Part one is here.
What would Jesus say about our community?
By what means would he evaluate our current spiritual state?
The answer to that question is easy!
John 12:48
48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
The judgment of this community would be based upon the powerful timeless words of Jesus. Looking at what He has said in his word and our allegiance to, or our rejection of, those words would form the basis of his assessment.
Why are the words of Jesus the words that will judge us?
Because the words He spoke were not His own, but the Father’s.
John 12:49
49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
So then, to reject the words of Jesus is to reject the very word of God. No one can reject the Word of God without dire consequences. I don’t care who you are.
Another reason why the words of Jesus are so important is because of the ultimate end of those words. His word has an ultimate goal. That goal is eternal life.
John 12:50
50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
To reject the words of Jesus is to reject the eternal life in Heaven that he came to offer.
Another passage in the Bible exposes us to the revealing purposes of the Word of God.
James 1:22–25
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
These verses tell us that the Bible is like a mirror. Looking into it can show us our true condition. Some people just take a casual glance and move on without concern. Others are very serious to know what God says about them so that they may do what He says.
The parable that Jesus gave in Luke 6:46-49 teaches us that OBEYING His word is the foundation upon which we should build our lives, and thus our communities.
Luke 6:46–48
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: 48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
So then, in order to know the spiritual state of our community, we must know how closely individuals in that community are following God’s Word. This is not a matter of how you feel about it. This is a matter of what God, in His Word, says and whether, or not, we are aligning ourselves with His Word.
Join us again next week as we continue our thoughts on the spiritual assessment of our community.
Write to me at
New Haven Baptist Church
247 Dot Johnson Drive
Summerville, GA 30747
Or
newhavensec2015@gmail.com
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