"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me'". – John 1:6
Sometimes I have a difficult time talking to friends who question God’s goodness because they believe in something other than, or in addition to, the gospel.
“Why would God send good people to hell?” they query. “Why won’t Muslims or Buddhists go to heaven? Your God is so close-minded!”
The sad thing is the lack of understanding of God’s goodness. God doesn’t send people to hell – we choose where we go. He provided a way out through His Son, Jesus Christ, so that, “none would perish, but could have eternal life.”- John 3:16
Imagine that a friend of yours was telling you how to get to their house. They gave very specific instructions as to the way to get there, but you said, “Oh no, that’s alright – I can get there myself my own way.” You would never get to the place your friend intended for you to go. You would, in fact, be lost.
Our generation is the biggest believer in relative truth. “Do what feels good, as long as it doesn’t affect someone else,” we say. We rely a lot on grace. Now, I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with freedom in Christ - that is one of the main benefits of our salvation in Him. But, when we believe in something other than, or in addition to, the truth, it sets us up for yokes of bondage limiting us to the full potential of God’s grace and power to accomplish great things in our lives.
Do you believe in an absolute truth? If you are uncertain, ask God today to reveal it to you, and reveal the reason why. Often if we do not have the why behind the truth, we are less likely to know how to tell others why we believe the way we do. Ask Him- He will show you.
"But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today." -Deut 8:18
What do we have to do to receive God's blessing? Is God's blessing ensured for 'special' people? What does God's blessing look like, and how can we set ourselves up to receive His blessings?
In Exodus and Deuteronomy, God describes a series of "do's" and "don'ts" that the Israelites are to follow. They relate back to the 10 Commandments, from Exodus 20:1-17, in which God gave the Israelites boundaries to abide by for their protection. Many governmental systems today are based on the 10 Commandments (see "X", pg. 11 by J. John). They are, 1) not to have any gods before our one true God, 2) not to make any graven image to worship, 3) not to take God's name in vain, 4) to remember the Sabbath, and to rest on that day, 5) to honor our parents, 6) not to murder, 7) not to commit adultery, 8) not to steal, 9) not to lie, 10) and not to covet (be jealous of) other people's things.
God set up these boundaries for the Israelites for their protection. God knew that we humans need specific guidelines so that we would not get ourselves into trouble! He knew we needed Him to be #1 in our lives. (Matt 22:37) But, even though these commandments are what we should follow, God is most concerned about the state of our hearts. Our actions are often the fruit of what's in our hearts. But, God wants to have our hearts and for us to know His love - not be separated from Him by religious ritual!
Going to church every single Sunday won't ensure God's blessing on our lives. But, it will provide accountability for the boundaries above. In tithing, we shouldn't give with a motivation to get, but it is a good indicator of whether or not we put God first in our hearts. "Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it." (Malachi 3:10)
Are you creating a fertile ground in your heart for God's blessing in your life? Ask Him if there are any areas you may need to work on. God wants to bless His children with blessings so great "that there will not be room enough to store it"!
