Being holy is doing what Jesus said!

I think this point is pretty obvious but I am afraid many professing believers do not habitually do what Jesus told us to do! It is impossible to become more sanctified without obeying Jesus! 

JC Ryle said in talking about the words of Jesus: “He who supposes they were spoken without the intention od promoting holiness, and that a Christian need not to attend to them in his daily life--is really little better than a lunatic; and at any rate is a grossly ignorant person.”

I agree whole heartedly!

To sum it up very simply, our Master said: John 15:14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

Do you know of another way to become more holy other than following the commands of Jesus? Neither do I!!!!

Tom

Keep on keeping on! 8-31-16

Use God’s law as a guide for holiness

A follower of Jesus is not justified or made right by the law (God’s Word), we are justified only by faith in the shed blood of Jesus upon the cross and that He defeated death and sin and raised from the dead and now sits at the right hand of the Father.

BUT...as JC Ryle says “the Holy Spirit.....will always lead him to spiritual use of the law, as a friendly guide, in the pursuit of sanctification(growing in holiness).” 

Jesus never made light of the ten commandments and expounded on them frequently. Like wise Paul said :1 Timothy 1:8 But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, and Romans 7:22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.

God says over and over again in the Word “obey”. So to grow in holiness follow God’s law! Especially what Jesus reiterated to us! It is a guide for the Holy Life!

Tom

No fear! 8-30-16

Put on Jesus! 8-29-16

Being Holy is not occasional!

When we are growing in sanctification or growing in holiness it is not an occasional act it is a lifestyle! JC Ryle said: “It is the continual work of a new heavenly principle within, which runs through one’s daily conduct in everything he does, big or small.”

Here is an example from the scriptures: 2 Chronicles 31:20-21 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. 21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.

In every work, Hezekiah did with all his heart in accordance with the word of God! Oh Gopd may we be like Hezekiah!

So as followers of Jesus and growing to be more like Him(holy) it is not as occasional good work but a lifestyle! A good sign of salvation is found here also!

Tom

Watch and stand! 8-26-16

Ready to serve others?

As a follower of Jesus, here is our example:

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Guess what? We are to serve others! It is not a choice a s followers of King Jesus, it is expected. Just the opposite of what we usually desire! We want big houses, servants, ect. Nope not as followers, we are the ones to do the serving and bring glory to God as well as show others that we love them but more importantly God loves them!

So are you serving?

Tom

Shout out about our God! 8-25-16

You want mercy?

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. -Matt 5:7

We must remember what God’s Word says. This verse is of utmost importance. Why? 

First of of we need the mercy of God. Without His mercy we have no hope! For in His mercy He sent Jesus to take our place on that cross and die for our sins. So without mercy, there is no salvation.

Second, when we show mercy to others it is a sure sign that we are filled with the Holy Spirit, showing it’s fruits. That means we have been saved because there is no other way to have the Holy Spirit!

So do you show mercy to others? From what I see for the follower of Jesus it is not a choice! Give mercy of we have received more from God that we can ever give to others!

Tom

My help comes from the Lord!

A little comfort..

For the followers of Jesus, just a quick reminder this morning:

Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Ahhhhh, don’t that feel good? Knowing you a child of God! Ain’t nothing better than that!

Thank you Jesus!

Tom

You must be humble! 8-23-16

Obtaining holiness does not mean leave society.

Over the years many have come to the conclusion that to be holy they must leave society or become isolated. They think if they can leave the difficulties of life and possible escape sinful temptations they will become more holy. As JC Ryle says “no bolts or bars can keep out the devil and that, where ever we go, we carry the root of all evil our own hearts.” 

Jesus has told us just the opposite of hiding! He wants us to grow to be more like Him(holiness) in the midst of the world! Using the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome sin and live holy lives so God can receive all the glory and honor. Look at these verses:

John 17:15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Philippians 2:15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

As members of the church of Jesus Christ let us stand as lights of His, in the darkness of this world, becoming more holy each day, as we serve King Jesus!

We are stronger together not in isolation!

Tom

Enlarge your heart with Jesus!

Becoming more like Jesus is not a feeling!

So many folks these days are hooked on feelings that come and go. Feelings will deceive you if you are not very careful. It is the same for sanctification. Becoming more holy or more like Christ is not based on feelings it is based on being obedient to the Word of God. 

God have us an example of what feelings can do to people:

Matthew 13:20-21 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

It sounded good! It was fun for a while. A little hardship comes and they are gone! Thats what feelings do for a person instead of true love and devotion.

So in Sanctification, it is tough to become more holy, but when you love God, soak up His Word, and obey, you will find becoming more like Christ is the greatest joy of all! Best of all it is not a feeling but a fact!

Tom

Want a blessed life? 8-18-16

Becoming holy is more than religious talk!

Many people can talk religious talk and sound really good doing it. We have all heard the saying talk is cheap! Actions prove the talk and it is the same in sanctification (growing in holiness)! Look at this verse:

1 John 3:18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

We can say we love but until we prove in action we love it is useless! Being able to love others even our enemies as God tells us to is a sure sign of growing to be more like Christ for He is LOVE! So let us not be like this:

Matthew 15:8 “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;

but like this:

James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Actions show you are becoming more like Jesus not empty words!

Tom

Love and mercy new everyday! 8-17-16

Sanctification means evidence!

When we are followers of Jesus and going through the process of becoming more holy (sanctification) then there should be visible evidence in the followers life. Read what JC Ryle said: “Sanctification is the invariable result of that vital union with Christ which true faith gives to a Christian. The union with Christ which produces no effect on heart and life is a mere formal union, which is worthless before God.” Think on that for a bit!

Evidence of growing in holiness shown by works in life is also backed up by scripture:

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

James 2:17-20 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

1 John 3:3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

So is there any evidence in your life of growing in holiness? Becoming more like Jesus? I pray it is so! If not then we need to examine our relationship with Jesus and make corrections where needed!

Grow in Christ brothers and sisters!

Tom

Jesus desires for us to be sanctified!

As a reminder being sanctified means growing in holiness. Becoming more like Christ! 

Jesus has a great desire for us to grow in sanctification as it is a sign that we are true followers and living a life of true faith!

1 Corinthians 1:30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

John 17:19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Ephesians 5:25-26 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

Titus 2:14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Jesus made it possible for us to be pure and holy before God by shedding His blood on that cross for all mankind and now He desire us to continue to grow to be holy, pure, and righteous through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The #1 way for us to grow in sanctification is to read the Word and obey it! God’s word is clear on this subject so as a follower of Jesus grow in holiness!!! A lifelong adventure!

Tom

Be honest!

God desires our honesty before Him. Have you been honest with God?

Brought us to God! 8-15-16

To make Holy.

The bible talks much of being made holy. The word that is used for this many times is sanctification which means to make holy. Is it a practice of yours as a follower of Jesus to become more holy on a daily basis? Hopefully you said yes, if not you need to make it a priority in you walk with Jesus!

How do we become more holy? God’s word tells us in John 17:17 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” You become more holy by learning and obeying God’s Word which is the truth!

Remember these important words from God about becoming Holy: 1 Peter 1:15-16 “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

Spend some time today evaluating your life and the sanctification that is taking place (or is to taking place) and then move forward in studying God’s Word and grow in holiness! 

We will look at becoming more holy (sanctification) over the next few days.

Have a blessed day! 

Tom

Have you been blessed by God in this way?

Have you been blessed by God in the same way as King David?

Psalm 32:1-2 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.

There is only one way to be blessed this way:

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Only Jesus bring us the blessing of forgiveness of sin before God and thus eternity with God in heaven for eternity.

Have you received this blessing? You can! Repent of your sins and follow Jesus!

If I can help please message me!

Tom

How much do you desire God? 8-12-16

Take godly advice! 8-11-16

Think about the depth of God’s Mercy and Grace to us!

Do you ever take time to really think about the abundance of mercy and grave God pour out upon us? It is overwhelming when we really get it!

JC Ryle says “Let us sit down before the picture of sin displayed to us in the bible--and consider what guilty, vile, corrupt creatures we all are in the sight of God.”

Have you ever done that. You need to. Think about who we are before God and it is not a pretty picture. Then to know this next fact the bible tells us:

Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

Without holiness we will not see the Lord!!!!! We, in our sins, are not holy!!!!

Thinking on those facts we should come to the realization we need much mercy and grace from God! Here is another quote from JC Ryle: “How true it is that the holiest saint is in himself a miserable sinner, and a debtor to mercy and grace to the last moment of his existence.”

Here is the good news in ourselves we have no hope!!! BUT in Christ we have all the hope we need! Look at this verse:

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The mercy and grace God has given us comes to a head in Jesus Christ! A free gift of His love for us so that we may become holy and see the Lord! Oh thank you God! 

Oh thank you Jesus for dying for me, a wretched sinner! 

So this day this think about the grace and mercy God showers down on us each day...really I am not sure we can fully grasp it!

Tom

Draw near!

Don’t minimize sin in your life.

Man has a terrible problem of minimizing sin! Sin is nothing to play around with in the eyes of God! JC Ryle said this about man and his sin: “The astonishing proneness of men to regard sin as less sinful and dangerous than it is in the sight of God, and in their readiness to extenuate it, make excuses for it, and minimize it’s guilt. They show that men try to cheat themselves into the belief that sin is not quite so sinful as God says it is--and that they are not so bad as they really are.”

Boy oh boy do we live in a time that makes so many excuses for sin or just down right says sin is not sin. When we do that we are saying we are GOD! That my friends is a dangerous place to be!

So what do we do? God tells us:

Hebrews 3:13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

PRAY! Pray everyday for one another. Pray now, today! Why? So that we will not become hardened, or insensitive to sin and be deceived into thinking that there is no harm in sin! Wow! Talk about a verse right on the money for what we are talking about!

Sin is the opposite of God’s holiness. He desires us to be holy so be on the look out at all times for sin trying to creep into your life and then tricking you into thinking it is not a big deal because it is!

Tom

Heed the Word!

Do we realize how God sees sin?

I am in agreement with JC Ryle when he said this: “I do not think, in the nature of things, that mortal man can at all realize the exceeding sinfulness of sin in the sight of that holy and perfect One with whom we have to do. Fallen men and women , I believe, can have no idea what a vile thing sin is in the sight of that God whose handiwork is absolutely perfect.”

Do we understand how horrible sin is to God? Do we live life knowing that our sin is at odds with the very nature of God...HOLY! If we did understand chances are this world would be much different!

Jeremiah 44:4 However I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, “Oh, do not do this abominable thing that I hate!”

What is this abominable thing? SIN!

Habakkuk 1:13a You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. 

What wickedness can’t He look at? SIN

James 2:10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

Any sin makes us guilty of all sin before a holy God!

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Because of sin we die! But God has given us a chance to be saved! Through the shed blood of Christ!

Whats the penalty if we chose to live with out Jesus?

Mark 9:43-44 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— 44 where ‘Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.’

Do you see the seriousness of sin before a Holy God? 

Tom

None like You!

Sin is a moral disease!

The first step to becoming a follower of our Savior Jesus Christ is to understand we are morally diseased and that disease is sin. We must understand we are sinners and we need to be saved from sin! Until one discovers he is a terrible sinner in the eyes of God and he is in a terrible condition, he will not understand the need for Jesus to save his soul!

JC Ryle said this: “Sin is a disease which pervades and runs through every part of our moral constitution, and every faculty of our minds.”

Most people think they are pretty good compared to someone else and this keeps them from coming to Jesus for salvation. One must realize there is no good in any of us outside Jesus. Look at these verses:

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

Romans 3:12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Genesis 6:5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?”

I hate to burst your bubble this morning but your a sinner, a bit time sinner before a Holy and Righteous God! You are sin diseased! So am I! The key is are you a forgiven sinner by the blood of Jesus Christ or are you unforgiven? The good news is you can be!!! Call upon Jesus today and follow Him the rest of your days!

Romans 10:13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Tom

We are naturally sinners.

Ever since the fall of man to sin that Adam and Eve fell to in the garden of Eden, we have naturally been born sinners. The bible tells us that:

Ephesians 2:3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

No one has to teach us to sin as babies we do it automatically...think about “mine”, hitting when upset, temper tantrums, lying, ect. It comes natural! 

I got a little chuckle out of this quote from JC Ryle: “The fairest child, who has entered life this year and become the sunbeam of a family, is not, as his mother perhaps fondly calls him, a little “angel” or a little “innocent”---but a little “sinner”. 

But thank be to God, He knew this about us and had a plan to save us! Jesus Christ! He sent His now Son to die for us sinners! Take the wrath of God against sin off of us and upon Jesus! Think about that for a while! Praise be to Jesus!

1 Timothy 1:15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

As parents we have a mighty big responsibility to raise our children up in the training of the Lord to give them the best chance of giving their lives to Jesus! May we make sure first we have given our lives to Jesus ourselves for we are born in sin!

Tom

Why we need to be saved!

God is Holy and desires for us to be Holy as well. (1 Peter 1:15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, Because He is Holy.) He can not tolerate sin. Since we are sinners we must be saved from sin,(Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God), and that is what Jesus did on the cross for those who are willing to believe and follow Him.

Let us be reminded what sin is from JC Ryle: “”a sin” consists in doing, saying, thinking, or imagining anything that is not in perfect conformity with the mind and law of God.”

1 John 3:4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.

To understand sin we must recognize sin thus we need to know God’s Word. Also to be saved we need to know that we need to know what we need to be saved from which is sin which leads to hell.

We need to be saved and thank God He has provided the bridge through Jesus Christ the Savior of the world!

Tom

Weak but powerful! 8-2-16

How well do you know the bible?

This is a subject for the follower of Christ we must often come back to in my opinion. For a moment think about how much you know in other areas of life....your job, your hobby, parenting, how to operate a cell phone, computers, and you fill in the blank with something you know much about. Now compare that with your knowledge of the God’s Word. How dod you do? I hope great but for the majority we would fail miserably!

Does that make sense to you? God has given us the very guide book of life but we don’t have the want to or the desire to learn it to the very best of our ability. Does it say something of our love for God? Read what JC Ryle had to say in the late 1800’s:

“There is an amazing ignorance of Scriptures among many, and a consequent lack of established, solid religion. In no other way can I account for the ease with which people are, like children, “tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine.” (Ephesians 4:14)

Lack of biblical knowledge opens the door for so much false teaching because we don’t know any better. It also opens the door for living our lives like the world which we are clearly taught not to do in the bible but again if we don’t know the bible how are we to avoid that??

So how much of the bible do you know? It is of the highest importance that you learn it to the best of your ability and do it starting now!!!

Think about this today! I pray God puts a burden in every one of us to learn the Word of God and have a love for the Word!

Tom

You are Great God!

Praise God on this Monday for whom He Is! Great are you Lord!

God is everywhere but...

Let’s be reminded that God in three persons and each has a function.

God the of course is ruling all out of Heaven.

Psalm 115:3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.

Matthew 23:9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

Jesus its as the right hand of the Father making intercession for all His followers.

Mark 16:19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

Romans 8:34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

The Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent dwells in each follower of Jesus to guide, comfort, and help us.

John 15:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

Each person of God has a job and we are the beneficiaries of their work! We are blessed and so unworthy but yet so grateful to our loving God for His mercy and grace poured out upon us! What a privilege it is to follow and serve God!

Tom