1 Peter 1:13-15 NLT
So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.
“So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control.”
When we submit our hearts before Jesus Christ, things in our lives will change. If this hasn’t happened, bring this before God, and ask Him to bring this about in your life.
Our desires should change, what we focus on should change, and what we allow into our minds should change.
Please understand, this isn’t about “works” being the pathway to salvation because it is only by having faith in Jesus Christ that brings that about.
As my pastor often reminds us, “Jesus accepts us just as we are, but He loves us too much to leave us there.”
Galatians 2:16 NLT
Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”
Romans 3:28 NLT
So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Romans 11:6 NLT
And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.
These verses confirm the fact that He accepts us just as we are. Our faith comes from God, and if that faith leads us to submission to faith in Jesus, we are saved.
From this spot, the real work begins!!
We have now become a slave to our Savior, Jesus Christ. When the faith God gives us brings us to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, our posture before the Lord is one of a servant. This is a position that all of the early leaders in the church acknowledged of themselves. And it should be one that we recognize of ourselves as well.
2 Peter 1:1 NLT
This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.
James 1:1 NLT
This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings!
Romans 1:1 NLT
This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.
Jude 1:1 NLT
This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ.
For the Christian, we are given a commission.
Matthew 28:19-20 NLT
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
“Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.”
To fulfill this part of the mission, we need to know and understand the “commands.”
This requires that we study scripture, but not only know and understand it, but it must be a part of who we are and what we do.
It was said about Jesus that He spoke with authority.
Matthew 7:28-29 NLT
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.
Understand this doesn’t require that you become a Biblical scholar. But it does require that we are proficient in our beliefs in our faith.
1 Peter 3:15 NLT
Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.
What does speaking with authority look like?
Acts 1:1-2 NLT
In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit.
Luke gives us the Biblical pattern for speaking with authority in the first two verses in Acts.
“Jesus began to DO and teach.”
The reason that Jesus spoke with such authority and that He attracted large crowds of people was because of His character. It was because of the way He lived. It was because of what He did.
Psalm 86:5
Oh Lord, You are so good, so ready to forgive. So full of unfailing love for all who ask for Your help.
And when we live our lives submitted to the care of Jesus Christ, our character should be changing as well.
What we do should be changing, our thoughts and attitudes should be changing.
If they are not, it probably has to do with the time we spend in God’s Word. If we neglect this area of our Christian walk, we will leave room for other influences to affect our behavior, thoughts, and attitudes.
For me, I do this is while others in the house are sleeping and before I begin the day. If I put this off, the day’s activities will replace this time, and I won’t get it in. And this is precisely what Satan wants to happen; he doesn’t want the Christian in God’s Word because he knows that a Christian who studies the Word of God will change.
Joshua 1:8 NLT
Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
Your life will speak more loudly than the words that come out of your mouth.
If you want to influence the lives of those around you, if you’re going to teach them to obey the commands, you must:
1. Know and understand the commands.
2. And these commands should be a way that you live (More important)
Heavenly Father, Thank You for giving me the faith to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
I pray that the way I live my life reflects the saving grace of my Lord and Savior. I pray that my life is a reflection of Your Words.
I pray that You open my eyes to any area of my life that does not line up with Your commands and that You provide me with the strength and courage to change it to glorify You.
I thank You for the hearts of those around me. I pray that they come to know You as their Lord and Savior. I pray that You give me the willingness and compassion to minister to their needs like Jesus Christ does for His church, with gentleness and humblness of heart.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!! 🙏❤️
