CLEAR REFLECTION: THE MIRROR EFFECT
Well, hello there dear gist partner.
Welcome to February! I pray that this month is one where you feel the love of God keenly in your life.
Welcome to today’s gist.
I read something a couple of days ago and I thought to share. In Galatians 2, Paul reprimands Peter and said something that I believe every Christian should take note of. He said: “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” (Galatians 2:14b, ESV). If you read the context in which Paul was making the reprimand, you’ll find that Peter had been eating with the Gentiles with no qualms but when Jewish Brethren came, he, and others, withdrew from the Gentiles and went back to the segregation from Gentiles that Judaism promoted. Paul was reprimanding Peter because if he was being hypocritical, how will the Gentiles under his charge be expected to behave, in essence, Paul was asking “what kind of example are you setting? How will these people know that their ways are wrong if you’re behaving like them? What then is the distinction between you who understands the freedom Jesus has given us and those who do not understand?” I believe that these questions are extremely relevant today in the light of the way our world has become and the charade we are turning Christianity into.
There’s an argument that parades around enabling people to sin because ‘Jesus takes you just as you are’. Is this a lie? No it isn’t, Jesus truly doesn’t require anything from you but your genuine repentance when you come to Him for salvation. However, when you say you have received Jesus in your heart, there should be signs that show you truly have been sanctified and set apart from the world. There must be a striking difference between your life in Christ and that of a person living in the world. And if there’s no difference, there’s a big problem because how can someone who is living in the world know that the path they are on is wrong if you who is supposedly on the right path is heading on the same road as they are? You don’t need to join the world before you show them the way out of the world, you are called to be a light shining in the darkness of this world (Matthew 6:16) and showing the people the path to Christ; you can’t be mixing Jesus and the world, that’s not being a Christian; that’s deception –to yourself and, worse, to people who see you. If we can only tell you’re a Christian when we see you in church, there’s a very big problem; people should be able to look at you, hear you talk, watch how you behave, see how you live your life and tell immediately that there’s a difference between you and the world; the most effective way to bring people to Christ is through our lives, more than through our words because no matter how wonderful your words sounds, chances are very high that people would walk away from you with their impressions formed by your actions rather than your words.
Always, your our lives must be reflective of the Jesus that our mouths profess to believe in. Rather than emphasizing that Jesus will still forgive despite all that you’re doing, how about you place your emphasis on what your response to His great love should be: Christ’s love and sacrifice for you should provoke you into showing your love for Him by living a life that pleases Him; in word, thought, actions and inactions, let people be able to see Jesus and the marvelous work of His grace in your life, don’t insult the grace of God by carrying His name and be using it to sin.
Don’t be a part of the crowd, stand out for Christ.
If you’re here and you haven’t received Jesus in your heart, the first step to living for God is to receive Jesus into your heart, that’s where life begins to get good, and eternity gets secured, from; you can receive Jesus into your heart today: simply come to Him in sincerity, confess your sins to Him, tell Him that you believe in Him and in His power to save you, ask Him into your heart and pledge to live life going forward with Him fully involved and according to His terms.
May God help us to be accurate reflections of Him to the world.
TUNES AND THOUGHTS: our song recommendation is ‘I believe’ by Selah Ogaba. Yesterday, I listened to the song again and, as always, I had it on repeat because the words just kept echoing the thoughts in my heart. This song is a reminder to trust God, to believe even when things around us seem intent on dragging us to doubt, to remember and trust that God knows what is best, to wait! I pray that this song blesses your heart and reminds you to trust again.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/2cka1gtn2Rk8MBM6Ryq338?si=V6zYKfW4SPGZ-XZ6B_xwHA
YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=_wTSXrc9CmM&si=K8MNwONAYB0qLuWk
Two days ago, the Global Christian community was thrown into mourning as Ron Kenoly went to be with the Lord. I believe that everyone of us must have, at some point, been blessed by the music of Ron Kenoly, please keep his family and loved ones in your prayers.
Well, that is that about that as far as that is concerned, see you next week.
Love,
Achenyo.
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