Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, grandfather, Pastor with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is the Associate Pastor of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church. He is the author of two devotional books, “From a Chair by the Window.” And “#PrayerWinsThe Day”.
Commitment to Holiness
Posted on November 10, 2022 by Elizabeth Welte in Freedom Fighters
“A commitment to holiness means having a life that is always ready for company and open for inspection.” ~ N.L. DeMoss
To be loved by God is to have a sense of security, a sense of self-worth, and a good image of oneself. Consider what God says about you, and how He and Jesus love you and have given Himself for you… this alone changes everything. Yes, understanding what God is capable of doing to me when I am not obedient or faithful to His Word scares me; but this is a low motivation, which I confess I have more often than I would like. Yet, it is His extraordinary love for me that ‘constrains’ me; driving me onward and guides my thinking and motives.
I know that many think I am crazy or foolish at times, but like Paul, “either way, Christ’s love constrains me.’ And it does so, ‘Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. Therefore, we no longer have to be concerned for our rights or meeting our needs, He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.’ Having been freed from struggling to find happiness, success, value, worth, peace, joy, strength, wisdom, grace, forgiveness, and hope in this life, we can rest in His care… no matter the circumstances. We can be confident that He is working out everything for His Glory and our good, and we can be assured that He will complete and perfect His work in us… because He who has promised is faithful!
What is so wonderful is no one is exempt from His Lovingkindness. He gave Himself as a propitiating sacrifice for ALL!
Therefore, ‘we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:14-17 NLT)
We now can see ourselves and others through the lense of faith, no longer dependent on the temporal stuff that is passing away.
I pray you look up to Jesus and walk by faith, being assured that He is at work in the midst of your troubles, drawling you into a faithful relationship with Himself. It is here that you will enjoy every blessing He has promised you.
Choose wisely….
“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) NO! Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39 NLT)
Praying 4 U
Think About This: “Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” – Mother Teresa
The Daily Bible Reading: Lamentations 1-2; Hebrews 7 You can download our 2022 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here.
This Week’s Verse to Memorize: “…in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:21-22
Want to get away & have dedicated time to read & learn God’s Word?
Consider a retreat at America’s Keswick retreat center.
