Do You Really Belong to God?

My heart is burdened by the sin I see.Sin in my own life and sin in the life of the church. I do not desire to judge you, I only ask that you look into your heart, soul, and mind and honestly before God ask Him if you are truly His.

The intent of my heart is as John says in 1 John 2:1-2 “I am writing these things so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous…”

Will you sit before God and ask yourself…

Do I live constantly in the Light or do I walk after darkness? 1 John 1:5-6 says that if we have fellowship with Jesus and yet walk in darkness we lie and do not practice the truth. 1 John 2:8-10 says if we live in the Light we will love our brothers and sisters.

Do I keep His commandments? 1 John 2:3-5 says that if we say we know Him we will keep His commandments. If we don’t keep them we lie and the truth is not in us.

Do I love the things of the world more than God? 1 John 2:15-17  says that if we love the world the love of the Father is not in us. James 4:4 says that friendship with the world is hostility toward God. Also see 1 Timothy 6:6-16

Do I seek holiness and righteousness before God? 1 Peter 1:14-16 says that we are to be holy and He is holy. 1 Tim 6:10-11 says that we are to flee the pursuit of money and pursue righteousness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.

Do I passionately pursue God? Do I seek Him above all others? Psalms 105 reminds us to seek God, to seek His face continually. To remember His wonders and all that He has done for us. Psalms 119:2 says that those who seek Him with all their heart will be blessed. In Amos 5:4-6 God reminds the house of Israel, and us that those who seek the Lord will live. Also see Zephaniah 3:2; Matt 7:7; Luke 13:24 and Col 3:1.

Do I daily take up my cross and follow Jesus or do I live for my fleshly desires? Luke 9:23 says “"If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Matthew 1-:38 says that if we do not take up our cross and follow Him we are not worthy of Him. 1 Cor 10:24 says that I am to seek the good of my neighbor. Romans 6:6 says that self was crucified with Christ and I no longer have to be a slave to sin. Romans 8:7-13 says that the mind that is set on the flesh is death, our minds should be set on the Spirit which is life and peace. And those who are in the flesh cannot please God. If you are living according to the flesh you must die.

Am I obedient? 2 Thess 1:8 says that there will be retribution to those who do not know God AND those who do not obey the gospel of Jesus. Acts 5:32 says that the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey the gospel. Heb 5:9 say that to those who obey Jesus He became salvation. 1 Peter 1:14 says that I am to be an obedient child. 1 Peter 1:22 says that by being obedient to the truth I purify my soul. John 3:36 says that “he who does not obey the Son will not see life but the wrath of God abides on him”

Please hear my heart dear friends. We all need to work out our salvation before God with trembling and fear. Phil 2:12 I beg you do not assume that you are a true follower of Christ just because you prayed and pray one day long ago or because you go to church, Bible studies, have Christian friends and family. If Christ is in us, if we are truly following after Him there will be a consistent growth toward the things of the Spirit. There WILL be fruit.

Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,  make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus … So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain… Phil 2:1-18