A Shadow

We serve an eternal God. And eternity is a difficult concept for humans to grasp. Each of our lives has a beginning, a middle and an end. We are born, we live and we die. But eternity has no beginning and it has no end. Besides this, as believers, when we consider our life, we also realize that this is his world, and we’re just passing through. This is not our eternal home, heaven is. Even though we get to stay here for about 80 or 90 years if we’re lucky, in reality, we’re strangers here. Our existence is but a shadow. In first Chronicles, king David explains it this way in a prayer to God. In chapter 29, verse 15 he says: 

“We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.”

I don’t know about you, but that makes me feel pretty insignificant. But even if our lives are short, God’s favor rests on us. It rests on us because we are his creation; a creation made in his image. He loves us with a jealous love and lavishes his grace and mercy upon us. So, yes, our lives are short. David compares a human life to a shadow. But God is a gracious God. And while we remain in him, our lives have eternal significance. I hope that encourages you today. And I hope that when you reflect on how short our lives are, you stop to consider how you are living it. Do not spend your days here on earth without purpose. I encourage you to seek out a kingdom purpose. I encourage you to live for Christ.

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In a prayer to God, David says; “We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.” But in fact, we do have hope. Our hope is in Christ; the one who died so that we might live. And as you live, I encourage you to consider how you are living. Do you have a kingdom purpose? Are any of your actions kingdom focused? Or are you just living this life with no consideration for what is to come in your eternal life. I encourage you to really consider how you are spending your life on earth. Because the Bible encourage us to be kingdom minded. It encourages us to store up treasures in heaven. And David reminds us that this isn’t even our home.

Our Conduct

Have you ever known someone who calls themselves a Christian, but their actions would seem to prove otherwise? They want to be known as pure and right, but don’t seem to conduct themselves in a way that the Bible would affirm as “pure and right”. The Bible tells us that we will know the heart of a person by their fruit, not necessarily by their words. Proverbs 20 verse 11 puts it this way: 

“Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right.”

If you claim to be a Christian; if you claim to be a follower of Christ, then your actions should reflect that claim. Are your motives pure? Are your actions pure? Would your friends be surprised to hear your claim of being a Christian? Yes, we are human and subject to fall through sin on occasion, but where is our heart? If we are only pretending, or flat out falsely claiming that we are believers, then our actions will prove us a liar. And over time, our words will also. Because the Bible reminds us that “the mouth speaks what the heart is full of”. So whatever your true motives, whatever your true intentions, your heart will reveal who you really are - certainly to God, but also to man. So I encourage you to be true to your claim of being a believer, because Proverbs reminds us that even a child is known by his actions.

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We need to be true to our testimony, or our claim that we are believers in Christ. Yes we are subject to sin, but our heart and our intentions should be towards purity and righteousness in Christ. To say that we follow him, but live in a way that is unbecoming a believer only proves us false and can be a stumbling block to those who God is calling to himself. So I encourage you to take seriously your conduct before God and also before men. Because who you truly are will be revealed whether you want it to or not.

Beyond Question

The salvation that comes from our belief in Jesus is the hope of all who live. We who believe, know the truth. And for us, the truth has set us free. Our afterlife is secure because our belief is beyond all question. Are you secure in your belief? Do you believe, without question, that Jesus is the salvation of all who believe? If you struggle with this or have questions about who Jesus is, Paul, in a letter to Timothy, puts is simply in first Timothy 3:16 which says:

“Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.”

Jesus is the cornerstone of our salvation. Without him, there would be no salvation. For those who believe, it is beyond all question. Jesus, the Word in which everything was spoken into being, came in human flesh. He lived a holy life modeling how we are to live. Then he was crucified on a cross for our sin. With this knowledge we should understand the great mystery of godliness, as Paul puts it. And for those who believe, and have accepted Jesus as our savior, it is beyond all question. Do you doubt today? I encourage you to believe.

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Jesus appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, and was taken up in glory. Do you believe this to be true? Is it beyond all question in your mind and in your heart? If not, I encourage you to believe today. Jesus is the only way to heaven. Without him, there is no salvation. But with him, we can have eternal life with the Father. Don’t think you know it. Know that you know it. Do not doubt. Know that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Know it beyond all question.

True Disciples

A disciple is defined as a follower or student of a teacher. Would you consider yourself to be a disciple of Jesus? Would you say that you are a follower or a student of his teachings? If you are, then you would, indeed, be a disciple of Christ. Jesus puts it this way in John, chapter 8 verses 31 and 32:

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”

Jesus not only calls us to believe in him, he also wants us to be followers of his teaching; or his disciples. Being a disciple is a life-long journey. We need to continue to remind ourselves of his teachings by reading his word, attending events that highlight his word such as church, Bible study and prayer gatherings and pray that the Holy Spirit help us to discern his word. And as we learn about his word, we need to do what it says. In doing so, we become a student of his teaching; we become a follower of Christ. When Jesus went to be with the Father, he sent us the Holy Spirit to help us on our journey. I encourage you not to try to live out the Christian walk on your own. We need the Holy Spirit to help us along the way. He will help us live out what we learn. Trying to do it in our flesh will always end in failure. But walking in step with the Spirit will help us live out the truth. And as Jesus puts it, the truth will set us free.

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Jesus says, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” I encourage you to be a student of Jesus’ teaching. Continue to flood your mind with the teachings of the Bible, and do what it says. Make it your life’s mission to become more and more like Jesus. If you do, you will see the world more clearly. You will see the world through his eyes. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Not Shaken

Do you ever read the Bible, especially the Psalms, and run across a portion of scripture that has been adapted into a song that you sing in church? Every so often, I do. I find it refreshing, and a bit rewarding, to find that because I’m familiar with the song, I’ve actually memorized scripture without even trying. Psalm 62 verses 5 and 6 is one such example for me. It says:

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.”

What a very encouraging verse. God is our rock. He is our salvation. He is our fortress. In him our soul can find rest. And if we truly put our hope in him - the God of all creation, the one who has the power to perform miracles, and the one who is able to save our soul from eternal damnation, our faith will not be shaken. How is your faith today? If it is weak I encourage you to put your trust in God. Remember who he is. Remember what he’s done, and put your hope in him. I encourage you today to let go of your fears and put your complete trust in God.

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Let us put our complete trust - our complete hope - in God to the point where we will not be shaken. There is no stronger foundation for our faith. Every other solution is flawed. We can’t trust men, we can’t trust fate, we can’t trust our government, and we can’t trust our financial security. All of these things can fail us. And none of these things are the solution in every situation. But God is. There is nothing to big for him and there is nothing impossible for him. Let us put our hope in the one who made us and everything that we know. Because when God is for us, who can be against us? I encourage you to put your complete faith in him to the point where whatever life throws at you, you’ll never be shaken.