Being and Becoming God’s Own

Yesterday we learned that God wants us to pay attention to every detail of our lives. One of the greatest details, that is important to our growing relationship with Him, is “Don’t link up with those who will pollute you.” Why? “I want you all for myself.” says the God of all, who created us.

Our mission, purpose and reason to live is to tell others, to come alongside them and help them to see God, repent and have a relationship with Him, too. We do not want people to come to us, but to God. Our goal is to point people to Jesus, who died to save us, and lives again with plans for us to dwell with Him forever.

However, in our goal to bring friends to Christ, we may fall to becoming more like those needing Jesus, causing us to compromise what we believe and how we behave. We try so hard to be accepted by the sinner we are trying to help, that we become more like them, less like the Christ, instead of leading them to be more like Christ! It happens. That’s why we need to consistently evaluate our motives, our true desires, our belief along with our behavior. Who’s leading whom?

“Don’t link up with those who will pollute you.” Why? “I want you all for myself.” says the God of all, who created us.

I know, I am repeating myself. But it is an important detail to think about in our lives. We love and lead, but we do not compromise or we miss out on the very promises of God. “Does Christ go strolling with the Devil?”, Paul declared to the Corinthians who were compromising their faith and trust in Jesus. “Do trust and mistrust hold hands?” NO!

Here is God’s promise, “I’ll be a Father to you’ you’ll be sons and daughters to me. The Word of the Master, God.”

Which leads us to this next passage full of deep love and care for us who are being and becoming more like Christ and less like the world of our family and friends…

2 Corinthians 7, The Message

With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let’s make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God.

What do we learn?
–We must make a clean break, with repentant hearts, not just remorse over missteps in judgement because we got caught, but truly repentant, never to link up with what pollutes our lives and draws us away from God. It’s time to clean house, our temple, making it fit for God to live there. If we do, His promise is to be with us, dwell with us forever! We will be called his sons and daughters!
–Go tell God’s story of repentance and relationship, without compromise! Look at the very word compromise…which means without promise. If we compromise, we are WITHOUT the promises of God! Yikes. We cannot risk that!

Dear Heavenly Father, We repent of our selfish desires to be accepted by others who the devil uses to draw us away from You. Open our eyes and help us to see when it is happening wo we can quickly course adjustments in our journey. We repent of falling short of Your promises when we compromise. Cleanse our hearts, minds and souls. Wash us and make us white as snow, removing all the stains of our past. Take away all that offends You. Renew our Spirits. Restore the joy of our salvation. Thank you, dear Lord. Thank you.
In Jesus Name, Amen