Where you set your foundation, as a Chrisitan, is everything! God has declared the way of salvation, and if we’re a believer in His Word, we should align our footsteps, standings, and beliefs with what He says. He says that Jesus is the way, the truth, and THE Life. The only firm foundation and way to the living God, who has vindicated His Son by evidence of His resurrection. We want to be abiding in Jesus, for salvation from our living God in who we believe.
Matthew 7:24-29
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
This all states that Jesus is the right standing ground, and implies that there is a wrong standing. Christ even says so! We can be knocked over and left in the dark in this life, and especially will in the afterlife if we’re not on God’s firm ground. Scripture explains that the world is fallen, and because of “the fall” (the entrance of corruption through the first sins of male and female, our human origins to first disobey God) we are born spiritually astray from God, in embedded sin and corruption, which cannot be in His sight. We, however, rediscover God’s love and favor, though Jesus, who is His mercy and the Light.
Living in Jesus is living in the Light.
In His light, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. If anyone is in Christ, they’re a new creation! (2nd Corinthians 5:17) We are righteous in Him! We are new, in new standings, in grace, in new revelations that we are being sanctified, and He is bringing His kingdom, that we are building and awaiting the finished version of.
There are a lot of deceived believers, who think we can serve our flesh in sin and serve God simultaneously. But God would say we don’t know Him at all. (Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge….”) That to know Him and love Him, is to obey His commandments. (John 14:15 ““If you love Me, keep My commandments.”)
We should be building righteousness wherever we are in life if we belong to God. We should be walking in the Spirit. And this is a blog to encourage and give you insight on how to do that.
This blog will talk about: The Call to Build God’s Kingdom, Sanctification, and Stewarding Well
Build God’s Kingdom
John 4:23-24 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Colossians 3:23 “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,”
• Know truth, test spirits, live worthy, keep the testimony of faith, persevere to the end… here are our instructions, written throughout scripture. Here is God’s Word enlightening us about the Christian life.
So dear believers, dear Christian, how does your life match up?
Do not be discouraged if you have not truly begun to walk out the true Christian call, God knows where we are in life, accepts us if we are repentant (Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”), and will be beside us completely in our journey!
John 15:5-8 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Be encouraged! Start where you are. Start building on God.
Sanctification
Ephesians 4: 17-32
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
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There will be pressure in this refining. The pressure to return to sin, to serve the flesh, but take up your cross daily! Deny the lusts of the flesh and lusts of the eyes for the world for the gain of Christ. Rejoice, because though there will be sacrifices, there will be a resurrection. There is a promise. The promise of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, joy, peace, and all the good things of God—the promise of the new creation. The promise of honor from the Lord we now live to honor.
Knowing this, do not be deceived. Do not exchange the truth for a lie, or your soul for gold. No longer steal to get ahead, no longer live in sexual immorality, no longer idolize or hold anything as a boast above Christ. But surrender.
— John 6: 66-69 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
— John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
Whatever you need, ask God for it! Even when it’s a need for new mercy!
Luke 2: 28-32
, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
For my eyes have seen Your salvation
Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
Live your life with full eyes on Christ. It is His kingdom we are building, it is His kingdom we are living in. Let it all be redeemed, His kingdom and you, through His power, tools, instructions, etc. He has gifted you things, (James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.) and He calls you to steward well!
— Matthew 9:35 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
—1st Peter 4:10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
Purpose, Bricks, and Layers/ Stewarding
This is a response in scripture from God about and to both active and neglectful servants, including both a warning and secure hope/ promise about our service and building:
Matthew 24: 45-51 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
1st Corinthians 3:13 “each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.”
Build with zeal then! No matter what lot you’re given in life, build intentionally no matter where you are! Progress will happen. Living on mission for God, declining the persuasions of the world, and pursuing solely what lasts will never be vain! God’s for His name’s sake, and the sake of His people, His word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11).
1st Corinthians 7: 20-24 Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise, he who is called while free is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called.
God knows that some people end up sacrificing more than others to follow Him, but this is apart of our honor. This is the counted cost, and acceptance of Christ. And God will not shame or abandon your righteous decision.
—Matthew 10: 32-33 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
• Remember your empowerment and delight is in God’s love, in Christ’s love. Through the faithful leading of the Holy Spirit. We do not work our way into God’s grace and kingdom, but we work as faithful servants of God’s kingdom. We work to assure we don’t destroy God’s kingdom with our actions. God would either discipline or reject a person destroying His kingdom. We do not continue idly/ purposeless/ unfruitful or in sin.
We turn over darkness for light, hate for love, bondage for liberation, laziness for zeal, victim to victor, sin for righteousness. We build up instead of tear down. We enjoy and build the righteous things of God!
We may find ourselves surrounded by many who return our godliness for evil, our light, and goodness for darkness and hate… we may find ourselves in places that cannot accept God or see His redemption for themselves or you. We will walk through areas that may live the lies of the enemy and have to tarry there, and hear the lie projected onto us, but simply remember your identity in Christ! Confirm the word of God, the word of truth again and again! Let God’s word be firm because it is, He is coming/ we will all return to Him, so do not lay the thrown stones of the enemy, only build up Christ!
Remember, it’s “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” (Matthew 15:11)
Matthew 6:21“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”