EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!
SUBJECT : GOD DESIRES OUR CONSISTENT OBEDIENCE!
Memory verse: "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved."
(Mark 13 vs 13.)
READ: Philippians 2 vs 5 - 11:
2:5: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
2:6: who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
2:7: but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
2:8: And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death of the cross.
2:9: Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given him the name which is above every name,
2:10: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and those on earth, and those under the earth,
2:11: and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
INTIMATION:
God demands our obedience to His commandments. We do this by obeying God with (1) Our heart— by loving Him more than any relationship, activity, achievement, or possession; (2) Our will—by committing ourselves completely to Him; (3) Our mind—by seeking to know Him and His Word, so His principles and values form the foundation of all we think and do; (4) Our body—by recognizing that our strengths, talents, and sexuality are given to us by God to be used for pleasure and fulfillment according to His rules, not ours; (5) Our finances—by deciding that all of the resources we have ultimately come from God, and that we are to be managers of them and not owners; (6) Our future—by deciding to make service to God and man the main purpose of our life’s work.
We should strive to be consistent in our obedience. Heroic spiritual lives are built by stacking days of obedience one on top of the other. Like a brick, each obedient act is small in itself, but in time the acts will pile up, and a huge wall of strong character will be built—a great defense against temptation. God requires lifelong obedience. Spurts of obedience are not enough, and we can’t please God by spurts of religiosity. Real spirituality takes a lifetime of consistent obedience. Only "he who endures to the end" will be rewarded. Be remembered for your consistent faith, being consistent in your faith every day; that way you will build a lifetime of obedience. Otherwise you may become more famous for your downfall than for your success.
Consider Jesus Christ who actually became a human to identify with our sins; He voluntarily laid aside His divine rights and privileges out of love for, and obedience to His Father. Christ died on the cross for our sins, and God glorified Him because of His obedience; consistent obedience to the end. God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.
Therefore, if we say we follow Christ as believers, we must also say we want to live as He lived, and strive to live as He lived. He is our role model, and we are expected to be Christlike. To believe in Jesus "to the end" will take perseverance because our faith will be challenged and opposed. Severe trials will sift true Christians from fair-weather believers. Enduring to the end does not earn salvation for us but marks us as already saved, and an evidence that we are really committed to Jesus. The assurance of our salvation will keep us strong in times of persecution. Persistence or consistency is the by product of a truly devoted life.
Obedience to God begins with humility. We humble ourselves by renouncing other masters, identify ourselves with Jesus, discover His will and live according to it, and consciously turn away from conflicting interests, even if these interests have been important to us in the past. We must believe that His way is better than our own. We may not always understand His ways of working, but by humbly obeying, we will receive His blessings. We must remember that (1) God’s ways are best; (2) God wants our obedience more than anything else; (3) God can use anything to accomplish His purposes.
Prayer: Abba Father, my utmost heart desire is to have the mind of Christ and live humbly as He lived; consistent in my obedience to the end. Strengthen me in my strive, and help me in my daily life to live like Christ, and live for You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.
PRAISE THE LORD!
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