“so that . . .”
- What qualities within our culture do we find most attractive?
- What attributes do we see that appeal to our senses—most?
- Do we find ourselves drawn to the pursuit of youthfulness?
- Do we desire power, wealth, and security this world provides?
OR
- Are we drawn to the qualities and attributes of Holy God?
- Are we internally drawn to the appeal to live a holy life?
- Do we see our aging body, recalling all the years the Lord has provided, and express thanksgiving to God for all the days He has provided us to live?
- Do we desire to live a godly life, even though it will require that in doing so, we will suffer for Christ?
I find these questions difficult to imagine and, quite honestly, sometimes impossible apart from the guiding leadership of God’s Holy Spirit.
Jesus prepared His disciples before His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension back to heaven, instructing them about their relationship with the modern-day world. As we read the Bible, it’s quite easy to see how the world has not changed much because our modern-day world resembles that current world of so long ago.
Jesus Christ, the Messiah and Savior said—
“If the world hates you,
(The Gospel According to John 15: 18-21 NAS)
you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
If you were of the world,
the world would love its own;
but because you are not of the world,
but I chose you out of the world,
because of this the world hates you.
Remember the word that I said to you,
‘A slave is not greater than his master.’
If they persecuted Me,
they will also persecute you;
if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake,
because they do not know the One who sent Me.”
- Thank You, Jesus, for sending Your Helper.
- Thank You, Master, for sending Your Holy Spirit.
- Thank You, Father, for sending Jesus to call us to Your salvation.
Help us to entrust ourselves to You, even during our season of suffering for our faith.
- Help us to not abandon that in Whom we have believed.
- Help us to continue to do Your good & Your right things, even when we quake inside our skin.
- Help us endure the fiery trials and to keep our eyes on our eternal reward.
Give us strength for THIS DAY to step out in boldness—for You.
Give us remembrance—YOUR MERCIES are new each morning for the day.
Give us strength for THIS DAY to live holy—as You have called us to.
The apostle Paul was called by God to become a child of God, to preach to the Gentiles, and while doing so—to suffer for his faith in Christ. As a Gentile, I am so thankful Paul obediently suffered within his walk with Jesus, for I am a byproduct of his obedience. I am a child of God because of the testimony of the faithful who came before me & hopefully, you proclaim the same. As those who are not Jewish, we are ever-thankful the Lord called the apostle Paul to Himself, & we are so thankful Paul chose to obey His Lord and Master.
- May others who come after us make the same proclamation about us.
- May we be found faithful, come what may—“so that you [and I] may prove what the will of God is, . . .”
The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the believers living in Rome, describing what dedicated service to God looks like in the day-to-day. May we be urged “by the mercies of God,” and encouraged, by the faithfulness of Christ Jesus, to live in like-fashion.
“Therefore I urge you, brethren,
(The Letter of Paul to the Romans 12: 1-2 NAS)
by the mercies of God,
to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice,
acceptable to God,
which is your spiritual service of worship.
And
do not be conformed to this world,
but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
so that you may prove what the will of God is,
that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”