Obedience & Consistency

"And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By looking within ourselves: are we really trying to do what he wants us to?

Someone may say, “I am a Christian; I am on my way to heaven; I belong to Christ.” But if he doesn’t do what Christ tells him to, he is a liar. But those who do what Christ tells them to will learn to love God more and more. That is the way to know whether or not you are a Christian. Anyone who says he is a Christian should live as Christ did.

Dear brothers, I am not writing out a new rule for you to obey, for it is an old one you have always had, right from the start. You have heard it all before. Yet it is always new, and works for you just as it did for Christ; and as we obey this commandment, to love one another, the darkness in our lives disappears and the new light of life in Christ shines in. Anyone who says he is walking in the light of Christ but dislikes his fellow man is still in darkness. But whoever loves his fellow man is “walking in the light” and can see his way without stumbling around in darkness and sin. For he who dislikes his brother is wandering in spiritual darkness and doesn’t know where he is going, for the darkness has made him blind so that he cannot see the way."

1 John 2:3-11

Don't you just love how God works??!! I was going through my journal that I've had for almost a year now and I stumbled upon a section from one Sunday morning. This Sunday morning was April 19, 2017 and that morning we were talking about Obedience and Consistency, so today I really wanted to focus my blog on being obedient and being consistent in that obedience. As teenagers and as people living in 2017 it is so hard for us to find a consistency of anything really. We are always looking at the next big thing, but what would happen if we focused on the things that are consistent and that will always when the next best thing award. I know that sounds a bit cheesy, but just listen to what God says about it. " Dear brothers, I am not writing out a new rule for you to obey, for it is an old one you have always had, right from the start. You have heard it all before. Yet it is always new, and works for you just as it did for Christ..." In 1 John 2:7-8 the writer talks about how the commands God has command of us are not new commandments but commandments that have been around for a long time, but as Christ followers they are commanded of us everyday. We are called to live as Jesus did. Jesus loved his brothers and sisters, he loved the prostitutes, he loved the tax collectors, and he loves us. We are ALL sinners yet he chose to die and to love us. " Anyone who says he is walking in the light of Christ but dislikes his fellow man is still in darkness. But whoever loves his fellow man is “walking in the light” and can see his way without stumbling around in darkness and sin. For he who dislikes his brother is wandering in spiritual darkness and doesn’t know where he is going, for the darkness has made him blind so that he cannot see the way," 1 John 2:9-11. By obeying the commands God has commanded of us we gain consistency. By practicing living like Jesus our actions will consistently reflect that. Actions speak way louder than words. Just think about how people would react when they see you. Our goal as christ followers is for people to know who we serve before we even tell them. When we walk into a room we want our presence to be peaceful and for people to know a difference. When I walk into a room I want all of the demons of hell to flee because sydney just walked into the room. That is something only achieved by obedience.

Dear Precious God,

Thank you for being who you are. God thank you for sending your son. Our perfect disciple. God I pray that we will be Jesus with skin on. Praise you Jesus.

Amen.