I've been wondering a lot lately how some people can talk about God, faith and spirituality as if they're okay with it all but then have a problem with Scripture. How can a person truly believe in God, but not believe His Word?
Today I had to thank God so much after I read the daily devotion in Dr. Charles Stanley's In Touch magazine:
(Read - 2 Timothy 1:12-14)
All people have a belief system, whether they realize it or not. Even those who claim there is no God have faith that He does not exist. What we believe affects every area of our lives and shapes every decision we make, yet few of us take the time to really think about what we accept as true. All belief systems have a foundation. Some people base their convictions on what fits their lifestyle, reasoning and desires. However, Jesus calls His followers to adapt life to their faith in Him and the authority of His Word.
Anytime we add other philosophies or ideas to Scripture or pick and choose which parts of the Bible to believe, we create our own version of faith based on personal reasoning. God's Word is the only true and reliable foundation for belief, because it contains the recorded thoughts of an eternal, all-knowing God. All other concepts must be measured against it to determine their validity.
Knowing what the Bible says is essential for developing a sound system of beliefs founded on the truth and wisdom of God. This world will offer you a variety of philosophies which sound good but are laced with lies. A faith anchored in the Scriptures is your protection against deception.
Each time you face a problem or decision, search for the answer in Scripture. Begin your day by reading the Word and asking God to help you understand what He is saying. He loves communicating with you, and as you spend time with Him, He'll open your mind to know His thoughts.
Okay, so if you made it to this point I thank you so much for reading the entire devotion. Satan is roaming around like a roaring lion, seeing who he can devour so we really need to be careful what we believe. Please don't allow yourselves to be deceived!
Romans 10:9 (New Living Translation) For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.
If you haven't received Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and you'd like to become one of His followers, you can invite Him into your heart in your own words or use these:
Father, I confess that I have sinned. I repent of my sins and ask Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus is Your Son and that He died on the cross for my sins and that He was resurrected. By faith I accept Him as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiving me and for making me Your child. Amen.
4 comments:
Thank you for this beautiful post!
You're welcome, Margaret. Thanks so much for reading it :)
You know I truly understand the basis of your post. It is honestly how you feel. We must always remember to love all. There are reasons why people talk about God and not deal with scriptures. It is because they have felt the presence of Our Great Source of Life. Other faiths believe in God but they were raised, just as most of us to believe in that faith. Even if I don't agree I have learned to accept others the way they are. I know it wouldn't feel good to me to have someone tell me that everything that has held true to me all my life was wrong. You know Katrina, one thing I remember about Jesus is that he always led others back to God the Father and the only people he really rebuked were the Pharisees and teachers of religious law. Even when he went from place to place, he never tried to make them follow him. That was not his mission. He did, however want them to know the power of God. He wanted them to know love and forgiveness. (Excuse the length:-) I pray your days are awesome from start to finish.
It seems you misunderstood, Shalonda. I am not attacking or condemning anyone who seems to have a problem with scripture. My Christian duty to love everyone doesn't mean I'll agree with their beliefs. We get to know God by reading His Word. So any person who truly believes in the heavenly Father should not have a problem reading and believing His Word.
I do believe Jesus does not force anyone to follow Him; it is a choice each person makes. However, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God didn't send His Son into the world to condemn it, but that the world through Him might be saved. Jesus was born to die on the cross for our sins; that was His mission.
I do thank you for visiting my blog.
Be Blessed, Shalonda :)
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