King of My Life, Pt. 2
We stated last week that to say God is King of our lives refers, in the first place, to God's sovereignty over all creation and our submission to His lordship. We may continue our reflections today by thinking about the claim that God has on our lives.
As Creator King, God has all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, what He says, we are obligated to do. He is the "great King over all the earth" and the "great King above all gods." He rules over all and commands all people everywhere to repent and be obedient to Him.
God is a loyal and generous King who deserves our allegiance and service. We are to pledge our lives to Him. As King, God demands our single-minded devotion to Him. We cannot serve God and another. Jesus taught this clearly when He said, "No one can serve two masters; he will either hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other." We do well to reconsider this point. Have you pledged your undivided allegiance to God? Is your life single-mindedly devoted to Him and His purposes?
God is also a loving and gracious King who deserves our worship and adoration. We should gladly bow down to Him and give Him thanks for His common graces of life, sunshine, and rain and His work of redemption in Christ Jesus. He has been so good to us!
God is King over His kingdom. His kingdom is not of this world. It is altogether different than the worst and even the best of the nations and kingdoms of the earth. He is altogether different than any earthly ruler. He is perfect in all of His ways. What a glorious blessing it is to be a citizen of the kingdom of God! May we never forget that Jesus has taught us to not worry about a thing; we simply need to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything we need will be given to us by Him.
King of My Life, Pt. 1
King of My Life
What does it mean for God to be King of our lives? The Bible refers to God as "King" time and time again. The psalmist, for example, begins Psalm 24 with, "The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein;" and he ends the psalm with, "Who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory!" The last book of the Bible, Revelation, calls Jesus "King of kings" two different times (17:14; 19:16). We even sing hymns with lines such as, "King of my life, I crown Thee now." Again, we may reflect upon the question- What does it mean for God to be King of our lives?
In the first place, the designation must refer to God's sovereignty. He is creator of all, and, therefore, He is ruler of all. When we say, "All" that includes us as well. God is ruler of our lives! So then, we see who He is, but what about on our end? We are creatures, and, therefore, we are subjects. However, we are God's treasured subjects! We are created for His glory, but how wonderfully blessed are we in relation to Him?!
We have the privilege of knowing our creator and being known by Him. He has loved us to the point that He would send His Son to die for us! He has reconciled us by the blood of Christ's cross so that we are not slaves but sons and daughters! He does not force us into slavery but allows us to freely come to Him by grace through faith, and He adopts us as His children. As His children, we voluntarily serve Him because we love and admire Him.
These are just a few reflections on what it means for God to be King of our lives. Maybe we can share more thoughts on this subject next week.
What does it mean for God to be King of our lives? The Bible refers to God as "King" time and time again. The psalmist, for example, begins Psalm 24 with, "The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein;" and he ends the psalm with, "Who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory!" The last book of the Bible, Revelation, calls Jesus "King of kings" two different times (17:14; 19:16). We even sing hymns with lines such as, "King of my life, I crown Thee now." Again, we may reflect upon the question- What does it mean for God to be King of our lives?
In the first place, the designation must refer to God's sovereignty. He is creator of all, and, therefore, He is ruler of all. When we say, "All" that includes us as well. God is ruler of our lives! So then, we see who He is, but what about on our end? We are creatures, and, therefore, we are subjects. However, we are God's treasured subjects! We are created for His glory, but how wonderfully blessed are we in relation to Him?!
We have the privilege of knowing our creator and being known by Him. He has loved us to the point that He would send His Son to die for us! He has reconciled us by the blood of Christ's cross so that we are not slaves but sons and daughters! He does not force us into slavery but allows us to freely come to Him by grace through faith, and He adopts us as His children. As His children, we voluntarily serve Him because we love and admire Him.
These are just a few reflections on what it means for God to be King of our lives. Maybe we can share more thoughts on this subject next week.
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, was sent from heaven by the Father with a mandate to glorify the Son, to convict the world of the sin of unbelief, to regenerate those who believe, to guide them into all truth, to enable them to live godly lives, and to equip them for the work of ministry.
(John 14:25; 16:8, 13-14; Titus 3:5; Rom 8:9-11; Gal 5:22-23; Eph 4:7-13)
With all of that being said, there is no doubt that you need the work of God's Spirit in your life! So, is the Holy Spirit active in your life? There are a few ways to know for yourself:
1) The fact that you ask this question of yourself is a good sign. If the Spirit wasn't active in your life, you probably wouldn't care to ask.
2) Have you been baptized? The Bible promises the gift of the spirit for those who repent and are baptized (all motivated by faith, of course).
3) Do you call out to God in prayer and confess your sins? The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts you of your sin.
3) Are you burdened for the things of God like being with and serving the church and sharing the Gospel with the lost? The Spirit of God works the desires of God in our hearts.
4) Is the fruit of the Spirit being produced in your life? (Love, joy, peace, etc.)
5) Do you have a deep-seated confidence that you belong to God? The Bible teaches that His Spirit tells our spirits that we belong to Him!
The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, was sent from heaven by the Father with a mandate to glorify the Son, to convict the world of the sin of unbelief, to regenerate those who believe, to guide them into all truth, to enable them to live godly lives, and to equip them for the work of ministry.
(John 14:25; 16:8, 13-14; Titus 3:5; Rom 8:9-11; Gal 5:22-23; Eph 4:7-13)
With all of that being said, there is no doubt that you need the work of God's Spirit in your life! So, is the Holy Spirit active in your life? There are a few ways to know for yourself:
1) The fact that you ask this question of yourself is a good sign. If the Spirit wasn't active in your life, you probably wouldn't care to ask.
2) Have you been baptized? The Bible promises the gift of the spirit for those who repent and are baptized (all motivated by faith, of course).
3) Do you call out to God in prayer and confess your sins? The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts you of your sin.
3) Are you burdened for the things of God like being with and serving the church and sharing the Gospel with the lost? The Spirit of God works the desires of God in our hearts.
4) Is the fruit of the Spirit being produced in your life? (Love, joy, peace, etc.)
5) Do you have a deep-seated confidence that you belong to God? The Bible teaches that His Spirit tells our spirits that we belong to Him!
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