May/June 2006
“RESPONSIBLE”
James Russell, Elder
To God's scattered Brethren.
Greetings, I pray you had a rewarding Passover and Day of Unleavened Bread and are now looking forward to God's Feast of Pentecost! As the seven step plan of God for 2006 is again being marched, are you being more diligent than ever before to pray on a regular basis? Are you striving to obey God's laws, His commandments, and judgments? If so, you can thank God for it. He is responsible for your mind being opened. “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:11-12). Understanding God's life giving ways requires the working of His Holy Spirit.
Contrary to what this world's churches have been and are teaching, God is not trying to save this world now. He is calling and opening the mind of only a very few. “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt. 22:14). This does not mean our heavenly Father doesn't care about the people of this world. His Son Jesus Christ died for them because of His love for them and for us.
When in the flesh, Jesus explained to His critics, “No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44). If God the Father decided not to call them yet, Christ abides by that decision, knowing the resurrection scheduling. “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming (1 Cor. 15:20-23).
With a calling comes responsibility! Our example, Jesus Christ, takes seriously the responsibility of being a good shepherd to those His Father calls. He strives to protect and guard each and every one that has been drawn [called] to Him. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand” (John 10:27-29). “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy name: those that thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:12).
With surety, Christ is watching over every aspect of our life carefully. He is very concerned about what we do now and in the future. At times we may be giving Him questionable, uneasy moments.
Being human and having choices is why Christ likes to know what we are going to do tomorrow. He has a good idea because human beings are predictable. We execute our normal workday and weekend routine. We face usual situations in usual ways. Work, clean the house, study, watch television and end by going to bed much the same person we were when we got up. Is this a problem? What are we going to do tomorrow? Could this be causing God some anxiety?
God must know His called, just as the called must get to know Him. One day soon He is going to change us from mortal to immortal so that we may live forever in the kingdom of God. God wants to give us important responsibilities with power and authority one spiritual day. But first, He must know what we will do with that strength of power. Will we use it as Christ does, to serve and do what is right? Or, will we be like Satan, who became perverted as a thief, a liar, a cheat, killer and destroyer! “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
God must be able to predict and trust what we are going to do. He must know how we are going to act once we have been given eternal life. The basis of that prediction is what we do now in this life. He must know the kind of decisions we will make concerning right and wrong. God has given us freedom of choice! How will He judge our choosing?
“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matt. 7:20). Our fruits show where we are spiritually! Do we pray, study and fast? Do we control our tempers? Do we use bad language? Do we keep God's Sabbath Holy? Thinking these questions through, we mean well, but it may be like the diet we are always going to start --- TOMORROW! But tomorrow never comes!
On the other hand, if we have been diligent and begun to practice the ways of God in our life today, then we will probably keep doing so tomorrow. The longer we have been doing it, the more predictable and convincing we will be tomorrow!
We are free moral agents with the power of choice. “But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden” (Gal. 6:4-5). So based on what we have done so far with the knowledge we have been given, God has a good idea about what we will do tomorrow---good or bad, right or wrong. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Rom. 12:1-2).
Church of God, In Truth
Contact: James Russell, Elder Or Pete Fleming, Elder
Tel: 951-737-0559 Tel:830-885-5502
E-mail: cogit@flash.net Email:pmf06@gvtc.com
Sabbath telephone conference: 1888-330-9937 after the beeps enter access code: 346041#, 11:30 AM Pacific time zone. Sabbath Internet conference: www.postponements.com Click on live sermons. 11:30 AM Pacific time zone.