Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Colossians 1:12-14
There is only one hope of salvation: redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ wherein our sins are forgiven. For each of us who know Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord; our hearts should be always overflowing with thankfulness and joy. That joy, that gratitude can be reflected in our desire to please Him by living a life reflecting my love, my trust, and my faith in His Sovereign will in my life. It should also reflect a love of God’s law and commandments. His law is not a burden upon the Christian, it is a guiding light to help us as we draw nearer to Him; wherein lies our joy, our hope and our sustaining love.
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Psalm 1:1-3
True prosperity is a life of peaceful contentment with God, filled with a heart that overflows God’s love to those around us. All too often, we think of prosperity as earthly riches; yet, they are nothing to compare to the spiritual and emotional riches of a life anchored in the Grace and Mercy of God’s Salvation.
As children of the Light, we must be about the work of spreading the gospel by planting the seeds of truth wherever we go. We cannot be swayed by “public opinion” nor by “political correctness”. That was the danger facing the early church in Colossae. Living in a multicultural society, as an act of love they were trying to be tolerant of other philosophies and ideologies. We are to demonstrate kindness, gentleness, and love; but we must at the same time our truest act of love is to proclaim the truth of the gospel. We need to live our lives in a manner that demonstrates the hope, the joy, and the love found in Christ.
Let me give you an example that I hope helps. When I married my husband, he was an atheist. That was a sin and there were consequences that I did face; yet, God in His Mercy and Grace toward me was even able to change that into something good. Over the years, I did not hound Pete about the Bible. Still, I read my Bible, I prayed, and I lived a life of faith. It was God’s Grace that gave me a heart of love and forgiveness toward Pete no matter what happened; as struggles, did come into our relationship. God gave me a humble, serving heart toward Pete. Then came some major devastating disasters into our lives. God gave me the strength to march forward with faith. Thus, by God’s Grace; that ember of light in my life lead Pete to desire that same light. Only, then did he receive Christ as His Savior before he died. An eternity was changed because God used my heart to shine forth love to another, allowing me to stand firm in the truth of the gospel while at the same time doing so in love. So, it is we are to plant seeds of righteousness in our own hearts that they might grow and then shine forth to all those around us.
If I am to love the world as Christ loved the world, then I must be willing to accept ridicule, disdain, and even death to proclaim the truth of the gospel. There is only one way of salvation and that is Jesus Christ, my Lord. If I am to love others with a perfect love, the love of Christ in me; then I will not fear their response. I will not fear society’s rules of “political correctness” in which truth becomes blurred into relativism. For some of you my dear readers, I know you face even the risk of death for standing for the truth. I pray for you with each stroke on this keyboard that God give you His strength, His love, His joy and His peace. You, more than I, know the truth of I John 4:17-19
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.
[tweetthis]If we truly love the world as Christ did then we cannot waiver upon truth[/tweetthis]
[bctt tweet=”As God’s love in us grows; we must not fear the cries for political correctness” username=”effiedarlene”]
[bctt tweet=”As God’s light in the world we take a stand on the truth of the gospel in a spirit of humility” username=”effiedarlene”]
I would love to here about your journey; please scroll down to comment below
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Living Bible (TLB) The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2016
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.