Standards

by

Psalm 15:2 Correct Living

He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart; Psalm 15:2

Standards on how to do things are set everywhere one goes. Companies, organizations, towns and even nations have some standards on what a person can and cannot do in order to be a member of that group. Some have very detailed and strict lists of standards, while others have very loose and vague lists of standards to live by. Having these sets of standards people are given the choice to follow them and be a part of the group or reject the standards and not be a part of the group.

David had asked God who may abide in His tabernacle, then proceeds to answer that through the rest of the psalm by what one must or must not do. He begins with saying the person must walk uprightly, work righteousness and speak truth.

The world believes that any person can get into heaven through any belief system the person has.

God has a set standard that is very simple, clear and complete. It begins with a repentance of sin and belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. God does not have any gray areas of standards, nor has His standards ever changed, as the world’s standards do.

Once a person believes in Jesus, the pattern of how to live is changed. God immediately expects that the believer will begin to walk uprightly, that is to live as God wants one to live in every area of one’s life.

Along with walking uprightly, the believer will also do what is right by God’s standards, no matter what the world says. And finally, the believer will speak truth in the heart. This truth is speaking what God would say and how God would say it. God does not have any gray areas of standards, nor has His standards ever changed, as the world’s standards do.

You are most likely a part of some company or organization that has some set standards you must agree to. As a member of that group, you are willing to abide by their standards. If you consider yourself a believer in Jesus Christ, you have a higher set of standards that God expects you live by.

Looking at your own life, how do you walk through this life? How do you work righteousness? And what do you speak in your heart? Are they the standards of the world? Or of God?

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know how God wants you to walk your life out; that God will show you how to work righteousness; and that God will give you strength to always speak the truth.

Picture by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

by

Esther 3:8 Out To Destroy

Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain.” Esther 3:8

Criminals are often unwanted in any nation or city. People desire to have them removed for safety. In order for someone to be considered a criminal, one must have broken some rule that was made by the authorities. Some laws are made to specifically target certain people in order to remove them.

Haman, a leader in the kingdom, had told the king that certain people, the Israelites, were not following his commands and must be removed.

The world has the belief that anyone can do anything that they like as long as it does not harm anyone else. This sets a standard of not really having any standard to go by. Anything goes with no real set of rules.

In the exact opposite, believers hold to God’s standard. His standard is a set of rules that does not change from person to person or from time to time, they are eternal and universal.

Believers who fully follow the commands of God will take a stand against sin and will often take a stand against sinful rules of the land. The world will see this as hate and make more rules to criminalize believers and get them removed from society.

Every believer must also be aware that the world is out to destroy them no matter what it takes. Lies and deception will be used to remove the believer from society. Every believer must be willing to follow God at all costs and trust that He is in control.

No matter where you live there are going to be some people who do not like believers. Some of those will strive to have you silenced or removed if you are talking about Jesus and standing up for God’s ways of living.

Put your trust in God and hold on to Him for strength and wisdom in moving forward in His ways. Do not fear those of the world who are out to destroy you, God is greater than they are. Continue to walk in ways and to tell the world of His ways and about Jesus.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know how God wants you to live; that you will live different than the sinful ways of the world; that you will point all people to Jesus and God’s ways of living; and that God will give you strength when people hate you.

by

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.

by

Luke 9:26 Will Jesus Be Ashamed Of You?

Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26

Families are sometimes known to hold certain standards for the families when in the public eye. When a child does something that does not hold up to that standard, the parents are ashamed of that child.

Some times parents will be so ashamed of the child, that they will cut of support or an inheritance to that child.

Jesus had told the disciples that they must lose their life for His sake to gain life. Then He tells them that if anyone is ashamed of Him, then He will be ashamed of them when He returns.

Family members will often not hold to some family standard because they are ashamed of it. They feel as if it does not go with the flow of society and they are ashamed of their parents.

In the same way, there are some believers who are ashamed of Jesus, even though they would never physically say that they are ashamed. When they are in a church, they are willing to pray for someone openly, but when in a public place, they will not pray out loud for anything. The same goes for talking about God or something in the bible.

They hold different standards, depending upon where they are at or who they are with. These people are ashamed of Jesus and later when Jesus returns, He will be ashamed of them.

Jesus was willing to die on the cross in public for every person on this earth, regardless of how good or bad they are. He was not ashamed to do that. In the same way, no believer should ever be ashamed to admit that he knows Jesus or follows Jesus.

You will have opportunities to show that you follow Jesus in public. You have to make a choice as to whether you want people to know that or not.

If you back down and won’t let them know, you are ashamed of Jesus. The more you do that, the higher the chance is that when Jesus returns He will be ashamed of you. If Jesus is ashamed of you, He will not be willing to present you before the Father.

Will Jesus be ashamed of you when He returns?

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Savior; that you will not be ashamed of Jesus; that you will be willing to talk about Jesus, the Father and the bible to anyone and everyone; that you will make known to the world that you follow Jesus; and that Jesus will not be ashamed of you.

by

1 Thessalonians 5:22 Reject All Evil

Reject every kind of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Those who live in the world by the world’s standards do not have any real solid standard to live by. In theory the world says that there is a right and wrong, good and bad. However, the world does not have any standard that is solid to determine what is right or wrong.

Most live by the standard of if it works and feels good right now, without harming any one else immediately, it is acceptable. It does not matter if it may hurt oneself or someone else later, as long as it does not immediately hurt now.

As Paul is closing out his letter to the Thessalonians, he tells them to reject every kind of evil.

God has a standard that He has laid down since the beginning with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. It is a standard of holiness, that has not changed since the beginning of time. His standard of holiness is the same as with Adam, no sin, no evil.

Sadly, many in the church have not lived by God’s standards, they have accepted some evil in their lives. Many live by standards that God has called evil and wrong while at the same time claiming to believe in and follow Jesus.

Sinful activities are accepted and even promoted by some ‘believers’. Telling lies, cheating, stealing, murder and many other things are done by believers who turn a blind eye to God’s holy standard of living.

Those who are truly following Jesus will reject every kind of evil. Not just the extreme gross end of evil, but all evil. They will make choices to have no part in sinful activities or teachings in any way, whether simple or complex. They will live by God’s holy standard.

Each day you live, you have choices of how you will live to make. You have to choose whether you will live according to the sinful ways of this world, or by God’s holy standard. You have to choose whether you will reject every kind of evil that attempts to be in your life, or will you choose to accept that evil.

God always makes a way to keep from all sin and evil, but it is up to you to choose the correct way to stay away from evil. Will you reject or accept evil that presents itself to you?

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Savior; that you will turn to God and away from all sin; that God will guide you in rejecting evil that presents itself to you; and that you will live a holy and pure life before God in all areas of your life.