For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13)
"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time." (Abraham Lincoln) Well, we can fool most people most of the time, but we can't fool God anytime! Simply put reputation is what other people think of us, and character is who we really are. In order to have an authentic character, we have to know what is acceptable and unacceptable to God, and it's not unrealistic to achieve: These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:16-19)
Basically, we should be humble, tell the truth in general and about others, not physically harm anyone, not scheme against anyone, stay away from evil and illegal activities, and be a peacemaker. Let us draw closer to God, through confession of our sins, repentance to turn away from evil, and baptism to be "washed" by the blood of Jesus and receive forgiveness of our sins. (Acts 2:29-39) Then the more we allow the Holy Spirit of God to help us in these areas of our lives, the more authentic our character will become, and the more our reputation will truly reflect who we really are: ...let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:22)
Consider listening to Pastor Leo Giovinetti teaching on Galatians: http://www.realliferadio.org/
No comments:
Post a Comment