God Blesses Holiness, Not Pastoral Talent

-


Constantly Turn from Sin

It’s a very simple thing to go down the path of sanctification. Through prayer, cry out to the Lord, confess your sins, repent of your sins, and turn from your sins so that you’re constantly cleansing your heart in an honest way. That goes back to what Paul said to Timothy, If A man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel fit for the master’s use. (2 Tim. 2)

God doesn't bless great - God blesses holiness

That says it all. If you’re not cleansed from the things that corrupt your life, you’re not a vessel fit for the Master’s use. You may be able to get a crowd, you may be able to entertain some people and keep their attention, but it’s not great talent God blesses; it’s great holiness.

Be Filled with the Word

A clean sword is an awesome weapon in the hand of God. So, first of all, it’s a matter of constantly coming before the Lord to have your heart cleansed in repentance.

And then you need to be in the word of God. You need to be in the word of God consistently because as David said, Your word has I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Ps. 119:11)

Or, as Jesus said, Sanctify them by thy truth, thy word is truth. (John 17:17) If you spend time in the word of God, it does its purifying work. Openhearted, constant repentance from sin and a heart filled with the deep riches of the word of God are means of grace.

These are the tools that the Spirit of God uses to sanctify you. If you think you have an effect now without those things, it’s superficial. Step into that zone and watch what the Lord will do with your life on an eternal basis.

Popular posts from this blog

Speaking in tongues for today - Charles Stanley

-
Image
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. … But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. … And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. … Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way - 1 Corinthians 12:4, 7, 28, 30—31 The Lord Jesus Christ had come and gone. The church—newly birthed—was in a transition time. The new covenant was seen as a threat to the Jewish leaders; therefore, there was persecution for those who had chosen to follow Christ. The new religion, in its infant stages, had no Bible, few leaders, and absolutely no support from the government. Astounding that it survived, isn’t it?  How in the world did it survive with so little going for it? Power. Not just a force, but mighty, visible power. Th...
Read more

What is the glory (kabod) of God?

-
Image
2 CORINTHIANS 4:17 "This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." Scripture places a high value on God 's glory, and it is not hard to figure out why. Since the inherent glory of the Lord is something that He will not share with others (Isa. 42:8), we know that His glory is something that He prizes highly; indeed, He prizes it more highly than anything else. We should, therefore, set the glory of God as the goal and overarching emphasis of our lives. Whatever we lose for the sake of making the Lord's glory known will be worth it when we see the dazzling light and beauty of; the divine glory (28:5; Rev. 21:23). Glory has to do with light and beauty, but those aspects do not sum up what the Bible means when it speaks of the glory of God. Interestingly, the Hebrew word kabod , which is translated into English as "glory," has the root meaning of "weight" or "heaviness....
Read more

The Holy Spirit causes us to cry out: Abba, Father

-
Image
Pentecostés. Óleo sobre lienzo, 275 × 127 cm. Madrid, Museo del Prado. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) To bring out the same truth in another way, Paul says God sent Jesus (as a Man) to live under the Law in order “to redeem those under law, that we [Jews and Gentiles ] might receive the full rights [adoption] of sons” ( Galatians 4:5).  By “full rights” or “adoption” he means entering into the privileges and responsibilities of sonship. He uses it also of the sonship of Israel (Romans 9:4). Galatians 4:1, 2 indicate that the son and heir of a wealthy family in Paul’s day would be treated as a slave until he became of age.  Then he would receive the adoption, that is, all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities that belonged to an adult member of that family. Adoption was also used in the modern sense, so that Gentiles who were not sons of Abraham became true heirs, true sons of God , by faith.  Jesus died, not just to save us from the fires of hell, bu...
Read more