What is it that God expects from us? Is it to go to church, obedience, religion or all of the above? Or is it just faith as many churches today teach? We all certainly know by now that it is not religion that God requires but that we serve Him in Spirit. So often we hear people say that they are good people and follow the laws of God meaning the Ten Commandments. They justify themselves by saying things like “I don’t kill or steal and I honor my parents and I don’t pray to statues etc.” In fact what they are doing is taking the standard of living in the world, under the laws prescribed by people and governments, as the measuring line. Because of the fact that they can live in peace as a citizen of good standing here on earth, they think they are good.
Most people can live a life of obedience to the laws of their country relatively easily. There is nothing supernatural or spiritual to not killing someone or not stealing and paying your taxes. The standard is easy and it is not all that different from what your nature wants to do anyway. All of us wants to make a life for ourselves, look after our family and live in peace. Following God’s standard however is not as easy. Seeing as God is Spirit and we need to follow Him in spirit, it is the exact opposite of what our nature wants to do.
Galatians 5
17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
1 Corinthians 2
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Dear friend and fellow believer in our Lord Jesus Christ. I am afraid living as a good citizen and going to church does not make you good according to God’s standard. If you believe that, your teachers have lied to you. The Pharisees also believed they were good people and in right standing with God until Jesus brought the real standard of God. It was then that they realized they were not even close to the standard. This is what Jesus said to us concerning that.
Matthew 5
20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven
These Pharisees were very religious and pious people. They followed the law of God to the letter. They appeared to be good and righteous and without sin but inside they were ravenous wolfs and they followed their natural man, that being their fleshly nature. This is what Jesus said to them.
Luke 11
39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.
40 Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?
Matthew 23
26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
We also need to clean our cup on the inside. We say “I don’t murder people I am good!” Gods’ standard says:
Matthew 5
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’
22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
Sure we don’t kill people, but we swear at them and call them names and get angry with them. God says that it is the same as murder! We don’t kill people? According to the true standard how many people have you killed this year? What about this month or week or even day and hour.
We say “I’m not adulterous! I love my wife and treat her right”.
Matthew 5
28 “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Lust is all around us. It is the standard of living today. You cannot be in the world and not see it. Just turn on your television. It has become so natural and as common as breathing.
We say “ I gave my life(soul) to Jesus”, but we continue in our fleshly lifestyle, chasing riches and power and honor. Worst of all is our teachers (churches) are excusing and approving our error. This is what the true standard says:
Luke 14
26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own soul also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14
33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
We say “I do not practice witchcraft and I do not pray to other gods!” But we are stubborn and refuse to change and transform. We refuse to repent and let go of our inequity. We stubbornly continue in our own character and will. God says.
1 Samuel 15
23 “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord , He also has rejected you from being king.”
We say “I don’t blaspheme God and I don’t use His name as a swearword!” But when we are unfaithful to Him, in that we don’t trust him enough for our provision and lay away riches. When we don’t speak up for him in the crowd and when we don’t obey His voice to do good to others, then we blaspheme Him!
Ezekiel 20
27 “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God : “In this too your fathers have blasphemed Me, by being unfaithful to Me.
Friend, I am afraid just coasting through life and church is NOT the standard that you should follow. If you truly give your life to the Lord you have to realize what that means. Your life is your very soul! That is your will, your character and your intellect. That means not your will be done anymore. So not your lifestyle choices anymore but the lifestyle that the true and righteous standard of God prescribes. Not your character anymore. That means no more swearing and getting angry, letting your fleshly emotions rule you. No that means thinking thoughts that God gives you in obedience to Christ. Transforming to His pattern and not being conformed to the pattern of this world even if this world’s pattern seems good to you and your fleshly standard. It means not trusting your own intellect but walking in faith even if it makes no sense to you. It is the literal dying to self and soul daily.
Matthew 16
25 For whoever desires to save his soul will lose it, but whoever loses his soul for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Don’t be fooled by an easy-going church system and doctrines of convenience. To follow the Lord in spirit will cost you everything, even your very life(soul). And that is exactly what the standard of God requires.
Yours in faith
Till next time
God bless
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