Who Will You Serve?
By: Crickettt
Choose Life
(The following scriptures used are from HCSB at bible.com)
“This command that I give you today is certainly not too difficult or beyond your reach. It is not in heaven so that you have to ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it? ’ And it is not across the sea so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it? ’ But the message is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may follow it. See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity. For I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live and multiply, and the Lord your God may bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not listen and you are led astray to bow down to other gods and worship them, I tell you today that you will certainly perish and will not live long in the land you are entering to possess across the Jordan. I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, love the Lord your God, obey Him, and remain faithful to Him. For He is your life, and He will prolong your life in the land the Lord swore to give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:11-20 HCSB
These scriptures above were not only words promised to Israel by God, they are also true for us as well. We too have been given a choice to choose who we will serve and be obedient to. The God of Israel, Yahweh, has promised to be with us and provide for us if we will follow after Him and live a life that is worthy of the calling He has placed upon our lives. Being faithful in our choices requires walking with Him no matter what it costs. You may lose your friends, family members, jobs or businesses along the way for the sake of following after Jesus. The risk of giving up everything for Christ Jesus may seem high, but the reward is eternal life. God has promised to provide for those who diligently follow His commands and do not turn astray.
When you choose Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are choosing righteousness (right standing with God) over sin and darkness. When you choose Satan and the things of the world and all its worldly goods or the worship of money, power and other foreign gods, you are choosing eternal death which is total separation from God. Blessings will always come from serving God/Yahweh. Curses will always come from serving Satan and wicked living. The devil will entice and tempt people into serving him and his demons. He wants to kill, steal, and destroy God’s creation. Mankind was created in the image of God. Yahweh loves us and does not want anyone to perish. The devil has no authority in making us do anything, we have free will to choose for ourselves. Our choices will change our destiny. We are all personally responsible for our own sins and willingness to sin without sincere repentance.
Personal Responsibility for Sin
Look, every life belongs to Me. The life of the father is like the life of the son — both belong to Me. The person who sins is the one who will die. He who follows My statutes and keeps My ordinances, acting faithfully, such a person is righteous; he will certainly live.” This is the declaration of the Lord God. “Now if the wicked person turns from all the sins he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is just and right, he will certainly live; he will not die. None of the transgressions he has committed will be held against him. He will live because of the righteousness he has practiced. Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? ” This is the declaration of the Lord God. “Instead, don’t I take pleasure when he turns from his ways and lives? But when a righteous person turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, committing the same detestable acts that the wicked do, will he live? None of the righteous acts he did will be remembered. He will die because of the treachery he has engaged in and the sin he has committed.” Ezekiel 18:4, 9, 21-24 HCSB
“The Lord your God is commanding you this day to follow these statutes and ordinances. You must be careful to follow them with all your heart and all your soul.” Deuteronomy 26:16 HCSB
The Word of God is alive, filled with power and active. We are commanded to remain in His Word so our hearts and minds and spirits are transformed to be like Christ Jesus. His Word embedded within us changes everything! We should read it daily and meditate on what it says.
“This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.” Joshua 1:8 HCSB
Christian Warfare
“Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.” Ephesians 6:10-13 HCSB
Stand strong in your walk and God will make your pathway straight. We will walk through trials and face temptations, but we have an advocate with the Father, who is Jesus Christ His only Son. He alone made atonement for all of our sins when He took our place on the cross, suffered a brutal death, was buried and resurrected on the third day and is sitting at the right hand of the Father making intercession on our behalf. Jesus is our example for living a pure and abundant life. He made the way possible where there was no way. He is the way the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Jesus.
Today, I encourage you to stop following after darkness and other foreign gods. Put away all the sin that has bound you to eternal death and be set free by acknowledging and repenting of your sins once and for all. Ask Jesus to come into your heart and make you brand new in Him. All the old will be washed away and new things He will declare over you.
Choose you this day who you will serve, (before it is too late) but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
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**All scripture quotes in each blog originates from their various Bible translations listed.
