holy living

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Psalm 85:13 The Righteous Pathway Of God

Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway. Psalm 85:13

In the early days of history, various people would blaze new paths throughout an unknown land. Adventurous men and women would explore new lands to discover what was there. As they did that, many would leave a pathway for others to eventually follow. Sometimes slowly, other times quickly people would walk along that path to bring themselves to a new land and location to live. Some would walk those paths, while there were many others who were content to stay where they were and not walk those paths.

The writer of this psalm describes God in that righteousness would go before Him and His footsteps would become their pathway.

The world has made many different pathways throughout history. One person begins something and someone else builds upon it to greater things. However, much of the pathways of the world will often lead to more and more sin. There is no foundational ‘right’ way of living for the world. Each person chooses one’s own pathway of what is right or wrong.

God has chosen to set a path for a person to walk in. That path is one of righteousness and holiness. He originated it with the Law to point people to the need for salvation outside of their own works. Later God completed the pathway through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

People were unable to walk the path of righteousness of God on their own, so God sent Jesus to make a way. He removed their sins and then sent the Holy Spirit to give them strength and guide their steps.

Believers who choose to follow Jesus will be able to walk in His footsteps on the pathway God has set before them, leading them to eternal life with Him some day.

Each and every day you are on a pathway through this life. The world offers many different paths in which you may choose to take. God offers one path. The world’s path may have temporary satisfaction, but in the end it leads to death. God’s holy and righteous path leads to peace, love and eternal life. God will not force His path upon you but offers it to you. All you must do is be willing to walk in the righteous path He has made for you. It is completely up to you which path you will choose to take.

Which path will you take?

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will accept the path God has for you; that you will see the righteous path of God and walk in it; and that God will guide your every step.

Picture by Genevieve Dallaire on Unsplash

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2 Chronicles 29:5 A Cleaning Out Needed

and said: “Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary.” 2 Chronicles 29:5

On a fairly regular basis, at least once a year, most people go through a cleaning up of their place. Springtime is the common time to go through a house and clean everything up. It is a process of removing what is no longer needed and cleaning out the dirt and filth built up over time. It can be a time of restoring things back to good.

When Hezekiah became king, he called on the Levites to go into the temple can clean out all the garbage and consecrate the temple back to God.

For most people, it is easy to see the physical dirt and clutter in a house that needs to be cleaned. While most people see it, many do not take the time to clean it up. Being lazy or content with living in filth, people leave the dirt and clutter and learn to live around it.

In the same way many believers have allowed dirt and filth to build up in their lives. Sinful practices have been allowed to infiltrate their lives, corrupting and defiling the temple of God. They have pushed God out and allowed the world in.

Instead of ignoring the filth in their lives, believers need to take time to repent and flee those sinful practices in the hearts and minds. They need to allow the Holy Spirit to come into their lives and change them, cleansing them to be a holy and purified temple unto God. This is a cleansing that is needed on a regular basis.

Believers are now the temple of God and must be holy as God is holy, separate from the world and its ways, and consecrated unto God.

As a believer you are now the temple of God and are the Levitical priest of that temple. Your temple needs to be holy unto God. Examine your life and do a cleaning that will remove anything that is sinful and against God and His commands. Repent of any sins removing those sins from your life and be transformed by the renewing of your mind and heart into a new creation–the temple of God.

Just as you clean your house on regular basis, clean God’s temple daily.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will allow the Holy Spirit to change your life; that you will dedicated to God; that your life will be a holy temple for God to dwell in; that you will allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse your life of any sin; and you will be holy as God is holy.

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1 Thessalonians 4:7 How To Really Live Life

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 1 Thessalonians 4:7

All around the world there are many different views on how one should live his life. Each culture has a slightly different norm as to what is expected of a person in living life. Some are extremely focused on education, while others are on careers, and yet others are on family.

The one common theme throughout the world is that one lives to please self without being too separated from everyone else. If it pleases self, then it must be acceptable.

After talking about living like Jesus, Paul tells the people that God did not call them to live an impure, but a holy life.

Living a holy life is something that is different, it is being separated from the world unto God. Very few people like to be separated or different from others. Everyone wants to fit in with those around them.

In reality, the world does not have any set standards of how to live life other than to please one’s own self in whatever way that means or is needed. With that type of mindset, there is no true moral standard.

Sin does not exist according to the world, thus any action is acceptable, causing the world to live an impure, sinful lifestyle in anyway possible. Nothing is off limits.

The believer is to live to a different standard, by God’s holy standard, a pure and sinless life that pleases God. Living in this way is living on a different path than the world. It is choosing to not sin or follow the ways of this world. It is going against the flow of the world around him.

Jesus lived the expected standard, setting the example of how to live life and He gave the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide a believer to live that same way of holy living.

As a believer, you are called to be separate from the world and its ways of living. Jesus has forgiven you of past sins, so do not go back to those sins or ways of living.

Come out from among the world and live a life that is separate and holy unto God. Choose daily, even moment by moment, to reject a sinful lifestyle and be holy as God is holy.

He has given you everything you need to live the holy life, now live it.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know the standard God has called you to live; that you will allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in living a holy life; and that God will strengthen you to turn from all sinful ways of living.

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Ephesians 5:6 Don’t Be Deceived

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Ephesians 5:6

One of the most deceptive things are advertisements. Nearly every advertisement tells a person that what is being sold is the very best on the market and that everyone needs it right now, even though there may be better products out there and not every one needs it.

Deception often comes in how things are worded and said. When things are worded a certain way, people will believe it, even when it is false.

After listing some specific sins that a believer should not even think on, Paul tells the people to not be deceived with empty words. It is on those empty words of those disobedient that God brings His wrath upon.

In the same way that advertisements deceive people into thinking that they need something that they don’t, people also deceive others into believing that sinful acts are acceptable to God.

Sexual immorality is just as popular in the church as it is outside the church. Using bad language is common among believers. Along with these, there are many others sins that believers continually commit on a regular basis.

It is not that believers are perfect, but that many of these believers claim these sinful acts are acceptable to God. With deceptive words they claim that they do not need to change, because God still loves them and will save them.

Living in this way is deceptive and is being led by Satan. It is false living and will incur the wrath of God.

Believers are called to live a pure and holy life unto God. As the believer is led by the Holy Spirit, he will not be misled by deceptive lies, empty words of this world and false believers into sinful acts.

The moment you chose to repent and believe in Jesus for your salvation, God had called you to a new way of living. You are to step away from sinful acts to live a righteous life.

All around you the world will continue to try to deceive you into believing that sin is good and acceptable to God. Keep yourself immersed in God’s word and filled with His Holy Spirit. Know what God expects of you and then live that way.

Do not allow yourself to be deceived by the lies of this world and false believers.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know how God expects you to live your life; that you will live a holy and righteous life as Jesus did; that you will not be deceived by false and empty words; and that you will speak God’s words, not empty words.

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Romans 1:28 The Price Of Forgetting God

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. Romans 1:28

Leaders are people who help put into place rules and regulations that help guide the people correctly. Over the years some men have enacted rules that have been great and helpful to millions of people.

As long as these leaders are remembered, their rules are also remembered. Once the person is forgotten, often the rules that were emplaced are forgotten. As soon as that occurs, people start to fall.

Paul points out that the people had chosen to forget about God. Since they had rejected God, He gave them over to their own ways to continue to sin more and more.

Looking back over history, one can see that nations who served God rose up great. Once they began to reject God, they started to fall. God allowed them to go their own way.

Several nations that were known to follow God have chosen to ignore God and do their own thing. People have rejected the rules and commands of God, choosing a life of sin.

God does not put a chain on them and demand that they follow Him. Rather, He will let them do what they desire. He lets them have their depraved mind.

America is one nation that is at this point as a whole. People have rejected God and promoted sin. Sin is becoming more rampant, excepted and openly promoted as good. Sadly, this is also occurring inside the church.

In order to stop this trend, believers must remember God and live according to His standards. They must go against the trends of this world in following God. Every believer must flee sin as fast as he can, staying as far away as possible from sin.

As a believer, you know the truth of God and His word. You are familiar with how God wants you to live. Do not allowed yourself to be deceived by the sinful ways of this world to fall into their depraved, sinful ways of living.

Stand out as different in following God with all of your heart, soul and mind. Stay in His word, knowing what God requires of you. Pray daily, so that you hear from Him.

As you do these things, God will not give you over to a depraved mind, but keep you in His hand.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Savior; that you will seek God daily; that you will know what God desires of you; that you will be His witness to this world; and that God will strengthen you to flee all sin.