#2213 1206 15A

            Every morning we have to make choices about—our work, the family, or with children.  At that point—we have to decide to go with the world’s way, or to proceed in the Lord’s way—by following the instructions of His Word.  Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”  Ephesians 6:4 “Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture [training] and admonition [advice] of the Lord.”

            1 John 2:3 “Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”  It is making the right choice to believe in, and trust on, the One God sent John 6:29.

            Many who profess to follow Jesus, are not really keeping God’s Word on faith and trust.  They accept every idol that Satan presents in which to put their trust.  Moses told Israel that idolatry was—doing evil in the sight of the LORD thy God; and because of that sin, they would be scattered all over.  Deuteronomy 4:29 “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

            Making that right choice—to believe in, and trust on the power of God, through the Atonement Blood Christ, is the only way to escape the flames.  We are to Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the Lord while He may be found;” and God Acts 17:27 “is not far from any one of us.”  It is our choice to believe and accept; or to doubt and reject—what Jesus did for us on the cross—erased our sins.

            This wanting to know God, and wanting to have His Spirit within to inspire obedient trust in us, cannot be omitted.  The Spirit of God enables us to believe on the Son of God—thereby entering the kingdom of God.  John 3:16 “For God did so love the world, that His Son—the only begotten—He gave, that everyone who is believing in him may not perish, but may have [everlasting life].”

            The final judgment of everyone on earth is delayed until the end of their life.  We have this life as the only opportunity to put our faith and trust on the Atonement Blood of Christ.  Hebrews 9:28 “Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.”  When our sins are forgiven, our prayers will be answered—for healing; protection; justice; food; forgiveness; forgiving others, and everything else.

            Jesus said John 5:22-23 “The Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.”  The Son will make a judgment of our life on earth—whether we trusted Him in faith, or we trusted something else in unbelief.  God is honored when obedient trust is on the Son, through the inspiration of the Spirit.

            Obedience to the Word leads to the kingdom—John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears [hearing] My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”  We are no longer unable or unwilling to trust, but we are inspired as required to trust God in faith.

            Hearing, believing, and living God’s Truth is vitally important, because—“A time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear His voice and will come forth—they who have done what is right to the resurrection of Life, and they whose actions have been evil to the resurrection of judgement” John 5:28-29.

            Doing what is right is making a right choice to put our trust on God for all things.  God’s love is waiting to act on behalf of anyone who will trust Him in faith.  John 15:10 “If you obey my commands, you will continue in my love, as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and continue in His love.”  Being spiritually wise means making the right choice to put God’s Word into practice Matthew 7:24.

            Satan tries to lead us away from faith in Christ, by having us make wrong choices, but God is always waiting to help us make right choices—returning us to a position of faith and trust.  When being shown that we made a wrong decision, or an unwise choice—and Romans 14:23 “all that is not of faith is sin”—we should repent and return to trust God.  

            Every day God gives many opportunities to repent and return to a position of trust on His power—we just make the right choice to believe.  If we choose correctly and follow the directions of God’s Word, John 15:10 “ye shall abide in my love.”  “‘From the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them.  Return to Me, and I will return to you,’ Says the Lord,” Malachi 3:7.

            Jesus wants us to trust Him in faith, because only by putting our trust on His shed Blood of Atonement, can we stand before God cleansed of sin.  Cleansing means forgiving others and being forgiven by God; Matthew 6:14 “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

            When this life is over, there will be those few who, by making a right choice, are trusting in faith on the Atonement Blood of Christ; and the many who are not in unbelief—John 5:29 “And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

            To be trusting God in faith at the end of this life—because we truly believe what Jesus did for us on the cross—is the vital issue—it is John 6:29 “above all the thing that God requires—that you should be believers in Him whom He has sent.”  Believing in Him, and trusting on Him, is more important than anything else.

            No one can just say they trust God, and at the same time trust on medication, drugs, health plans, insurance policies, company pensions, safety devices, savings’ accounts, legal action, and hand guns for protection, etc.  Our trust is to be on God—not on a policy, a pill, or a procedure of the world.  Faith and obedience cannot be separated.  1 Corinthians 7:19 “Obedience to God’s commandments is everything.”

            Jesus is presenting our case and our prayers before the Father.  Hebrews 7:25 “Therefore he is able to save completely [to the very end] those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”  Jesus asks His Father to inspire us in faith through His Spirit to come back and trust Him—but ultimately, making that choice is our responsibility!

            God has promised to enlighten us and then correct us, if we have strayed from obedient trust on Him.  He is always merciful toward us, and He wants us to be in a position of safety by trusting Him in faith.  He does not want anyone to perish through rebellion, but everyone to be saved through repentance—2 Peter 3:9.  God loves us—so He gave His Son for us.

            Hebrews 12:5 “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart [be discouraged] when he rebukes you.”  God corrects our course, if we have strayed from His plan by putting our trust in the wrong thing—such as a pill; a gun; a security system; an insurance policy; a welfare check; or some prescription medicine.  Hebrews 12:6 “For whom the Lord loves He chastens [disciplines], And scourges every son whom He receives.”

            If we choose to believe the Son by faith, we will be disciplined by the Father in love.  To love God with all our heart, is to trust Him for all life issues.  Matthew 10:37-38 “‘He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  ‘And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.’”

            We should not condemn anyone whom the devil has led astray to place their trust in the wrong thing; but we should love them and pray for their conviction.  We should not seek their company, however, or have close friendship with them until some evidence of repentance is seen.  If someone is deceived to trust on plans of the world, rather than on the divine power of God—for healing, protection, provisions, and other such issues—we could be influenced by them to not put our faith on God.

            Unbelief is idolatry—and a serious sin—we are to come away from those who make the choice to keep idols in their life and do not believe or trust God in faith.  2 Corinthians 6:14 “Do not be yoked together [come into close association] with unbelievers.  For what do righteousness [believer] and wickedness [unbeliever] have in common?  Or what fellowship can light [Jesus] have with darkness [Satan]?” 17 “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.”

            We are to pray for those who have been led astray from true faith in God, and to ask Him to lead them back to a position and a life of obedient trust on Him.  Therefore we should not seek their company or close friendship.  Galatians 5:6 “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” 

            Trust on God is an expression of believing faith in Christ.  1 Peter 1:22 “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.”  Loving people fervently, has us praying for them earnestly.

            No neutral position exists—we are either on the right side of obedient trust on God; John 3:18 “He who believes [trusts] in Him is not condemned;” or on the left side of no trust on God; “but he who does not believe [not trust] is condemned already, because he has not believed [not his trust] in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

            Making right choices and believing every day on the Atonement Blood of our Savior—is of vital importance!  We must be willing to follow His instructions in everything—then the Holy Spirit is given to inspire us.  Luke 13:34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!”

            “How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!”

            It is all about making right choices—and all about eternal life through obedient faith and trust on the shed Blood of Christ at Calvary.