Monday April 9, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 11:1-7; Luke 12:48; James 2:14-26

 

Our society today talks more about rights than responsibilities. In fact we have almost completely removed all sense of responsibility by blame shifting and focussing on our rights.  A man willingly gets drunk, drives his car and kills a young girl is deemed not responsible for his actions. People argue that he has a right to live a free life. A gunman kills 13 people in his former office and people argue for his rights, not the rights of the families who lost a loved one that tragic day.

 

Israel was in a privileged position and had the extreme privilege of experiencing God. While the command to obey again rings out loudly from this chapter of Deuteronomy we must remember that it’s written to a people who saw and experienced the tender heart of God the Father. They experienced the coming out of Egypt. They held the guiding hand of God through the desert - the cloud by day and the fire by night. They felt the discipline and provision of the Lord at each and every step. They knew God’s provision in times of hunger and thirst. The communed with God through Moses their mediator. With such privilege came a great responsibility.

 

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, do we sense our great responsibility? Haven’t we experienced God? Haven’t we benefited from the death of Christ Jesus on the cross? Haven’t we felt the provision of God as He stamped, ‘Not Guilty’ on our eternal record? Haven’t we walked in the glorious freedom of the children of God? Haven’t we felt the intimacy of being able to cry out, ‘Dad, Abba Father’ through Christ Jesus? Haven’t we been spurred on and guided by the Holy Spirit dwelling in us? With such privilege comes great responsibility.

 

Far too many Christians have taken for granted these immense privileges that came at the cost of the death of God’s one and only Son, Christ Jesus. Far too many Christians have been “saved” through mental assent to Jesus and feel the burden to give only mental assent to God once a week in church services across the land. Far too many Christians are ignoring God throughout the week and acknowledging Him as they enter the church doors for Sonday worship. They serve God with their hymn-singing lips but deny Him with their lives.

 

Much has been given to us through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus and from us much will be demanded. God will not tolerate for ever the easy lifestyle that we’ve allowed ourselves to fall into. He will not put up with our cruising through Christianity attitude for much longer.

 

Let us all rise to the challenge and live as God has created us to live. Let each one of us stand up and call on the Holy Spirit to revive ourselves and to motivate ourselves to be bond slaves to Jesus, to work for Him and to do the good works that God has already created for us to do. Let us strive to be all that God has created us to be. Let us live in Christ and for Christ whether that means life or death. Let us stand up and be counted for His glory.

 

Prayer:

¥ Pray for the Holy Spirit to motivate and equip you to be passionate about Jesus. Spend time confessing your sins to Christ and asking for a new heart. Pray this for everyone in your congregation.

¥ Pray that God would continue to bring lost souls to repentance and faith through Shiloh Church ministries in India. Pray that we would see many there being baptised into the faith. Pray the same for our country and even more personally, for our own witness. Pray that each and every single person in your church would lead someone to the Lord this week.