The world finds itself in the shape it’s currently in because people have ignored God’s standard. There is no denying this, no matter how much people may try. Our Heavenly Father warns us in His Word to cling to Him through the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are to do this by lining up our lives with the example Christ left us. James 4:4(NLT) states, “You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.” Jesus Christ is the Bridegroom, and believers in him are his bride. James 4:4 says that those who turn their backs on God’s standard are adulterers. In other words, the world or society is their bridegroom, and not Christ.
It is impossible for human beings to serve two masters. In other words, we can’t focus on God and focus on the world too. Jesus Christ tells us this in Matthew 6:24. God is our Creator, and He deserves our entire and complete focus and devotion. Loving Him is the greatest thing that any of us can do. He is a jealous God, and no one can come before Him.
The love He has for us cannot be matched. He loved us so much that He gave His Son’s life to save us. This is an unwavering, unconditional love, and one of the ways God teaches us about this love is through the relationships we have with one another, especially the marriage relationship. There’s nothing like the excitement a bride has over her groom. She anxiously awaits the day when she will walk down the aisle and they will finally be together as man and wife. Many women are waiting for this opportunity, and if it is a marriage ordained by God, it is well worth the wait.
The important thing for us to know is that nothing compares to the love that God has demonstrated towards us through the offering of His Son, Jesus Christ. Through His love, He has given us the great privilege of being His children. Because of Christ, we will never experience the burning fires of hell. Instead, we will spend the rest of eternity with Christ as his bride. We would never be able to repay this gift of overwhelming generosity. God knows this. He doesn’t ask for repayment. He asks that we behave in a way that demonstrates we understand what He’s given us through Christ, and we must behave as though we appreciate it.
To appreciate the price God has paid to rescue us from darkness is to live the life of abundance that He has made available through Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11-14 The message (MSG) tells us all about it. This passage says, “God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.”
God has given us access to all His goodies. He wants us to have wonderful relationships and a fulfilling life, but these blessings are contained in Christ. Outside of Christ, we have no hope, but Christ is our hope and in him we can fulfill our destinies. Following his example means that we are very careful about how we treat others. Colossians 3:9-10(NLT) tells us, “Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.” Being honest with one another is God’s standard, but the world teaches us to do anything we want in order to get ahead.
Some of us are tempted to believe that little white lies are okay. We’ve made such a habit of telling these little white lies that many men and women think it doesn’t even matter. People may think that being committed to keep our word isn’t a big deal, but truly it is. Our word is a pledge to God and to others based on our intent to carry out what we’ve promised to do. When it comes to our relationships with God and with others, our word identifies us as faithful or unfaithful, stable or unstable. So, keeping our commitments indicates whether we are worthy of greater blessings and rewards. It makes a statement about who we are at our cores.
The psalmist asked God about those that truly worship Him. Psalm 15:4(NLT), tells us its “Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts.” The Father clearly identifies His standard in this verse. We are to keep our promises and commitments even if it means we will be greatly inconvenienced. God will help us to do this when pleasing Him and honoring others is the motivation of our hearts.
When you say you’re going to do something, God is looking at your commitment to hold to your word. Telling someone you’re going to be somewhere at a certain time or do something on a specific day holds weight. When we don’t do what we say we’re going to do, without good reason, we’ve lied, and we will be held accountable before God for this. He has empowered us through Jesus Christ to be trustworthy and honest in all that we do. God will always back us when our motivation and heart is to do the right and honorable thing, and to be men and women of our word.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright ©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
“Be A Man and Woman of Your Word”, written by KLizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2022. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.