WHEN WE ARE TRUE WITH OURSELVES WE EXCEPT THE HUMILITY OF OUR OWN SINS, NOT LAYING BLAME ON OTHERS, BUT RIGHTFULLY OWNING UP AND TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT WE HAVE DONE WRONG. ONLY THEN WILL REPENTANCE BE TRULY SINCERE. ALONG WITH TRUE REPENTANCE COMES A LIFE FILLED WITH GREAT JOY, PEACE, LOVE AND HAPPINESS. ONE IS NO LONGER ABLE TO BE BOUND BY SPIRITS OF ANGER, JEALOUSY, MANIPULATION, OPPRESSION, HATRED AND SELF DESTRUCTION. THROUGH JESUS CHRIST YOU CAN BE SET FREE!
Truthfulness; sincerity: in all honesty!
How often does a non-believer lash out at a believer by calling them a hypocrite? The real answer behind the insult, is a feeling of less self worth, and a feeling of being exposed! Because this person may feel that they are not measuring up to God's standards their automatic response is to criticize and judge others who are making the effort. Christians are not perfected mortal beings who never sin or make mistakes. The reality is....we all fall short of the glory of God. My Pastor tells us as Christians we should fess up when we mess up! We first need to take responsibility for the sin we committed, not excusing our actions and denying what wrong we've done but completely owning up to our mistakes. Going to God sincerely in prayer, not only to ask for His forgiveness but for His loving help. If we ask Him and trust in Him, He will help us to not continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. The gift He so graciously gave by giving His life on the cross at Calvary was done so that we would all be given the wonderful privilege of forgiveness for our sins. He gave it all, but the choice is ours! He will not make you serve Him or acknowledge Him. Our relationship with Him is based on the absolute necessity of earnestly seeking Him and His guidance. The Bible tells us in John 14:14"And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us". We have blessed with the assurance of knowing that God will never leave us nor forsake His children. He is eager to help us, just as we are eager to be there for our own children when they need our help or guidance. As a Mom I know I have a God given gift to love, nurture, protect, teach, encourage, and defend my children with every ounce of my being. How must God almighty feel towards me and His other children? Scripture tells us His love is incomprehensible to man. God desires for all mankind to be saved and reap an eternity with Him. Truth is, more will not benefit than that will. We are living in a spiritually dying world that is filled with the wickedness of people who have turned away from God in order to live a life pleasing to themselves. We must live according to scripture, according to how God desires for us to live. We should "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? Corinthians 13:5. We must not be like the carnal reprobate! Being men of corrupt minds concerning the faith of God; "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate"(Titus 1:16). We need to be careful with our approach with others even if we do not agree with them. Reaching out through love and compassion will go miles further than reaching out through a judgemental and haughty spirit. The Bible tells us that if we offend a child of His we have made offense unto Him as well. Mark 9:42 tells us "And whosoever shall offend one of these that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
God is love and we are to always remember that love and compassion that he so graciously shows us all on a daily basis. We are to show love and compassion even to our enemies. God never states we only have to show love to the people we like. Yes it's hard and sometimes it may feel impossible, but remember through Him all things are possible. We are to try to live our lives in the way the Lord would see fit. We should never deny the truth, or the truth that dwells within another, regardless of how we feel about that person. If we are able to deny the truth then the truth is not in us!
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