Morning Devotional November 14, 2015

1 John 2:3-6

“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”

 

O what powerful words our Lord has for us in these verses. We see so many every day who claim the name of of Christ but flat out refuse to follow His commandments. They are wrapped up in the things of this old sinful world and seem to have no care of the testimony they show to those around them. We see a people who say they are holy but the love of the Father is not in them. We see them go to church. We see good deeds they perform. We may even see a loving kindness in them towards others. And that all looks good on the surface.

But what are they doing for Christ? Where do they go? What do the do? Who do they hang out with? Are they truly following the Lord in His commandments?

Many will say what I write here is legalism. But what does God say? Reread the verses above. If we truly love the Lord we will follow His commandments and they will come easy to us and will not be grievous to us. We will know want to keep His commandments. And if we fail in those commandments His Holy Spirit will convict us of that sin and makes wanting to seek our God's forgiveness.

But how many do we see that seem to have no remorse for their sins? How many go through life claiming the name of Christ yet following after the lust of this world and the lust of self? Never changing. Never admitting their sin. Always trying to justify what they do. Yet all the while the very God they claim to know says they are a liar and the truth is not in them.

O dear Christian! Where are we today? Are we following the commandments of our Lord and Savior? Are we living the example He set before us? I dare say that most of us on any given day fall into the trap of the devil and fail our Heavenly Father. We are not without sin just because we look more holy than the person we meet on the street. We have our own sins. Although maybe different than theirs. We still sin and rebel against our Lord. But unlike those others I have mentioned, the Holy Spirit convicts us of those sins. He causes us to want to beg our God for forgiveness. And Praise God!!! He is willing to forgive us of whatever sin we commit. O what a Savior we have!!! O what a glorious Heavenly Father we have!!! Praise God for His Holy Spirit that lives within us and convicts us of our sin and reassures us whose we are!!!

 

Praise ye the Lord!!!