PLEASED 👍

So, I am pleased with myself right now!

Not because of what I'm doing -- well, sometimes I think they are cool -- but because God is pleased with me. Christ's sacrifice ensures this and if it's enough for God, then it's enough for me (Romans 5:1-2; 1 John 5:13; Romans 8:1,31-34)! My actions however, are also pleasing to God, done in faith. I believe God loves my actions too (when they are done in the spirit) but they never affect what He thinks about me (Galatians 1 & 2). I couldn't please God before, but now, having His faith, I am pleasing to Him (Romans 8:8-9; Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 11:6)!

So, no matter what, I am pleased with anyone God is pleased with, starting from myself, and I am pleased with them every time God is (which is everytime) because I am a son of God, with God's own nature.

The world doesn't know God's children because the world doesn't know Him; I love God's children because I love Him (1 John 3:1; then 1 John 5:1), and I am God's child!!! I LOVE HIM (because He first loved me (1 John 4:19)), therefore I love me (5:1)!

But my actions too:

They should please God, because I have His nature. I have been created in Christ Jesus, not just for fun, but unto good works, planned for me to do sinnnce (Ephesians 2:10)!!! I have been called out of darkness into His marvellous light, not for nothing, but to show forth the praises of the One who did this (1 Peter 2:9).

So from now on, I am not to live for myself, but for the One in whom I have been made alive. He took my death, that I may live for Him (Romans 14:6-8; 2 Corinthians 5:15)!

And the consciousness of Him, of His sacrifice, is important: I am in Him, I am a partaker of His body and blood and, as He says, I do it all "in remembrance of Me" (1 Corinthians 11:23-32). Looking unto Jesus makes it possible for me to run the race aright, for I see all that He did and I can keep running with patience. I will never suffer as He did anyway, and even if so: there's a greater joy before me (Hebrews 12:1-5; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Romans 8:18; 1 Peter 5:9; Revelation 2:10).

Ultimately, I am conscious of Him and of His body -- the church -- of His leading and of His will, that my actions may be a sweet smelling sacrifice unto Him (1 Peter 2:5), this is the only right -- and sensible -- thing to do anyway, considering what He has done: Romans 12:1.

Citizen Me

Hebrews 12:22-29

... 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

This is not supposed to be scary in any way, the point is this: I am now in a new kingdom, and I have a new identity and citizenship. I do not operate as I did before I was saved and so, I should not work for this world but for the next, which is my true world. Why? Well, my works will be tested; they'll pass through fire and some things will be burned up: those considered unprofitable, but those of eternal value will remain! See 1 Corinthians 3; 1 Corinthians 13; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Galatians 6:7-10; 1 Timothy 4:6-10; 2 Peter 3:10-13 for more details.

So, why do things that do not matter eternally, when I am now able to do things of eternal importance?

why would I do things of importance in a world to which I do not belong, when I can "invest", (lay up treasures) in heaven, of which I am a citizen (Philippians 3:20-21)?

The way forward?

I'll renew my mind by the word (Romans 12:2). I'll let the mind which was in Christ Jesus be in me (Philippians 2:1-18). This is what I need to do so I can express the new man which I now am in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:22-24).

And how do I do this? I simply keep my mind on Christ; I keep beholding Him, His image, which is mine too (Ephesians 4:24)! I look into the perfect law of liberty continually and thereby begin to do what is written in it (James 1:25). As I come into knowledge of all that is in us who are in Christ, my participation in my faith becomes effectual (Philemon 1:6) and I am assured that as I keep looking at this image of God, His spirit will transform me into that very image.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

This image is beautiful, and as I keep seeing it, knowing that it is my true image: I still am, and always will be, pleased with myself!

BELIEVE ON

So I was discussing with a brother on Sunday & we got talking about what it means to "believe on" the name of Jesus. Really, it seems it's only the King James Version of the Bible that uses the preposition "on" in verses like Acts 16:33 & 1 John 5:13; so it can be said to be archaic English.

Still, those words communicate something that we rarely pay close attention to. The Amplified version consistently describes faith as the "leaning of the entire human personality on God". Believing on Jesus, then, means I rest my faith entirely on Him as the only way to the Father, my only hope of salvation, the only Saviour.

Increasingly, some Christians want to capitulate, avoid conflict, sound less bigoted & more progressive by saying that there are many ways to God or that a good Moslem or a "good" person may enter heaven or be recognised by God. My question to them is: do you even believe the Bible to be true?

Jesus claimed to be THE WAY in John 14:6 and went so far as to say that no man can approach the Father except by Him. Either He lied or such people are deluded. Let God be true & every man a liar. If we even begin to think otherwise, then there's no point sharing the gospel, no point begging men to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). They can just believe anything they want as long as they are "good". No! Jesus, Jesus, Jesus only!

There's another category of Christians who believe that the ticket to heaven is a combination of Jesus & good works. The Bible does say that those of us who believe should be careful to maintain good works (Titus 3:8&14), but nowhere did the Holy Spirit indicate them as a condition for eternal salvation or damnation. In fact, Jesus said clearly that the one who believes on Him does not come into condemnation & the reason the unbeliever is condemned is because he has not believed (not his works) (John 3:18).

This is the gospel to preach to the unbeliever, not good works! Some of them have good works, God sees them as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), but then we preach repentance from sin rather than Jesus the life-giver, the sanctifier; we can't reach them. They see no need for Jesus. On the other hand, for those that are deep in the actions of sin, they feel too dirty to come to Jesus. What satanic deceit! Oh, but when we tell them the good news: Jesus the life-giver, Jesus the arms-wide-open Saviour, they see Him, they come!

Someone may ask: what about the sinning saint? Indeed, walking in sin has many dangers listed all through the new testament, but the only sin that puts men in hell today is NOT BELIEVING on Jesus (John 3:18, John 16:9, Hebrews 3:12). Can a Christian stop believing in Jesus? Evidently so. That's why 1 John 5:13, Hebrews 3:12&13 and a host of other letters were written to Christians in different places at different times. That is why I have written this to you: "that you may continue to believe on the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5:13 AMP). In other words, you believe on His name alone, BELIEVE ON (keep believing)!

On Christ the solid rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand

ALL other ground is sinking sand!