LEGALISTIC???

JOHN 14: 15 says, "If you LOVE ME, you will obey my COMMANDMENTS"---

There is a LOT of debating, and bickering over whether OBEDIENCE to THE LORD *GOD* is being legalistic! CHRIST JESUS taught that we are to LOVE THE FATHER with all our mind, heart, and soul, this is the first COMMANDMENT, and LOVE thy neighbor as thyself is the second COMMANDMENT, which HE CLEARLY decrees we ARE to OBEY, and with good reason...

The LOVE HE speaks of is NOT like the LOVE this world has, and teaches; for one thing; it IS a LIFESTYLE FOUNDED on HIS WILL, NOT ours, which TRANSFORMS us INTO WILLINGNESS of OBEDIENCE ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, HIS WAYS, HIS WORD! NO, we can NEVER earn our right into THE KINGDOM, HOWEVER, IF we LOVE HIM as we should, we WILL change, we WILL grow, we WILL develop, and we WILL mature INTO HIS LIKENESS! We are taught: But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy"(1 PETER 1: 15-16), for which there ARE several cross references, one of which says; A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it (ISIAH 35: 8), which also, has several notable cross references, such as, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it, But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it (MATTHEW 7: 13-14).

But the way of religion and godliness shall be laid open. The way of holiness is the way of God's commandment; it is the good old way. And the way to heaven is a plain way. Those knowing but little, and unlearned, shall be kept from missing the road. It shall be a safe way; nothing can do them any real hurt. Christ, the way to God, shall be clearly made known; and the way of a believer's duty shall be plainly marked out.

A strong and perfect trust in the grace of God, is agreeable with best endeavours in our duty. Holiness is the desire and duty of every Christian. It must be in all affairs, in every condition, and towards all people. We must especially watch and pray against the sins to which we are inclined. The written word of God is the surest rule of a Christian's life, and by this rule we are commanded to be holy every way. God makes those holy whom he saves.

SO, we HAVE DUTIES ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF *GOD*, and IN the COVENANT, because we ARE PARTNERS of this binding agreement! NO, we are not under the law of the ancients, and yet, LOVE SEES us existing IN HIS WILL, and WAYS! We ARE PROACTIVE IN THE PROCESS of being Sanctified, and Consecrated; HOW else could it work???

IN LOVE CHRIST JESUS resisted temptation, and sin; IN LOVE HE endured being ridiculed, spit upon, whipped, beaten, and abused before HE died an awful, painful death on the cross! LOVE KEPT HIM strong, and aligned TO THE WILL OF THE FATHER! LOVE works the same way in us; it KEEPS us CONSCIENTIOUSLY conscious of ALL we think, say, and do! LOVE SEES us existing IN HIS WILL, for we KNOW it IS FOR HIS GLORY, and the greater good of others! LOVE AIDS us in developing INTO HIS REFLECTIONS, and ANCHORS us to the root of RIGHTEOUSNESS, and GOODNESS! IF LOVE IS REAL, it INSPIRES one, and motivates one TO DOING what IS just, right, and good!!!

NO, it is not a matter of law, or being legalistic! It IS a matter of the LOVE for *GOD* which ALLOWS HIM to work IN us, through us, and around us! It IS a matter of CHOOSING to BECOME more LIKE HIM all the while, which means, we are OPEN to the works HE IS DOING in us, BECAUSE TRUTH IS, we ARE IN the spirit, CREATED in HIS image, and so, BEING made INTO vessels for LOFTY USE IS our reality, NOT what is of the flesh, and of this world!!!

IF we LOVE someone, we AIM to PLEASE them; to be loyal; to be right-minded, and of a good heart! We give up things which might affect our relationship with them; we CORRECT things which cause problems, and so on! All the more so when our LOVE is FOR *GOD*!!!

THE LORD says we are to take up our crosses daily! This is part means that we WORK through our characters, behaviours, issues, and weaknesses! Our AIM IS to IMPROVE upon our beings what HAS been affected, even tainted BY this world! Our WILLINGNESS TO BE worthy fruits upon the vine IS what aids in guiding others TO HIM, and clear of the shackles which hope to chain everyone to this world! We HAVE a HUGE role in HIS PLAN, AS BEACONS OF HIM, that those in darkness SEE HIM, and this dear people, INCLUDES BEING HONEST representatives OF HIM, HIS WILL, and HIS WAYS!!!

For the resistant; that is those who WANT to live in the world, AND IN HIM, this all seems contrary to GRACE, but the GRACE we RECEIVE naturally, becomes grace alive in us! Children OF THE LORD ARE PROACTIVE IN this world, IN ALL which is right, just, and good! CHRIST JESUS IS HE WHOM we ARE to FOLLOW, and to BECOME like BECAUSE IN THE TRUTH OF LOVE, HE OVERCAME ALL which works against humanity, AND HE SHOWED us the SENSE, and SENSIBILITIES IN existing ACCORDING TO *GOD'S* WILL, not ours!!!

Forgiveness does NOT open up to more, and greater sins! Forgiveness opens up to greater ability to recognize, control, and finally, resist sin! Can an one effectively do anything without proper instruction, training, or utilizing what they have been taught? NOPE! Can one SHINE if there is any darkness remaining in them? NOPE! Can one HONESTLY say they are OF *GOD* if they continue in the flesh, KNOWING that they HAVE died with CHRIST? NOPE!!!

 

ON OUR OWN, we can do NOTHING, but I tell you what, IF one has RECEIVED CHRIST JESUS, there IS a LONGING to BE ALL HE bids us to be, EVEN if we stumble, trip, and fall! There IS an INTENSE DESIRE to PLEASE HIM, and to be found spotless, and blameless! It ISN'T that we are going to be perfect, it is that we ARE stepping UP INTO OUR REALITY, which IS HIGHER than this world, AND ARE conforming in conduct TO HIS WILL, HIS WAYS, HIS WORD, FOR there IS DIVINE purpose, and reason at work which PROVES HIS OWN to this world, and enemies!!!

I AM being wrought into the LIKENESS of THE LORD! I WILL SERVE HIM, and others, for eternity, beginning IN this realm, and spanning into forever! I am NOT out to impress humanity, instead to PLEASE my *GOD*, EVEN though I AM a long, long way from the end goal, I REMAIN OPEN TO HIS WORKS in me, and while it sometimes creates discomfort, this is temporal, as is this world, and WILL be recompensed! I LIKE the changes HE has caused in me, and I AM happy that HE took me, and began to bend me, shape me, form me, and make me into the TRUTH of my existence, which BELONGS TO HIM, FOR HIS OWN PURPOSES! While at times it is hard, no doubt, I realize that the world twisted my reality to the point of it being so!!!

Anyone who resists being MADE into HIS LIKENESS might want to peer deeply into themselves to examine their FAITH (2 CORINTHIANS 13: 5)! Though it is God's gracious method to bear long with sinners, yet he will not bear always; at length he will come, and will not spare those who remain obstinate and impenitent. Christ at his crucifixion, appeared as only a weak and helpless man, but his resurrection and life showed his Divine power. So the apostles, how mean and contemptible soever they appeared to the world, yet, as instruments, they manifested the power of God. Let them prove their tempers, conduct, and experience, as gold is assayed or proved by the touchstone. If they could prove themselves not to be reprobates, not to be rejected of Christ, he trusted they would know that he was not a reprobate, not disowned by Christ. They ought to know if Christ Jesus was in them, by the influences, graces, and indwelling of his Spirit, by his kingdom set up in their hearts. Let us question our own souls; either we are true Christians, or we are deceivers. Unless Christ be in us by his Spirit, and power of his love, our faith is dead, and we are yet disapproved by our Judge.

MANY people exist in a limited few sentences of THE BIBLE, and say that the rest is not important; this is WRONG; THE WHOLE OF THE WORD works AS ONE to REGENERATE HIS people; to INSPIRE; to MOTIVATE; to MAINTAIN them; to KEEP them IN HIS LOVE, which then, LEADS them THROUGH this valley which hopes to claim our very souls!!!

2 TIMOTHY 3: 16...
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

WHAT does this say? That we are free from learning, correcting, or training? NOT!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2016
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS