…but god… Episode 163
Transcript
“For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person endures grief when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it and you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.”
1 Peter 2:19-20 NASB2020
Ultimately, we want to find favor with God and if we are truly being honest it’s really easy to be a Christian here in the United States. (I know it’s getting more difficult but we are not being imprisoned or killed because we believe.) Therefore, in many ways it makes it more difficult to be a follower of Christ. Followers rely on those they follow for sustenance. However, most Christians here in the USA don’t really rely on God for their next meal. We are, for the most part, fairly affluent as far as world standards go. Therefore, we are all too often comfortable, we make a mistake we confess and we pay the price and we are forgiven. God says through Peter “For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience”?
Is this really being all in? As a follower of Christ our identity is as a follower of Christ. I’ve been reading a book called “not a fan” by Kyle Idleman. It is about how we can be followers of Christ. Kyle concludes the book with 4 key points. He explains that in Ephesians Paul says “Therefore you are no longer outsiders (exiles, migrants, and aliens, excluded from the rights of citizens), but you now share citizenship with the saints (God's own people, consecrated and set apart for Himself); and you belong to God's [own] household.”
Ephesians 2:19 AMPC
Idleman goes on, he explains, God also chose us “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also.”
Colossians 3:12-13 NASB2020
Then Idleman says, He called us “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Ephesians 4:1-3 NASB2020
Idleman concludes by explaining if we are citizens who have been chosen and called then we must do more than just a believe we must actively follow Him “And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, this is the one who will save it. For what good does it do a person if he gains the whole world, but loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels.”
Luke 9:23-26 NASB2020
Be a follower of Christ don’t just be a believer! James explains “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.”
James 2:19 NASB2020
Pick up your cross daily and follow Him!
Lord we praise your Holy Name. Help us to follow your two greatest commandments, to love you with our whole self and to love others as we love ourselves. Help our whole faith and how we follow you to be based on these two commandments. Thank you for your perfect forgiveness and your peace that surpasses all understanding. We pray all these things in Jesus Name Amen…
Shalom, Shalom Blessings Press in and Press on!
Hosted by Chad McBeam
