This narrative is about exploiting God with self serving motives and identifies several anathemas which are an abhorrent to Christ.
The decision for Christ is about giving up your rights and desires to live for Him. Jesus is your priority above all else. This does not require you to be a robot but you do become a servant of God dedicated to seeking His will for your life. It is a willingness to be obedient to God regardless of your circumstances.
The words below from Jesus explain the concept of living with Him and where to find your nourishment for life. “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”
Satan will entice you to take actions which are not in accord with the will of God. You have to make a choice to satisfy a desire of the flesh or be obedient to the voice of God. Walking with God is learning patience and not making compulsive decisions to get short lived pleasures.
Christ followers have to learn to be anchored to the Holy Spirit and listen for the voice of God. This is your safety net.
Give the Holy Spirit authority over your life and commit your works each day to God. This will keep you in the safe pathway of God and enable you hear His voice frequently. The Holy Spirit desires to enhance the quality of your life and protect you from evil.
As a believer, you cannot insist on your independence and attempt to fit God into your lifestyle. You belong to God and He can do with you as He pleases. If you strive to keep your autonomy you will encounter the stern discipline of God and face many difficulties.
Another anathema of Christ is attempting to appease Him through religion. Many have the mindset if you keep the laws of God and do good works God is obligated to bless you. This is blasphemy against God. Your obligation is to walk by faith believing in the promises of God. Your unyielding faith and obedience will bring the favor of God upon you.
Many believers try to think for God. This is a futile and useless action. You will never be able to think or act like God. God has no ego or needs. You and I are self driven people. You can draw close to God through fervent prayer, meditating on the Word of God and listening for the voice of Christ.
The Body of Christ is filled with many people who believe and act like their sinful nature is in the past tense. Jesus died for all your sins but your sinful nature will never leave you. It is impossible to live up to the perfect standards of God and you will probably fail Him several times today.
You can live a life pleasing to Jesus by asking for His blood to cover your sins and having an open heart to the correction of the Holy Spirit.
The life of a believer is like a roller coaster and at times makes no sense at all. Jesus does not act in predictable ways. It is very easy to second guess Jesus, get angry and accuse Him of failing to meet your needs. This is a dead end and will only increase your frustration and distance you from Jesus. The spiritual remedy is to trust Jesus, praise Him and acknowledge His ways are perfect.
Jesus desires to give you more than you ask or think but you must live in submission to Him.
Hal Hollister Ministry 