Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

priorities

The Things of This World

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The more you love the things of this world, the less you will delight in God. If the things of this world are more desirable to you than God’s Word, it’s time to reassess your commitment to Christ. When we come to Jesus, our old ways and desires pass away (2 Corinthians 5:17). We become a new creation with new desires and priorities. For most, this doesn’t happen overnight.

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We are creatures of habit, and we will not shed our sinful nature until Christ glorifies us with Him in Heaven. This means as long as we are on earth, we will continue to struggle against temptation (Romans 7:18-20). But those who have repented for their sins and bow before Christ as Lord will see a definite change in their affections. More and more, Christ-followers will find themselves drawn to the things of Heaven over the things of this world (Colossians 3:1-2).

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Pursuing Lies

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How long will we love what is worthless and spend our days pursuing lies? It’s a question King David asked concerning his enemies thousands of years ago and one that God is still asking of us today (Psalm 4:2). David asked it of his enemies, but I doubt anyone reading this considers themselves an enemy of God. How, then, can we explain why we are living our lives for such worthless pursuits?

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We declare ourselves to be enemies of God when we reject Him and pursue the things of this world  (James 4:4). Howl at that statement all you wish, but Jesus said those who aren’t with Him are against Him (Matthew 12:30). We can’t be for God and reject His commandments at the same time (John 14:15). We cannot serve two masters because we will love the one and hate the other (Matthew 6:24).

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Holy

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In the apostle John’s vision of Heaven, he records seeing living creatures around the throne of God who never stop praising the Lord (Revelation 4:8). Day and night they proclaim “Holy, holy, holy.” They praise God without ceasing. To be in God’s presence is beyond any of our imaginations. Yet for all who know Christ, we dwell in His presence every day of our lives. Why are we not compelled to praise Him every moment we have breath?

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When we grasp the reality of Immanuel, God with us, we cannot help but be in awe (Matthew 1:23). The problem is so few ever come to understand the gravity of Jesus dwelling within our hearts. The living God is on His throne at the very core of our being, but we go through our days as if we have no idea He’s there at all.

Some of this comes from the watered-down gospel and easy salvation that has been in vogue for the last century. The fall from a deep understanding of what the magnitude and sacrifice of Christ means for us to the modern “three-second prayer and you’re saved” methodology has been a long slow slide into where we find ourselves today. We no longer can conceive what effect the holiness of Christ has on sin. We no longer comprehend the weight of our sins (Romans 3:23) or understand the enormity of what Jesus did on the cross (Romans 5:8).

Every one of us deserves to spend eternity in Hell (Romans 6:23). Not a single sin can exist in God’s presence. His holiness is so pure that if we walked into His presence carrying even the smallest of sins with us, we would die in an instant. If it weren’t for the blood of Jesus covering our every sin (1 John 1:7), we could never approach God. Jesus paid it all, and indeed, we owe everything to Him. Jesus makes it possible to know God, to be washed, and to live for all eternity with Him.

Why do I rehearse all these things that you already know? Because while we have an intellectual knowledge of these facts, they have yet to penetrate our hearts. We don’t live like these things are true because we have a low view of Christ. If we didn’t, we would never allow a day to pass that we did not live full out for Him. We would never waste a minute of our lives chasing after the filthy imitation treasures of this world (1 John 2:15-17). Jesus is King of the Universe and He is King of our hearts (Revelation 19:16). Stop living as if He were just an accessory to your life.

If Jesus isn’t everything to us, then He is nothing to us. His holiness demands our obedience and devotion (1 Peter 1:15-16). In our flesh, we will never worship Him in perfection, but that should not hinder us from trying. Perhaps we would have more time to gaze on His face and declare, “Holy, holy, holy” if we weren’t so preoccupied with chasing selfish desires and seeking comfort, security, and entertainment (Colossians 3:2). What is it we’re living for, anyway? If it’s anything other than to glorify our Savior and Creator, then it’s worthless. All that matters is what we do for Christ. Only He is holy. And only He is worthy of our lives (Revelation 4:11).

Earthly Things

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I’ve written on this topic many times, but I am increasingly convicted of it in my life and burdened by it in the lives of others. To quote Charles Spurgeon, “Do not seek lasting comfort in earthly things.” We all do this every day. We spend our entire lives in pursuit of things of this word. But Jesus admonishes us to set our mind on things above (Colossians 3:1-4). Everything down here will rot, fade, get stolen or lost, or be destroyed (Matthew 6:19-21).

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Nothing lasts. Only what we do for Christ will survive. Only His Kingdom will endure. Yet every day we are living for the temporary garbage instead of the everlasting treasures found in Christ alone. How are we still so dull, deluded, and unwilling to sacrifice what is temporary for the eternal blessings of God?

Most of us still have not mastered the whole “dying to self” thing. When we surrender our life to Jesus, the quest for earthly things comes to an immediate halt. From that moment forward, our lives are not our own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We belong to Jesus, and as such, our every desire is to serve, please, and glorify Him. Our dreams must die, crucified with everything else on the cross of Christ (Matthew 16:24-26). The new dream is to live a life of total obedience to Jesus (John 14:15). He is our merciful Lord, and it is our honor and privilege to serve Him alone (Romans 6:16).

The corner office, nicest car, success, fame, or even the largest church must no longer be on our radar. Those are bad goals because they all focus on earthly things. We promised to surrender those to Jesus. Once and for all, nail every carnal desire to the cross. Let His blood wash over every prideful thought and craving until your only desire is to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:19-23). The entire point of our life is to know and be known by God (John 17:3). Nothing else matters because nothing else lasts.

Why is it so difficult to let go of the temporary pleasures and rewards of this life when we know what God has for us is infinitely better? Are we so immature and impatient that we cannot delay our desires for what is but a speck on the timeline of eternity to gain all the privileges and blessings that come with being co-heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:16-17)? Why is it so hard to live in light of eternity (Ephesians 5:15-17; 1 Peter 4:7-11)? Granted, we are physical beings, but we are so much more than that. The Spirit of the living God lives inside of us. Don’t ignore the yearning of that spirit to commune with God (Romans 8:26-27).

Accumulating earthly things comes at a price. Every moment spent in their pursuit, and even worshipping them, is a moment not spent giving glory to God. Having an abundance of earthly things isn’t a sin. The Lord may bless you with much on this earth to facilitate His plans. But we should never seek after them. We should never find our identity or worth in them (Matthew 6:19-21). Instead, we should seek first God’s Kingdom, God’s will, and God’s glory (Matthew 6:31-33). If we do, we will spend eternity with Him and have more than we could ever ask or imagine because we will have Jesus Himself (John 14:2-3; Ephesians 3:20-21). There is nothing better than that.

High Places

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As you read through the history of the kings of Israel and Judah in scripture, the first thing said about most of them is whether or not they served God. The next thing you read is what they did about the high places in the land (2 Kings 18:4, 23:8; 2 Chronicles 14:3, 31:1). These high places were where the Canaanites worshipped their pagan gods before Israel took possession of the land God promised to Abraham. To keep these places of worship intact represented rebellion and a lack of faith in Yahweh.

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Often the people would erect Asherah poles atop the high places to worship Asherah, the supposed god of fertility and nature. Both the high places and Asherah poles were detestable to God, so the best kings tore them down. Lesser kings let them stand and they became stumbling blocks for the nation. There is more than a history lesson in all this, but also a stark warning for each of our lives.

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