Armed And Extremely Dangerous

Armed And Extremely Dangerous
"READY FOR THE BATTLE"

Putting Fuel On The Fire

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Peril of Privilege

Peril of Privilege 



The Peril of Privilege the possibility that you will be hurt or killed because of what we stand up for and what we believe in. There are many people killed for their faith through the ages. Interestingly, the word we use today to talk about someone who is killed for their beliefs, martyr, is the basic Greek word used in the New Testament which is translated “witness.” Therefore, when Jesus said, “ye shall be witnesses unto me” in Acts 1:8 it had great significance to them. This does not mean that every follower of Christ will be killed for their faith, but because the witness of the early church followers lead to their martyrdom, we use the word today to mean someone who dies for their faith. However we must fight the good fight of faith. To mock God is to turn up one’s nose at Him or attempt to outwit Him. But this is foolish. 2Corinthians 5:10 says, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” If you were required to appear before the Lord’s judgment seat in the next five minutes, what kind of fruit would you be able to show? John 18:37, "For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice." Who we are today is the result of our past. By that, I mean our previous thoughts and actions determine, to a large extent, what kind of people we become. This fact is welcome news for those with good habits. But it is a frightening thought for anyone currently involved in ungodly activities such as promiscuity, drug or alcohol abuse, neglect of family, or mistreatment of others in order to climb the ladder of success. We would not plant crabgrass and expect to harvest pineapples. Likewise, we cannot sow disobedience to God and expect to reap His blessing. Farmers plant seeds they expect to harvest a great deal more than they sow. a single kernel can yield dozens, scores, even hundreds of seeds. It is the same way with both sin and righteousness—a small decision to do either good or bad reaps a much bigger crop, for either joy or sorrow. God’s Word to produce positive qualities in us, the results multiply: “The one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty” (Matt. 13:23). The prophet Hosea describes the consequences awaiting those who choose wickedness: “They sow the wind and they reap the whirlwind” (Hos. 8:7). Those who act wisely now will have insight in the future to make judicious decisions. Those who save prudently are prepared for the needs of tomorrow. It is a shortsighted person who thinks only of the here and now, and does as little as possible. Eventually, he will have no way to avoid the poor quality and small quantity of his rewards. Scripture puts it this way: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Gal. 6:7). The verse describes an unalterable law that affects everyone in all areas of life—family, work, and pleasure. It is both a warning and an encouragement. We reap what we sow, more than we sow, and later than we sow. the blessings and privileges that believers have in Christ are bountiful, to say the least. In fact, continue in the race to finish it, and win the prize. The prize is everlasting life which means we must rigorously train and discipline our members. Restrain our appetites and compete the race according to the principles of discipline that promote winning or success; he must run in such a way that he may win we that we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:3), indeed, we are complete in Him.  1 Corinthians 9:24Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we become imperishable.… (Col. 2:10). The outworking of these blessings mean a number of wonderful things in a Christian’s life. When understood and appropriated by faith, they mean peace, joy, happiness, comfort, encouragement, and significant purpose. But that’s not all, though this is often all you hear emphasized in many messages and in the conversations of Christians. It certainly seems this is the main focus of many, if not most people, in our comfort and pleasure-crazed society. However, with our privileges come two more vital concepts: ‘strength’ (ability) and ‘accountability’ (responsibility). There are many who do not have all of these strength. When it comes to accountability most people want to be paid for what they do for Christ. When it comes to responsibility most people what to be the leader but don’t know how to lead. And then it is those that lead and many don’t respect the leader because they what to be the leader and don’t know how to follow. Our blessings and privileges mean the ability to be responsible and having accountability for those that you might not like to count on you. Then there is the purpose who are you doing this for is it for self-display or is it to glorify Jesus.  We can live victoriously over sin and the self-life if we are will to to be and do by the power of God bestowed in those blessing other to help to benefit others. The responsibility to do is not in our own strength, of course, but through the ability God gives us through the Savior.  We often cause injury and pain on others because our selfish ambitions in wanting to lead. This is destructive and in our season the same that we do to other even the when we judge others will come back knocking at our doors it is immune to do so. We live in a spiritual realm of reaping and sowing the benefits of what we put out shall come back again. Matthew 13:8 "Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8"And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 9"He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

No comments:

Post a Comment