No Room For Compromise

"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money" - Matthew 6:24

Most of us have at least read the ten commandments. You may not have thought of them in this way, but the first 4 commandments have to do with our relationship with our Father and the remaining 6 commandments have to do with our relationship with other people. When Jesus said 

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." - Matthew 22:37-40

He was referring to the 10 commandments and all other commandments God had communicated through the prophets. So, when we read in Matthew 6 that we must choose God or the world - it is to remind us that we should not try to do the impossible, which is to embrace both. Both demand our total devotion. If we convince ourselves that we can do both we are deceiving ourselves. 

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." - 1 John 2:15

That doesn't leave much room for us does it? We are prone to accommodate those things in the world that are appealing to us that God has spoken plainly against. Much of "those things" falling into the "not so bad" category in our minds. We might do it for acceptance by other people - typically not Christian people, friends, family, or people we work with.  Exodus 20 and Matthew 22 lay it out simply. We must love God with all of our being and that will manifest itself as love for others. And it will also cause us to reject what the world says is "OK" but what God has said clearly is not "OK". And if we try to love the world in spite of that knowledge then the truth is that we don't really love God. We may want to, but we don't.

Jesus also said ....

"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." - Matthew 16:24.

In other words, we must deny our old nature and its affections and do the will of the Father - just like Jesus did. Taking up our cross means laying our old, sinful nature on the Altar as a sacrifice like Paul referred to in Romans. 

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:1-2

We are about to celebrate the arrival of Jesus - sent by God the Father as a means of redemption from our bondage to sin and eternal condemnation. Why would we want to embrace that which we had been saved from. How can we say, "Thank you Jesus" and then continue to live in or turn back to our sinful ways?  Examine your heart and your ways. Don't wait for the New Year to make a resolution - instead commit now to choose God just like Joshua. 

"And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. - Joshua 24:15

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone