And He spoke this parable unto certain ones
who trusted in themselves that they were righteous,
and despised others: Luke 18:9
Trusting in ourselves is easy to do
We are taught as children to think for ourselves
To be wise in the world
To have common sense
To use good judgment
We should seek God’s judgment, check in with God
Those in the world surely don’t understand
how important it is to seek God’s righteous judgment
and many of those in the kingdom are also lacking sound wisdom
and the knowledge of God
So, how do we get there?
How do we get so we are walking in God’s council and His wisdom?
I recently had a brief exchange with a man
greatly impressed with his Biblical knowledge
He explained on video how to be saved and what it meant to keep it
There were even people falling all over him
because he seemed so wise and knowledgeable
He had cracked the code!
He found the answer to one of the teachings
that causes such a confusion among believers
He is actually incorrect
He used scriptures and many of them to prove his point
While the scriptures are not wrong
I suggested that he direct people to seek the Lord for the answer in addition,
to actually check in with God
I received no response to that
Apparently, he did not agree
He already found the answer!
Why didn’t I see that?!!!
He had explained it along with all the scriptures he shared!
Was I blind?
Everyone else was in agreement with him
Salvation is an individual experience
Jesus saves us
Jesus manifests Himself to us and He gives us the gift of Salvation
that we should treasure and guard with all of our heart
Can we lose it?
Perhaps, if we don’t keep our first love like He clearly states in Revelation:
Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee,
because thou hast left thy first love.
Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent,
and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly,
and will remove thy candlestick out of his place,
except thou repent. Revelation 2:4-5
Who wants their candlestick removed? Not I.
Checking in with God is vital
Or if we start to beat our fellow servants:
And shall begin to smite his fellowservants,
and to eat and drink with the drunken;
The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him,
and in an hour that he is not aware of,
And shall cut him asunder,
and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites:
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 24:49-51
That, too, is something we must hear from God on
Nobody can tell you where you are with God,
if you are right with God,
if you are doing what God wants you to do but God Himself
No preacher
No elder
No teacher
Nobody, no matter how great they are,
no matter how much they serve the Lord
and how much they know the word
That, my dear ones, is something you must hear from from God Himself
How do you hear and know?
Jesus said My sheep know My voice
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me John 10:27
He will make it clear to you
Draw near to Him
He will draw near to you
Many will come to me in that day
and I will say I never knew you, depart from Me
The most important thing we can do on this earth is to follow Jesus
In order to follow Him, we have to be able to hear His call on our life,
to be able to hear His direction and not to trust in ourselves
Each day when I write, my desire is that you will take the idea
I have put forth and seek God to see how it applies to your life
Or maybe hear something else related that He wants to teach you
Jesus is not methodical and does not do things the same way for everyone
That does not mean you make up your own doctrine
Or can claim certain scriptures to be for you or not for you
That just means, you cultivate your relationship with our Living God
If I could convey to you what I believe is the most important,
it would be the importance of having a real relationship with Jesus
So many trust in themselves
Practice listening for that still, small voice
Read His word and as you do, remain open so that
His Holy Spirit will lead you and guide you into all truth
Jesus is alive and cares about every fiber of your being,
about everything that concerns you
and He has plans for your life that you may not know or understand yet
Cultivating your relationship with Jesus will bring you
to the place of knowing God in a real way,
not just gathering ideas of what others have told you,
but that you yourself check in with God
Scriptural References:
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners;
and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
James 4:8
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you:
depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 7:23
And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire:
and after the fire a still small voice.
1 Kings 19:12
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear,
that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
John 16:13