and we have been bought with a price.  Christ did the will of the Heavenly Father and stated why He had come, “For the Son of Man came here not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45).

Follow His example.  See Jesus for whom He is (John 4:26), “I am the Messiah!”  And we are to follow Him (John 8:12), “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, ‘I am the light of the world.  If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.’”

Walking the narrow road takes our willingness.  It’s not easy, but it is worth it all.  Count the cost.  Pick up your cross.  Carry your cross.  Follow HIM.

Linda Agnes Knowles

“My old self has been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.  So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  Galatians 2:20

Not Again?

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“‘Am I the one they are hurting?’ asks the LORD. ‘Most of all they hurt themselves, to their shame.’”

Jeremiah 7:19

Idolatry… yes, once again we are confronted with the people of Judah who committed the act of idolatry. They were making sacrificial fires and cakes to Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility (Jeremiah 7:18); and they poured out liquid offerings before this false god.

Is it any wonder why God was infuriated? God was so infuriated He had told Jeremiah, “Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, and don’t beg me to help them, for I will not listen to you,” (Jeremiah 7:16). God was not looking the other way. He saw they were breaking His commandment not to have any other gods before Him. They were to love God with all their heart. Instead, the people of Judah had hearts filled with unfaithfulness towards God. In other words, they were being disloyal towards God.

In sinning against God, disregarding His commands, and turning away from Him, they were hurting themselves. Isaiah 59:2 says this: “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.” By committing the act of idolatry, they had committed spiritual suicide. They had cut themselves off from the Wellspring of Life, the Source of Strength, their Deliverer. They turned away from the Almighty Everlasting God.

Before we judge the people of Judah harshly, we need to look at ourselves. Are we being unfaithful to God in any way that would cause Him to look away from us?

Let’s go further. The purpose of the sacrificial system God put in place was not to please Him. The purpose of the sacrifices to be made would make the people recognize their sin, cause them to repent, and to refocus them back to living for God. The purpose of the sacrificial system was to spur the people on, to encourage them to take joy in obeying God.

In this passage of Scripture, the sacrifices the people of Judah were doing before God dishonored Him because they were doing the sacrifices out of duty and obligation, not out of love or wholehearted devotion to Him. They were making sacrifices to the goddess Ishtar while they were also making sacrifices to God. They had turned away from God, disregarding His command not to have any other gods before Him.

Remember this: God DOES NOT conform to our will and our ways. We MUST conform to what God wills and desires. God is to have first place in our lives. He will not share His glory with another, and He is not sharing first place in our lives with anything or anyone else. Either God is God in our life, or He is not.

Let’s choose Life by choosing God because He is life. He is the Giver of Life. He is the One who sustains us, and He alone is worthy of all the glory and praise. Think of all that He has done for You. Let’s bring honor to His name by walking in obedience after Him. Let’s walk uprightly with undivided hearts, giving Him first place in our lives. Whatever it is that we need to remove to progress in our relationship with Him, then let’s remove it and press on. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need,” Matthew 6:33.

Heavenly Father, You are still on the throne, and You are still sovereign. You are Lord, and You are Master. You are faithful and true. You know all things from beginning to the end. Nothing is hidden from Your sight, and everything is exposed before You. You, O God, truly know the depths of our heart. Father, when we walk away from You, we are only hurting ourselves. We are sorry for our wrongful ways and sinful attitudes before You. Lord, forgive us for our sins, and we ask that You cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Let us not be as the people of Judah but let us remember that You alone must have first place in our lives and that You will not share Your glory with another. Remind us that we are to conform to Your will and to Your ways. Give us the wisdom and the insight to understand that sin separates us from You. Help us to understand that You do not tolerate sin, that we are to be holy as You are holy. Give us the strength to remain steadfast in You. Time is short, Father God, and the return of Christ is nearer than it ever has been. There is no time to straddle the fence, and You do not play games. Lord, let us be living sacrifices before You that are pleasing and honorable in Your sight. Use us to bring glory to Your name. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

Point of No Return

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Then the LORD said to me: ‘Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before Me, My heart would not go out to this people. Send them from My presence, and let them go. If they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those destined for the sword, to the sword; those destined for famine, to famine; and those destined for captivity, to captivity.'” (Jeremiah 15:1-2 Berean Study Bible)

I did a doubletake reading this Scripture when I saw it said, “Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before me, My heart would not go out to this people.” Moses and Samuel were both prophets of God. They were two of the greatest prophets amongst the other prophets we see in the Scriptures. The people of Judah had come to the point of no return.

Not even Moses or Samuel would have been able to intercede for the people of Judah at this point. Judah had abandoned God and traded God for the religious systems of men, had adopted the culture of pagan nations, and worshipping the idols/gods of the nations around them. Jeremiah had already been told “As for you, do not pray for these people. Do not raise up a cry or a prayer on their behalf, for I will not be listening when they call out to Me at the time of their disaster, ” (Jeremiah 11:14BSB).

Intercession for the people of Judah would have been rendered ineffective even if Moses and Samuel were standing before God interceding on their behalf. God wasn’t even listening to the people of Judah cry out to Him because they only cried out to Him when they were in trouble. God was angry and told Jeremiah, “Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I am about to bring upon them a disaster that they cannot escape. They will cry out to Me, but I will not listen to them. Then the cities of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to which they have been burning incense, but these gods certainly will not save them in their time of disaster. Your gods are indeed as numerous as your cities, O Judah; the altars of shame you have set up—the altars to burn incense to Baal—are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.” (Jeremiah 11:11-13) They didn’t commune with God. They were committing the act of spiritual adultery, acting as prostitutes giving themselves away to every pagan deity and were told by God through the prophet Jeremiah “How you plot and scheme to win your lovers. Even an experienced prostitute could learn from you!” (Jeremiah 2:33BSB) They had no shame and could not even blush anymore. They flagrantly flaunted their spiritual adultery and their idolatry in the face of God.

GOD DOESN’T PLAY GAMES. God warned them over and over again, but the stench of their sin had risen up before Him, and they were only sorry they had gotten caught in their sin. They were not repentant for their sins of abandoning God and trading Him in for the religious systems of man, their spiritual adultery, and their idolatry.

This cannot get more sobering than this statement made to Jeremiah by God, “As for you, do not pray for these people. Do not raise up a cry or a prayer on their behalf, for I will not be listening when they call out to Me at the time of their disaster.” Will you allow yourself to be found in the same spiritual condition as the people of Judah? Would God tell someone not to pray for you?

THERE IS NO NEUTRAL GROUND WHEN IT COMES TO SERVING GOD. I will be saying that until there is no longer breath in my body. There is no neutral ground when it comes to serving the Lord. CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE.

We have been chosen by Christ to go and bear fruit. Every tree that does not bear fruit will be chopped down and burnt up (Matthew 3:10, 7:19).

“You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” (James 4:4-6NLT)

Remember God does NOT bless a life of disobedience, but He does bless a life of obedience. He lavishes grace and mercy upon His children who are loving Him with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. Favor is the shield around His children.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Repent so you are not found in the same position as the people of Judah. God had enough of their foolish behavior. Do NOT bring God to the point where God tells someone not to pray for you anymore because of your stubborn, hardened, and calloused heart. There is a time when God says, “Enough” as we have seen here with Jeremiah.

There is no neutral ground when it comes to God. You are either on God’s side or you’re not. You cannot claim to live for God and love the things of this world; in other words, you cannot be a friend of God if you are a friend of the world. The God of the Old Testament is still God in the New Testament. God promises restoration, hope, and healing for those who are truly repentant with contrite hearts, those who recognize their need of the one and only Savior.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are the One and Only God. You are the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth. No one compares to You. You are sovereign and holy, and You do not share Your glory with another. Father, I will seek Your righteousness first and I will follow Your ways. I will obey Your commands and cling tightly to Your truth. I choose to serve You and You alone. Thank You for being my God and my Father. Thank You for Your instruction and Your discipline. Thank You for choosing me to go and bear fruit. Be with me as I follow Your commands and seek out Your ways. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

Are You Weak or Strong In Obedience?

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles
king

“Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. ‘Look,’ they told him, ‘you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have,'” (1 Samuel 8:4-5NLT).

Israel was never meant to be like the other nations.  Israel had a set of laws from the hands of God and God had chosen them as His very own, specifically set aside to do the work had for them to do, set apart as a holy nation.  Israel was not to be like the other nations, and we can see this throughout the entirety of the Old Testament.
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In this passage, Samuel is getting counsel from the Lord.  The Lord God was to be their King, but they pushed God aside and wanted a mortal man as their king so they could be like all the other nations.  So God had this to say (1 Samuel 8:7-9NLT), “‘Do everything they say to you,’ the Lord replied, ‘for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.'” 
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Israel’s sin can be put into one word:  DISOBEDIENCE.
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Understand Saul had already been chosen by God to be their king.  God knew what they were going to do, that they were going to insist on getting their way, and Samuel did tell them what having a human king would be like.  Saul ended up being their king.  However, their problems still continued just under a human king.  What was Israel’s sin that the problems still continued only under another administration?  DISOBEDIENCE.  They were defiant towards God.  They continually disobeyed, and they had no regard for God or His laws.  Because of their disobedience, their problem worsened, and they ended up getting paid the wages of the sins they had committed.
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Who is your king?  Are you serving God or yourself?
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If you are not obeying God and you are defiant towards God continually, you are weak because you are relying on self and dependent on your own will.  God will not force Himself on you.  If you love God, you will obey Him.
REFLECTION: “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man loves me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him,” (John 14:23KJV).  
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As a child of God, you are made holy, set apart, and to live by the standards God has set.  As a child of God, you do not live as the world does, and you are not to live as the world dictates.  Remember there is hope for those who choose to repent and turn from their wicked ways.  When you are obeying God and truly loving Him, blessings will follow as you enjoy a right relationship with the Father.  If you want God to rule and reign in your life and you want God to guide your family and your personal life but are living by the world’s standards, then you are not truly obeying God nor are you honoring Him.  Honoring and obeying God must be a part of every area of your life, not just in the areas you want.  Are you truly obeying God, honoring Him in all you do? If you are not truly obeying God and honoring Him in all you do, what is holding you back?  
PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, You are the God of faithfulness, and You expect no less from those who are Your children.  Father, help me not to be like Israel.  I am sorry for disobeying You.  Please forgive me, and renew a right spirit within me.  I surrender myself into Your hands. I ask that You teach me how to honor You and ask You to instruct me in Your ways.  Discipline me, O Lord, when I sin.  Lead me on Your paths of righteousness that I may become more like You. Show me Your ways, and reveal Yourself to me that I might know You more and more.  In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:4(ESV)

Truth Will Protect You

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles
LYING
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“May integrity and honesty protect me,
for I put my hope in you.”
Psalm 25:21(NLT)
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Since God is the God of Truth, He expects His children to be truthful.  If you lie and you get caught in that lie, you lose your integrity.  Integrity once lost is very difficult to get back and that’s if you get it back at all.  How would anyone trust you again if you choose to lie instead of telling the truth?  Since God says in His Word, “Do not lie,” why would you deliberately disobey what God says in His Word?  The truth will always protect you because the truth will stand the test of time.  The problem is when one chooses to lie.  Lies are always exposed.  When you do your part in telling the truth, God sees your faithful obedience to Him and His Word, and God will protect you.
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REFLECTION:  “No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others,” (Psalm 25:3NLT).  Disgrace will always come to those who choose to practice sin.  Maintain your integrity by preserving truth, by speaking truth.  Don’t set out to lie or deceive others.  Prove yourself to be a trustworthy person.  Lies and deceit will always destroy unity and cause division amongst the children of God.
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Integrity and honesty are your friends.  When you are honest, you will say that the Lord is right and that you shall walk in His ways.  When you have integrity, you shall consistently walk in His ways and set your face like stone determined to do His will and obey Him.  Those who lie and deceive are disgraced because their sins of lying and deceit have brought them disgrace.  Those who trust in the Lord and put their hope in Him will not be disgraced.  God will preserve those who are faithful and live in truth.
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PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, You are the God who expects faithful obedience to You and to Your Word.  You expect Your children to speak the truth.  Lord, help me to walk upright before You with a spirit of humility and to always walk in truth.  Teach me how to maintain my integrity, and show me how to walk in holiness as You are holy.  May Your truth be my shield and my guard.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Linda A. Knowles
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“Don’t lie to each other,

for you have stripped off
your old sinful nature
and all its wicked deeds.”
-Colossians 3:9(NLT)

Grieving The Holy Spirit

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

HOLY SPIRIT

 

I found myself in Acts 5:1-11, a passage I couldn’t get away from.  Lately, I’ve thought a lot about what it truly means to grieve the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit is so holy that He shrinks back at the slightest sin.  If we viewed sin as the Holy Spirit does, we would be more cautious in behavior and in words.  For me, when I look at the story of Ananias and Sapphira, I can see how serious sin is in the eyes of God and His Holy Spirit.

 

Amongst the believers, no one lacked anything because the believers were helping those within the body of Christ also called “The Church,” taking care of each other when they saw those in need.  In Acts 4:34-35, we can see it states, “There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need,” using Barnabas as an example (Acts 4:36-37) who had owned and brought the money to the apostles.  In Acts 4:32, it states, “All the believers were united in heart and mind.  And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.”  In this passage, we see the believers helping those in need in any way they were able.  As God had blessed them, they were blessing others.  It was up to each believer as to what they could do with the money from the land they had sold.  They could have done what they wanted with their property as well as their money, and it was up to each believer to decide how much each would give or what each would do with their property.

 

Now that brings us to Ananias and Sapphira…  Just like everyone else, they had a choice as to what to do with their cash and possessions.  “But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property.  He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount.  With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest,” (Acts 5:1-2 NLT).

 

Sapphira and Ananias, instead of being upfront and truthful, conspired together to deceive the Church.  The sin was not in them wanting to sell their property.  The sin was not in them keeping back part of the money.  The sin was the deceptive masquerade they put on before the Apostles and the Church.  Acts 5:3-4 states, “Then Peter said, ‘Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart?  You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself.  The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished.  And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away.  How could you do a thing like this?  You weren’t lying to us but to God!’”

 

The Holy Spirit exposed Ananias’ deception.  We can see this by the words given to Peter to speak, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart?  You lied to the Holy Spirit…  How could you do a thing like this?  You weren’t lying to us but to God!’”  If we don’t have God’s approval, then we have absolutely nothing.  The Spirit of the Living God does not approve of deception in any way, shape, fashion, or form.  We need to always remember that “Truth stands the test of time; lies are soon exposed.”

 

The consequence of Ananias lying to the Holy Spirit can be found in Acts 5:5-6, and it states this, “As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died.  Everyone who heard about it was terrified.  Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him.”  That’s how serious a matter it is when one deliberately chooses to set out to deceive his/her brethren, when one deliberately chooses to conspire with another or others to do evil, when one chooses to sin rather than doing what is right before the eyes of God.

 

Sin is transgression of God’s law.  ALL sin is transgression of God’s law, and He is not impressed with posturing or masquerades or pretense.  In the presence of the Living God, everything is laid bare, fully exposed.  He commands truth and holiness.  God doesn’t have suggestions, but He does have commands.  We are to follow those commands as outlined in His Written Word.  Love for God is keeping His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome.

 

What happened to Sapphira?  I wonder if her response to Peter would have been different had she known what happened to her husband, but Scripture states Sapphira didn’t know what happened.  Acts 5:7-11 says, “About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.  Peter asked her, ‘Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?’  ‘Yes,’ she replied, ‘that was the price.’  And Peter said, ‘How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.’  Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.  Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.”

 

I know these are rather sobering thoughts, but as I have been thinking about this for the last several days, I find myself humbled and in awe of God who has given us His Word so that we might know all we need to live a life pleasing to Him.  Our God is very merciful and compassionate, but our God is the God of Justice, the God who demands honesty in the innermost parts.  It’s not enough for those attending places of worship to have ambitions of being a disciple of Christ.  Either you are a disciple of Christ or you’re not.  You cannot have it both ways.  God is not impressed with pretense, hypocrisy, or showmanship.  If you are putting on a show simply to keep up appearances or just to gain the approval of man, God will eventually strip off your mask.  You cannot expect to be blessed when you are living a life of disobedience to God.

REFLECTION:  “Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness,” (Matthew 23:28).  Who are you when no one is watching?  Are you living two lives –one life in your place of worship and another life outside of your place of worship?  Being Christ-like is a lifestyle, not an act of showmanship.  When you go before God, do a deep self-examination, letting God show you if there is anything within you that offends Him.  Let Him show you if there is anything you need to repent of.  “This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it,” (Isaiah 30:15).  Repent of your wicked ways, turning to God, and have Him cleanse you from your sins.  It is only in surrendering to God that you will find rest.  God is your Savior, and when you submit to obeying Him and walking in His ways, that is where you will find liberty.  When you confess and repent of your sins, you have this assurance found in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, You are the God of Truth, and You are the God of Justice.  Lord, I’m sorry for being pretentious, for caring more about gaining approval of men instead of seeking Your approval alone.  I’m sorry for grieving Your Holy Spirit.  Father, I have sinned against You and You alone.  Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me.  Have Your way in my life, and come reign in me.  I’m truly sorry for sinning against You.  Please don’t cast me away from Your Presence because I am nothing without You.  Wash me clean with the Hyssop of Heaven and I shall be made clean.  Please forgive me, and have Your way in my life.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

“But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them.” -Isaiah 63:10