Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
Have you ever locked a cabinet but misplaced the key? Many of us have a jar, or a junk drawer in the kitchen that is full of them. I don’t know why, but in my opinion the longer that you live, the more keys you tend to accumulate. We eventually find a key ring that is absolutely loaded with them, ones of all different shapes and sizes. Slowly we have to go through all of them to find the one that successfully opens the padlock.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
In order to someday enter into eternal life, we need to develop a love for the truth, which is found in the Lord Jesus Christ and the teachings of His Holy Word. Like a key that turns a lock, it is our acceptance of God’s truth that can open the door to our own salvation.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
The first step in becoming a Christian is admitting the truth that you are a sinner. The Apostle Paul was quick to admit that he was the chief of sinners. God’s Word leads us on the path of Truth, and corrects us when we get off course. The only way that we could ever correct the wrongs in our lives is through belief in scripture. To truly love our lord Jesus is to love His teachings.
2 Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Timothy was commanded to preach and teach God’s Word, because eventually there would be some who wouldn’t submit to it anymore. Like a wife, whose love turns cold for her husband, resulting in her departing from the marriage, some people in the church will do the same thing. Their hearts will grow cold towards the teachings of Christ, eventually resulting in them departing from the truth, and believing lies instead.
2 Timothy 4:1-4 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
To truly love Jesus, is to submit, serve and obey Him. It is much more than just hearing God’s Word. It’s more than knowing God’s Word. It is about becoming a doer of what it says.
James 1:21-25 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Just as a wife proves her love towards her husband through her obedience and submission to His will, we prove our love towards Christ by submitting to His purpose, and humbly obeying Him from our hearts.
John 14:21, 23-24 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
To go through the process of purifying yourself from sin, it will require obedience to the truth. When we apply it to our lives and do what it says, we can be transformed into new creatures. Instead of walking In the flesh, we walk in the faith.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
God is a rewarder, and eternal life will be the reward for those repented and turned from sinful living to the path of Christ. To do this requires faith. Perfect submission to God and His will, opens the door to His many rewards.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
If one truly possesses faith, the evidence will be found in outward obedience to God’s will, just as Noah obediently built an ark, and Abraham obediently took his son to the altar.
James 2:17-24 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
One of the best ways that you can love others is to tell them the truth. It is to warn them of the error of their way. Some people will accept the truth humbly and graciously, while others need to be rebuked sharply, saving them with fear. Jesus was so upset that he threw over tables in the temple and made a scourge. Unfeigned love for others will tell them what they need to hear so they have the opportunity to correct themselves before it’s too late.
1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
Although some people will rebelliously refuse to hear it, love speaks the truth. This is done so that people can grow up and move on to spiritual maturity.
1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Ephesians 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
The key to our salvation is found in Christ and His Holy Word. It is through our acceptance and faithful obedience to the truth that leads to eternal life, and is the key to opening up….
…..The Padlock
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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