#2029 0921 14P

            Our commitment to do the will of God must be absolute and real, and the moment that it is, the Holy Spirit comes in to our heart to abide, as He did real Christians in the Bible.  The Spirit cannot take possession of us against our will—it must be a full surrender on our part.

            Wrong doctrines and dangerous delusions that we may have thought were right in the past, such as once saved always saved, can follow us far into the true Christian life, and Satan uses those false teachings to have us tolerate rebellion, or to accept deliberate disobedience in our life—saying that once we are saved, it does not matter what choices we make later.

            However, the longer we tolerate rebellion and disobedience, the more entrenched they become—we cannot tolerate either for a moment.  We cannot allow ourselves to make even one excuse for not meeting things in God’s way.  Romans 8:28 “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

            When we understand that, we will be glad to meet difficult things in a scriptural way; and when we take that attitude, difficulties disappear.  No matter how unjust or unfair we may have been treated, the moment it is met in a scriptural way, that problem is over with, and the people who treated us wrongly are compelled to treat us kindly.  Proverbs 16:7 “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”

            If we will take a scriptural position, and a Christ-like attitude, concerning situations at work, in the home, with friends, or anywhere, we will look at things much differently than we had, and realize that these things are valuable spiritual lessons from God.  We will consider it a divine privilege to be shown our wrong attitude, and will thank the Lord for helping us get rid of self and the wrong attitude—that were leading us in the wrong direction.

            Wanting to be on scriptural grounds concerning everything, is what a full surrender to God means.  Any aspect of our life, in which we need to respond, we are to find out what the Bible says, and then be willing to follow through as it reads.  There would be millions less in the lake of fire, pleading for relief from the torture, if they had asked that same question, and then been willing to do what God’s Word teaches.

            The second part of our commitment to do God’s will, is to have the Holy Spirit within Who inspires us to stay committed—and Who empowers us to follow through in the right way.  Acts 5:32 “We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”  At that point, we claim the full baptism of the Holy Spirit—without seeing or feeling anything—just accepting the Word in faith that the Spirit of God is within our heart.

            A third aspect of giving our life totally to God, and on which our hope of Heaven depends—as well as enjoying many other blessings concerning God’s peace, protection, health, healing, and righteousness—is to meet every detail of life according to Bible instructions.  We should look back on our life, and see how many times we allowed ourselves to be upset and resentful over things that could have benefited us, had we met them scripturally.

            Every situation met in God’s way will make us stronger in His Truth, and enable God to give us more of His blessings that He wants us to enjoy—peace, protection, provisions, and contentment.  That is our inheritance, and that is what God wants us to have.  He does not want us to experience pain, poverty or problems; He does not want us to have trials, troubles, and tribulations, but the opposite—by our meeting things right and trusting Him fully.

            The reason for every mean thing said or done to us by an agent of Satan; or any difficult circumstance or financial battle we meet, is to teach us, and to lead us into the center of God’s will.  It is to perfect our faith in God on the issue, and to eliminate any human plan or power on which we had depended.  Such battles met right, lead us to a position of trust on the divine power of God.

            It is the reason for difficulties—and if they are met right, it will correct the trouble; but if they are not met right, they confirm our wrong attitude on the issue, and lead us in the wrong direction.  All such things are connected to eternal life—and to this life as well.  Knowing that eternity is linked to how things are met in this life, reminds us of the importance of knowing God’s will on any given circumstance, and being willing to carry through as His Word says.

             No matter what has taken place, or what anyone has said to us, there must be no resentment in our heart against that person.  We all act natural around the home, and is a reminder of the four personalities everyone has.  The first is what the outside world thinks we are by our outward appearance and behavior.  The second is what our family sees and knows of us by living in the same house with us.  The third is what we think ourselves to be—which is another personality, but not the true person.

            What the world, the home folks, or we think is our personally, it is not our true character.  The real person is the fourth personality; it is what God knows of us—which is usually the old self in us that has to be dethroned and driven out.  When self is gone, God takes its place—that will result in a big change of attitude.  A new person is born.

            God has a plan and pattern for every life on earth, and no one has any right to do or live any differently.  The devil can ruin the best person; and God can change the worst.  No matter what kind of a spouse, a man or woman may have, God can bring about a huge change in either one, if one or the other will meet things right and according to God’s Word.  2 Corinthians 5:17 “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

            When we get out of the way and let God work for us, those around us, at work, in the home, and everywhere else, will act in a much different way toward us than before.  Proverbs 16:7 “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him”—thus it is many times more that the members of our own family would be at peace with us.

            With any other trial, temptation, or wrong treatment from anyone—during work, in the home, with fellow believers or friends, we are to treat them the same, and not change our attitude toward them.  We are not to blame the individual from whom the insult, injustice, or unfair treatment came, but we are to blame the devil—who is in back of every mean thing said or done to us.

            We may have helped someone, only to have them refuse to help us—or they may return evil for the good we did them, and to treat us in an unchristian-like way.  If that happens, the devil will suggest things that are opposite to the Scriptures.  He says—Is that how they appreciate what you did for them; Is that all the thanks you get; They don’t deserve any help—give them the same treatment they gave you—see how they like it, etc.

            All such suggestions are opposite to all the inspired words of the Bible.  Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” 

            We are to realize that such insults, offenses, and wrong treatment are great opportunities to obey the Scriptures.  They give us the valuable opportunity to follow the divine commands of Scripture, and to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.  Leviticus 26:3-4 “‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops.”  If I forgive that person, God forgives me.  The Scriptures are plain Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

            The blessings that God wants us to enjoy, result from meeting things like a believer; and the problems we encounter, result from meeting things like an unbeliever.  The key is having the Holy Spirit to control our responses, because the devil wants to control our reactions. 

            Eternal life is hard-wired to meeting things as God’s Word says to meet them, because it involves acting faith in the Atonement sacrifice of Jesus Christ—which is the only valid faith.  We are to trust God in faith through all trials and tests, and to meet things in a scriptural way, no matter what the situation was, or who it involved.  Philippians 4:9 “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do [put it into practice].” 

            All difficult situations met, will show whether we will meet them in the Bible way—or not.  They are wonderful privileges, but are usually wrapped up in horrible-looking packages.  There are not many people in the world who have their sins forgiven—even those professing Christianity.

            Jesus said Matthew 18:35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”  We are not permitted to change our attitude in the least toward anyone who has wronged us, insulted us, or taken something from us.

            Great spiritual benefits in this life and the next will be received, if we forgive people when they harm us.  The most important aspect is, that forgiving our enemies is connected to entering God’s kingdom.  We have all sinned, so we all need mercy, forgiveness, and grace—from God.  James 2:13 “For there will be no mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others.  But if you have been merciful, then God’s mercy toward you will win out over his judgment against you.”

            Whenever we meet someone scripturally, and we truly forgive them from the heart, they often become our friend who wants to do good things for us.  The spiritual value that results from responding with forgiveness, cannot be over-estimated—neither in this life, nor the life to come.  Forgiving everyone from the heart, by the help of God’s Spirit, is the only way we can forgive.  Forgiving and forgetting that it happened—that is the definition of a real Christian!