Recognizing God's Children

"To live the best for Him and bring glory to His name is what I am called and chosen for..."- is the motto of every child of God who walks close to Him. These are some of traits which we can see in a true child of God...

Every action, deed, speech, behavior, ambition and goals are backed by this motto. Anything contrary to this motto is abandoned willfully without regret.

Self-centered gratifications and selfishness are something that are crucified at the cross on a daily basis. Not limiting to that... anything that is contrary to the nature of Christ is quickly identified by the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit, quickly repented and rectified.

Walking in transparency and inward cleansing is most sorted after with the Spirit of God. Knowing that without the Spirit of God's indwelling and His help it is highly impossible to live a life pleasing God ...which is something not just a known fact but a deep living realization.

A child of God is not perfect in everything yet sincere and honest enough to see his/her inner self as is. A humble and a contrite spirit. A willing and yielding spirit. A soul which is teachable and correctable.

Recognizing as a clay in the potter's hand yet walking with power of the Spirit to live blamelessly in this highly corruptible generation - an essential trait.

Being like the Master when it comes to facing criticism, accuse and blame.

And above all to live is Christ and die is gain (dying everyday to build one's own kingdom and glory) as the crux of life...

Colossians 1:10 (Amplified Bible)

That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition].

Holiness not an option - 2

The other day we said that people who are close to God thought more about His holiness than any other attribute of God. One may wonder why? Rev. Selwyn Hughes state that the very nature of God is holiness and light of God reflects so much in a person's heart that he/she becomes consciously aware of his/her sin or inward depravity. Perhaps, it could be because of this insight a person has because of which the holiness of God illuminates one's mind enormously.

No man or woman of God can say that they are holy like God. But they make every conscious effort to live blamelessly before Him. They hunger more to be like Him, run away from sin and temptations and hold on to His grace to live right in His sight. To please God and to bring glory to His name is the top most priority of people who cling close to God. They yearn for the Holy Spirit's sanctification and inward dwelling more than His power or gifts. This is the first essential step to live holy before God as what the Word of God exhorts us to do...

2 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV)

...dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

The Mark of Believers

Renowned theologian Stephen Charnock says that sincerity is the mark of a Christian. Unless we are sincere with God, ourselves, family and others we cannot help ourselves but are headed down the hill...

The opposite of sincerity is hypocrisy. When we lack sincerity to look deep into our hearts, we are deemed to reflect hypocrisy in everything. In relationships, at work, our speech, actions, attitude and service. All our Christian outwardness will be masked by a 'big hypocritical self' which God knows. And as the Word of God says that we are accountable to Him for what we are...

Hebrews 4:13 (New Living Translation)

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

May we be people who are sincere to God, ourselves and others. Otherwise we cannot consider ourselves as a human being with perfect consciousness.

Holiness not an option

Rev. Selwyn Hughes states that 'people who were close to God thought more about His holiness than about any other nature of God.' "Holiness is the distinctive nature of God" says theologian J.Mulienburg.

And people of God cannot approach the throne of grace by forgetting/being casual about this nature of God. Our God is holy and He has called us to holiness.

1 Peter 1:15 (New American Standard Bible)

but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;

Holiness is not an option for Christians (born-again believers). Without holiness we cannot relate to God. We cannot become holy ourselves. We will be made holy only when we live with integrity and seek God to make us holy and more like Him.

Hebrews 12:14 (New American Standard Bible)

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

May we never take holiness casually or consider it optional assuming that we can go on in our relationship with the Lord without it...

Knowing Him - 9

Like Isaiah when we have a vision of God, our heart will comprehend the holiness of God. Sometimes we focus so much on other attributes of God such as His goodness, faithfulness, mercy and compassion, we fail to really see that "He is a God who is Holy"...

Isaiah's vision (in Isaiah 6:1-5) gave him a true picture God, himself and his people. If we get a revelation of God like Isaiah did, we are sure to cry out like Isaiah which will change every part of our life- our character, our service and our worship.

What we lack in today's Christian world is that we are not gripped like the way Isaiah was about God's holiness. Sanctification and consecration is followed by a fresh vision of God. And this will enable us to worship God by giving glory due His name and live truly as His saints...

1 Chronicles 16:29 (New American Standard Bible)

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;

Bring an offering, and come before Him;

Worship the LORD in holy array.

2 Corinthians 5:9 (New American Standard Bible)

Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

Prayer: Dear Lord, Help me to have a fresh vision of you. Let the scales of my eyes fall. Let my heart be open and let your spirit cleanse so that I may worship you right and live my life with reverential fear.

Knowing Him - 8

Rev. Selwyn Hughes state that the greatest need for the Church of the present time is to have a 'fresh vision of God' rather than any other spiritual need. It is not about evangelism, not about Church growth, not about effective prayer, etc...but simply a fresh revelation of the Lord Himself. And he emphasizes that is about knowing Him rather than knowing about Him.

When Isaiah had a vision of God, he saw the Lord sitting on the throne, lofty and exalted, signifying the Lord's holiness, sovereignty, power and majesty.

Isaiah 6:1 (New American Standard Bible)

In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.

This vision of God gave Isaiah a new perspective about himself.

Isaiah 6:5 (New American Standard Bible)

Then I said,

"Woe is me, for I am ruined!

Because I am a man of unclean lips,

And I live among a people of unclean lips;

For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

A true vision of God will enable us to see as we really are and humble us before the almighty God, who we sometimes as believers take very lightly.

May the Lord open our eyes and heart as we seek Him and help us to know Him as He is which will enable us to live right before Him. Amen.