Friday, April 27, 2012

Choose to Identify Yourself with the Lord

Scripture: Joshua 24:14c
and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.

Insights:  Yesterday we looked at Luke 16:13.  In that verse Jesus said, “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and money.”  Today’s portion of Joshua 24:14 also plays off of this Luke 16:13.  In other words, yesterday we looked at it from a service perspective.  Today we look at it from an identification perspective.  Joshua is telling the people of Israel they have to decide with whom they are going to give their allegiance.  This choice is the basic choice all individuals have to make.  It is the receiving of the gift of salvation Jesus offers or the rejection of that very same gift.  Taking the concept of Luke 16 a little further it is the total surrender to one master and total rejection of another.  Joshua is drawing a line in the sand and telling Israel to cross the line and identify themselves with God or remain and identify themselves with other gods.  The offer still stands today: with whom will you identify yourself, God or this world?  God is offering you this free gift of eternal life.  A gift you do not deserve and cannot earn.  The reason for your inability to do anything about your eternity is because you are a sinner and you can’t save yourself.  But God IS love and therefore does not want to punish you.  At the same time, however, God is just and must punish sin.  He solves this apparent problem in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ.  He is the infinite God-man.  In other words, He is fully God and fully human at the same time.  Jesus came to this earth and lived among us.  He died on a cross for the payment of your sins.  He was buried, but on the third day He rose again.  And now, by faith, you can receive and identify yourself with this merciful God Joshua is telling you to choose.  Faith is not just head knowledge of facts about Jesus.  Faith is not temporary either.  In other words, you can’t let Jesus “fix” your present problem and then walk away from Him and think you really belong to Him.  Faith is an eternal heart change where you trust in Him alone for eternal life.  Beloved, choose with whom you are going to be identified.

Questions:
  1. Have you received the free gift of eternal life found in Jesus Christ?
  2. If not, what is holding you back?                           
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for giving Your life as a ransom for mine.  As I choose You, may I have the boldness to share Your love with those who do not know You.  May they experience the same peace and joy You have given to me.  Amen.  

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