Have you ever encountered someone you believe to be fake? They say things they don't mean, and have no intention of keeping their promises. We are warned about this in Philippians 3:2.
Philippians 3:2 ESV
Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.
In this verse, the dogs Jesus is referring to are people. People that appear spiritual but are full of darkness. When you continue reading, you see mention of putting no faith in the flesh and faith in God instead. Did you know that Christianity is the only religion that doesn't put emphasis on the flesh. We should put no worth in that of your flesh and bone. All of our faith should be in God. But why?
Being a Christian and following God doesn't start on the outside, it starts on the inside. Deciding to accept Jesus in your life and follow God in an inward choice, and should reflect a change in your life. God loves you and wants to transform you. In order to be transformed, you have to be able to listen for His calling in life. God wants you to get uncomfortable in your faith. Have you ever heard the term if you aren't uncomfortable, you aren't growing? That also holds true for your faith.
We have to be ready to hear the call of Jesus in our lives. Even more importantly, we have to be able to act in response to what we are called to do. Hearing God's calling isn't any good if we don't act on it. A lot of times the things God calls you to do will make you uncomfortable. He will ask you to go and talk to strangers even if you are shy, or be called into ministry when you are just learning for yourself. Each time we hear from God it is an opportunity to grow in our faith. There is a big difference in being comfortable in your actions and actually being pushed. God wants to use you in ways that you can not even imagine!! The way we see it, the difference in being comfortable and pushed is the difference in being a nominal Christian and the Christian that God wants you to be. You just have to adopt a new life and a new mindset.
Proverbs 16:9 ESV
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
Have you ever made a plan only to have it changed? Or found out that your plan wasn't as good as someone else's plan was? God has plans for us that are so much bigger and better than anything we could ever imagine. The plans we make for ourselves can sometimes get in the way of what God is calling us to do.
One of the many things we need to shield ourselves from as believers is a sense of false righteousness. We see in the Bible that our righteousness is like filthy rags to God. Our righteousness is a product of us living in the flesh. It can get in the way of the purpose God has for us. As humans, we will try to maintain our success or our status and can easily lose sight of what God wants from us. We need to get out of our fleshly habits and get into a heart of submission to God.
Once we realize that what happens in this world isn't about us, its about God, we will be a lot better off. Christ should be first in our life. If he is not, we are constantly competing with ourselves and we are not able to live on as God wants us to. We need to understand that God wants us just as we are. He will take all of our baggage, all of our heartache, all of our false righteousness. He will take it all and turn it into something good and amazing for His kingdom.
Pastor Brian used the term "apprehended" to talk about what happens to us when we are saved and start to develop our relationship with God. To be apprehended usually means to be arrested for a crime. We aren't necessarily being arrested, but we are being pulled into a different place in our lives. The moment that you become a child of God you have been apprehended by His love and into the kingdom of God. It means that we are changed and transformed by the power of Jesus.
We get into a rhythm where we are full activity but there is no depth. If we perform actions without them being for God they are empty. Hold yourself accountable to the fact that you have a calling from God.
Sometimes we come to God and try to adjust His plans. It should be the other way around. We should be adjusting to His will for us
It’s time that you get real about your relationship with God. He is real about you.
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