Friday, January 8, 2016

Your Heart Won't Be Right, Unless God Is All That's Left

My Utmost For His Highest
 
Abraham built an altar…; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar… —Genesis 22:9
 
“This event is a picture of the mistake we make in thinking that the ultimate God wants of us is the sacrifice of death. What God wants is the sacrifice through death which enables us to do what Jesus did, that is, sacrifice our lives. […] “I am willing to be identified with Your death so that I may sacrifice my life to God.” We seem to think that God wants us to give up things! […] God never tells us to give up things just for the sake of giving them up, but He tells us to give them up for the sake of the only thing worth having, namely, life with Himself. […] Then we enter into a relationship with God whereby we may sacrifice our lives to Him. […] He wants you to be a “living sacrifice”— to let Him have all your strengths that have been saved and sanctified through Jesus (Romans 12:1). This is what is acceptable to God.”  CHAMBERS
 
What is getting in the way of your relationship with God?  God makes it pretty clear that He is a jealous God and He commands us to not have any other gods in our lives (Exodus 20:5).  That is a quote from the ten commandments.  A god is something that you serve.  Something that dictates what you do, what you think, what you depend upon.  It might be yourself, it might be some other thing in the world. God makes it pretty clear.  (1 John 2:15-17) “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”  Trust in the Lord and not in yourself (Proverbs 3:5-6)
 
So God is telling us, “if you are going to live this new life, you must sacrifice everything that you treasure .. everything that you depend upon … and serve Me”  I can’t explain it except to say that it is God’s plan and His purpose for His creation.  The original sin in the Garden occurred when man decided that there was another, better way.  We are still doing that.  God has told us there isn’t a better way … that Jesus is the way.  The cross is the way.  What is holding you back?  What is it that you have chosen over God?  What is it that you need to lay on the altar?  Don’t delay .. do it today.  ELGIN
 
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)
 
Charley Elgin

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