October 2022
We Are Not Forced!
29 October 2022 @ 15:03
Jesus does not call us to force our beliefs on others.
He calls us to deny ourselves and live our lives for others.
Jesus demonstrated a life sacrificed for others not one where others sacrificed for Him.
Jesus called us to relationship with Him and with others.
Jesus did not call us to look down on others
He called us to see all people as those created in the image of God.
Jesus taught ‘The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’
Jesus did not call us to judge others saying that, if we did, we would be judged in the same manner.
Jesus spoke against those who would burden others with their rules while doing nothing to help them with their burdens.
We are not a Godly nation because we have enacted laws that we believe make us so. We become a Godly nation when we live righteous lives where we individually choose to live in the way that Jesus has called us to live. Living in that way means living a life that imparts love, mercy and grace to those around us.
Jesus never forced His beliefs on anyone. He loved them equally desiring that none be lost. Jesus said that in Him we could see the Father and He showed us a Father that gave us a choice. Yes God always desires that we choose in a way that leads to life but it is a choice non-the-less. Scripture tells us that, ‘Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Peter’s choice and plan, as well meaning as it was, was not Jesus’ choice and plan. Perhaps we should stop trying to speak for God and, rather, try to simply live for God. Let our actions be those that point to a God of compassion. Let our lives be lived in such a way that others around us
Jesus taught saying, “the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Jesus goes on to say, “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
He calls us to deny ourselves and live our lives for others.
Jesus demonstrated a life sacrificed for others not one where others sacrificed for Him.
Jesus called us to relationship with Him and with others.
Jesus did not call us to look down on others
He called us to see all people as those created in the image of God.
Jesus taught ‘The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’
Jesus did not call us to judge others saying that, if we did, we would be judged in the same manner.
Jesus spoke against those who would burden others with their rules while doing nothing to help them with their burdens.
We are not a Godly nation because we have enacted laws that we believe make us so. We become a Godly nation when we live righteous lives where we individually choose to live in the way that Jesus has called us to live. Living in that way means living a life that imparts love, mercy and grace to those around us.
Jesus never forced His beliefs on anyone. He loved them equally desiring that none be lost. Jesus said that in Him we could see the Father and He showed us a Father that gave us a choice. Yes God always desires that we choose in a way that leads to life but it is a choice non-the-less. Scripture tells us that, ‘Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Peter’s choice and plan, as well meaning as it was, was not Jesus’ choice and plan. Perhaps we should stop trying to speak for God and, rather, try to simply live for God. Let our actions be those that point to a God of compassion. Let our lives be lived in such a way that others around us
Jesus taught saying, “the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Jesus goes on to say, “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”