The decisions that we are faced with every single day determine whether or not the right or wrong choice is being made. We in the church have to make sure that we decide wisely, especially since we are to set the right example; for we are the few who have been called out of this world (1 Corinthians 1:26-28). As Jesus Christ says in John 15:19, “… Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
Let’s think about what this means. The day will come when the WHOLE WORLD will HATE us because of our beliefs. There may be people right now that we don’t get along with, whatever the reason may be, but this pales by comparison with what is to come. Do we become so wrapped up in what other people think about us, that it could cause us to make wrong choices? Satan, who is very cunning, finds ways to get into our heads, causing us to get sidetracked and lose focus on the bigger picture, and as a result, we become blindsided by our faulty decision-making.
To avoid this, we need God for direction (Isaiah 28:29). We do make wrong choices from time to time, but we have God to help us, which is why prayer is crucial in ANY circumstance (Colossians 1:9; Ephesians 6:18).
We are faced with making decisions as the annual church conference is upon us, by focusing on the mission and purpose the church is set out to do (Mark 16:15). Through faith and trust in God, we can be confident the right choices will be made. We bear a certain responsibility in the church, and due to that, we will be faced at times with pressure situations, because we must live as examples by staying true to our faith. Since we do not compromise with our beliefs, as God does not compromise (Malachi 3:6), we have stood up for what is right, and many will come to realize where we stand, based on our convictions. This shows how we are to be good examples; why it is crucial that correct decisions have to be made.
God’s purpose for mankind is the same today, as it was then! Every person on this earth makes choices, every day, whether they will live righteously or not. But there is one critical difference. While the world continues to go its evil way, there is a group of people that God has called out of this world; to come out from the evil ways, and to live their lives based upon His laws, His statutes, and His judgments! Even God had a choice to make, choosing those out of the world for a purpose, for God only called and chose the few (James 1:18).
Yes, God has called you and me at this time, and He has given us His Spirit and His Law. As God did so in ancient times, He has also given us a choice to make: “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply…But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish… I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days…” (Deuteronomy 30:15-20).
He has said to us: “Choose life!” What choices will we make, today? More importantly, will God be pleased with the choices we make? Simply put, do we want to live or die? Do we want to keep God’s commandments, or do we want to break them? To reiterate once again, God has called you and me at this time; He has given us His Spirit and His Law; and He has said to us: “Choose life!”
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