“Devotion”

Who Do We Give Our Allegiance To?

When people choose to follow the world over Christ, we should not keep them as friends or remain loyal to them.  Our devotion is to Jesus and our support is reserved for those who remain faithful to Him.

In Mark 10, Jesus was engaged in conversation with a young man who was financially wealthy.  This man wanted to understand the process to obtaining eternal life.  After reminding the young man of the commandments that had been given to the Israelites to live by, Jesus presented him with a challenge that would reveal where his heart was.  The challenge was to sell everything that he owned and give the money to the poor.  When the young man realized what he would have to do to prove his allegiance to God, he walked away.  Jesus did not pursue him or make him feel better for choosing things over God.  We all have our individual choice to make in regard to giving our allegiance to Christ or the world.   

1 John 2 :15-17

¹⁵ Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. ¹⁷ The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever.

 

 

“Honoring Leadership”

Respecting Authority

We are given biblical instructions to give respect to people who are in legitimate positions of authority.  Legitimate authority refers to people who have been selected by individuals to be authority figure in their lives. This includes, but is not limited to pastors, employers, and husbands.  Legitimate authority also refers to individuals who are elected or appointed such as, governors, mayors, and police officers (Romans 13:1-8).

Respecting authority is required even when the person doesn’t have any reverence for God (1 Peter 2:13-20).  The reason God is such a stickler concerning respecting leadership is because unless you can properly honor a human leader, you can NEVER properly honor God’s position. 

1 John 4:20

²⁰ If someone says, “I love God,” and yet he hates his brother or sister, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother and sister whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

 

“Sound Doctrine”

Is It Written?

There are times when we, as the Body of Christ, differ in some of our practices.  These differences can sometimes place us at odds with one another.  Some of our teachings are not written in the Bible or SPECIFICALLY endorsed by the Word of God.  If the teaching or practice is not written in or eluded to by the word of God, we need to refrain from imposing it on others. 

In Luke 6:6-11, Jesus took time on the Sabbath to heal a man who had a withered hand.  The scribes and Pharisees were outraged by this miracle being performed on the Sabbath because they viewed it as a violation of the Law.  However, none of the laws found in Exodus thru Deuteronomy forbids anyone to heal on the Sabbath.  This was ADDED to the Law after the Israelites returned from Babylonian captivity. 

We may have practices or beliefs that are not found in the Word of God but they also do not conflict with the Word of God.  Although these practices may be beneficial to us, this still does not permit us to attack other believers who do not exercise our principles.  Titus 3:9 instructs us to avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless.

 

“Godly Insight”

Proper Interpretation

It is important to take caution in applying the advice or counsel that we receive from others.  In First Samuel 24, Saul is in pursuit of David.  On one occasion, while searching for him, Saul decides to use the bathroom in a cave that David and his men have chosen to hide in.  David’s men advise him that God has caused Saul to be placed in a vulnerable position so that David can take him out.  However David chose to reject the counsel of his men and allow his enemy to live.  And as a result, when the time came for him to become king over Israel, David was blameless of committing any wrong against Saul.  He died in battle against the Philistines instead of dying at the hands of David. 

David’s men improperly assumed that Saul had been gift wrapped by God so that David could eliminate him, but David’s ability to view the situation with godly insight kept him righteous.  Sometimes people believe that the easy way out of a situation displays God’s intervention, but it is important to properly evaluate the circumstance using Biblical insight.

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

² But his delight is in the Law of the Lord,

And on His Law he meditates day and night.

³ He will be like a tree planted by streams of water,

Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither;

And in whatever he does, he prospers.

 

“Idolatry”

Worship God Only

We have to be mindful that we reserve our worship for God and Him only.  An idol is anything that we honor above God.  It is acceptable to acknowledge the goodness or usefulness of something but we should be careful that we do not adore the object or person above the adoration that we have for God.

An idol may even be something that God issued to us to serve a good purpose.  In Second Kings 18:4, we read about Hezekiah destroying the bronze snake that was erected by Moses to save the lives of the Israelites that had been bitten by snakes in Numbers 21.  Hezekiah had to destroy the image because, even though God used it to save the lives of everyone who would look at it, the Israelites decided  to worship what God had provided to heal them rather than reserving their worship for the healer Himself.  Even though God may place people in our path who can supply us with information that may be essential to our success in this life, we are to reserve the highest level of adoration for God.