Tuesday, May 10, 2016

THE BORN AGAIN DESIRE TO PLEASE GOD

As born again believers in Christ, we desire to please Him.  In order to do so, we need to be students of the Bible, His "instruction manual" for godly living.  As I understand it, what pleases Him can be summed up in the following:
 
*   Leviticus 19:18 - "Thou...shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD."
*   Matthew 22:39 - "...Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
*   Galatians 5:13-14 - "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

In addition to doing what pleases the Lord, born again believers desire to avoid those things that displease Him; such as the following:

*   Deuteronomy 16:22 - "Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth."
*   Psalms 11:5 - "The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence His soul hateth."
*   Proverbs 12:2 - "A good man obtaineth favor of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will He condemn."
*   Malachi 2:16 - "For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that He hateth putting away (divorce)...."
*   Leviticus 20:13 - "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."
*   Proverbs 6:16-19 - "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto Him:  a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."
*   Proverbs 16:5 - "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished."
*   Luke 16:15 - "And (Jesus) said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God."

God, through the Apostle Paul, explained the downward spiral of morality among those who fail to trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior:

*   Romans 1:22-32 - "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:  who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:  and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:  who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."
 
We are not saved by religious works, but the saved do live to please their God!



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