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Choose Life |
Dear Brethren,
Doesn’t everyone
think that they have already taken the required steps, and have
already chosen life? That is probably true, but
what is the proper way to go about it? Are we simply cruising
into the Kingdom of God – or is it still necessary to “choose
life?” For those of us who are a part of God's Church, we must make
a choice between good and evil, and, between life and death, and in
today’s confused world – that choice is more difficult than most
people realize. God says, "I have set before thee this day
life and good, and death and evil."
(Deuteronomy 30:15)
God has set the
same choices before everyone who has ever lived. All who choose to
live evil lives will die – that is the wages of sin. God says,
"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have
set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore
choose life, that both you and your children may
live." (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Here is a warning
that we must heed: Because of Satan’s deception – evil often
appears as good, and visa versa. This is not a new thing. "You
have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, Wherein have we
wearied Him? When you say, Every one that does evil is good
in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is
the God of judgment?" (Malachi 2:17)
This is the danger
– this is the threat that we face daily if we choose wrongly:
"If your heart turn away, so that you will not hear, but shall be
drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto
you this day, that ye shall surely perish."
(Deuteronomy 30:17-18)
The difference for
us in God's Church is that God has given us of His Spirit – making
it possible for us to make the right choice – and has given us the
help we need to follow through on that right choice. "The
wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
(Romans 6:23) God’s Spirit in our lives is the earnest of His
promise of eternal life. And, though it is a “gift,” it is also
a way of life that we must choose for ourselves. Everyone who
chooses to love God and live by His Truth will receive eternal life.
We find that we
must choose life – and more than life, we must choose the author of
eternal life – God Himself!!! "That you may love the Lord your
God, and that you may obey His voice, and that you may cleave unto
Him: for He is your life, and the length of your
days: that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore unto thy
fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."
(Deuteronomy 30:20)
Heaven and earth
record these words against us. This command applies equally to us
today, as it did when Moses first spoke it – even more so in these
last days. "I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt
yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I
have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter
days; because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord, to
provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands."
(Deuteronomy 31:29)
That is a dire
prophecy of today! We must actively choose life to avoid the
consequence that is to befall most of mankind – even much of the
Church. Paul commanded the Philippian brethren, "Wherefore, my
beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but
now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear
and trembling." (Philippians 2:12) Each Christian is
responsible for working out his or her own salvation – that is
where, "choose life," fits in.
Politicians now go
out of their way to remove God from every facet of life. People
have Bibles, but cannot make heads or tails of the Scriptures. Even
within the called-out Church of God, the brethren are reluctant to
delve deeply into the will of God for their lives. “God looks
down from heaven… to see if there are any who understand, who
did seek God. Every one of them has turned aside; They have
altogether become corrupt. There is none who does good,
No, not one. Have the
workers of iniquity no knowledge? They do not call upon God.”
(Psalm 53:1-4)
Society today has
nothing to do with God’s way of life. "Woe unto them that call
evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for
light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet
for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20) God does not make everything turn
out perfectly – He allows man to choose evil. Even many Church of
God members recently chose death over life by renouncing the
Sabbath, God Holy Days, the Ten Commandments, and the doctrine of
Jesus Christ – they chose evil and death, not goodness and life –
and the test is ongoing within the Church of God!!!
The first-century
Church that Jesus Christ established went into apostasy, and fell
away. Why did God allow it to happen? If we ask that question –
it reveals a lack of understanding. There was a man on TV the other
day saying, "God should have prevented this terrible thing... why
didn’t God step in? Why does God allow the children of drunkards to
suffer? Because this is not God’s world. We need to learn to
choose life in every circumstance. "There must
be hard choices among you, that they which are
approved may be made manifest among you." (1Corinthians
11:19)
God is allowing
mankind to learn the hard lesson of a God-less life. Paul noted of
the Galatian Church: "I marvel that you are so soon removed
from Him that called you into the grace of Christ – unto
another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble
you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1:7)
God did not personally intervene to stop the falling-away in the
first century! Neither will God personally intervene to stop the
apathetic, lackadaisical performance of His Church today!
The Pharisees in
Jesus’ day were politically and self-servingly motivated to further
their own careers, and they surely told themselves that they were
choosing life – but they were not. And they caused
many people who looked to them to accept their malicious ways.
Peter said, "Many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason
of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of."
(2Peter 2:2) Jesus made it clear for us: "For I say unto you,
That unless your righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case
enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20)
Brethren, there are some diligent members and ministers alike, who
are painstakingly choosing life – putting God’s way
first in their lives and service. Let's not take for granted the
truth we have been given – but let us continually, choose life!
***
Sermon:
"Choose Life"
 
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