Obedience our Altar of Suffering

CHAPTER 5

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Be honest with yourself, do you see evidence that these two verses are having an impact on your life?
Or do they contain words that just don’t seem to apply to your Christian walk.

Well, let me throw another scripture in the mix.

And check out ehat all this says about you and me!

Colossians 1:10

so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,

to please Him in all respects,

bearing fruit in every good work and

increasing in the knowledge of God;

11 strengthened with all power,

according to His glorious might,

for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience;

joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father,

who has qualified us to share

 in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

Is that you?

Can God work that in your life so that it becomes you?

Does the very idea cause you to fear and tremble?

Isn’t it wonderful!

We all need to start somewhere.

Some call it their past, others call it their beginning.

Matthew 12:34 says…

 For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.

Go ahead and take some time to talk with Jesus about your stone.

Pour your heart out!

Tell Jesus all about it!

Don’t hide anything!

Tell Him your heart is doubtful!

Tell Him your heart is hard!

Tell Him your heart is wicked!

Tell Him your heart is a big fat liar!

Tell Him your heart is dead and it’s beginning to stink!

Be truthful about the condition of your heart.

Be truthful and then believe in Jesus and you will see the glory of God!

John 11:40 says…

Jesus said to her, Did I not say to you that if you believe,

you will see the glory of God?

If you believe?

What does that mean?

It means to hand yourself over to the care and protection of Jesus.

Jesus did the same with God every time He prayed.

Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

What took place before Jesus said that?

The people removed the stone.

Why is our part so important to Jesus working in our lives?

Because removing the stone demonstrates faith!

If the people did not believe that Jesus could do the impossible, then they would have never removed the stone!

If you are not fully convinced that Jesus can do the impossible in your life,

then you may never attempt to remove your stone of fear and unbelief.

Experience any miracles from God lately?

So what did Jesus do next?

Jesus gave thanks to God for already hearing Him.

Take notice! Jesus just demonstrated what it means to believe as if you have already received!

It was after the people demonstrated faith by removing the stone, that Jesus demonstrated faith by thanking God for hearing Him.

This is all BEFORE Jesus told Lazarus to come out!

I must confess, I am being convicted to pray differently.

Faith is believing

as if you have already received!

Faith comes by hearing and

hearing by the Word of God!

You got to consider something here.

Jesus believed that He was going to be crucified.

Jesus believed that God would raise Him up on the third day.

I know that the faith of Jesus was great, but if He KNEW that He knew that He knew then where is the faith in that?

Was Jesus fully man? Did Jesus have to believe God or just obey God to accomplish Gods purpose?

In other words, was Jesus required to live by faith?

If He was, would that faith that He was required to live by be a faith in Himself?

The answer would be no.

What Jesus was required to live by was obedience…

That is how Jesus learned and that is how Jesus suffered.

Obedience.

Let me say that one more time.

Obedience.

I don’t like it just as much as you.

But if you love you will obey.

Jesus did it with the Father and we are to do it with Jesus.

You make a decision of faith in Christ resulting in salvation, once.

The rest of your life is then to be lived in obedience to Christ.

It’s pretty simple.

Faith in Jesus, results in obedience to Jesus.

You profess your love then you prove your love, how?

By obeying Christ.