The Christian Life
Remembering who we serve.
“ Choose this day whom you will serve! But as for me and my house we will
serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
In this passage, Joshua draws a line in the sand and challenges the Israelites to make a decision. How useless it is to profess belief and not live it. The Israelites were going through the motions of being God’s people, but they were not living according to His commands. In reality they were hypocrites, professing one thing while living another. Rather than remaining faithful to God, and leading others to Him through a righteous life (bearing fruit), they adopted the evil lifestyles of the very ones who they should have witnessed to. They had turned from God and embraced the world around them. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other."
We do not have to look far to see how God and the world are opposite. Pornography thrives and unbiblical relationships are prime time. Lies and broken vows are winked at. Violence and vulgarities are common place. Just as in Joshua’s day, we too can find ourselves being swept away and walking in step with those who have no regard for God’s word and serve the world and it’s views. Views that are void of Gods high morals and self control. A world where the guilty walk the streets and the innocent are killed before birth and where consequences and personal responsibility are not demanded. God’s people are to live differently. 1 John 2:15-17 says “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”
Joshua chose to invest his trust and his life in God’s unchanging truth and his call to righteousness. God has revealed, through the scriptures, his salvation plan through Jesus his Son, who demonstrated for us a Godly life. The daily struggle we face as Christians is to reject the world’s values and persevere in faithfulness to Jesus, like swimming upstream against a current of self indulgence and moral decay. We’re to imitate Jesus through obedience, good works, kindness, and self control. This is God’s will for us.
God’s word must direct our lives and we need the company of those who are committed like Joshua around us. Proverbs 13:20 tells us, "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise." We are influenced by the company we keep. 1 Corinthians 11:1 says “imitate me as I imitate Christ”
At Evangel we seek to teach God’s word to all who will come and tell of the salvation he offers through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We seek to encourage each other, in a loving community, to choose daily to serve the Lord. Come!
Evangel Church PCA (evangelchurchpca.org)
423 Thompson Rd., Alabaster Al
SS 9am, Worship 10:15 am
Colby Reeves - member
Remembering who we serve.
“ Choose this day whom you will serve! But as for me and my house we will
serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
In this passage, Joshua draws a line in the sand and challenges the Israelites to make a decision. How useless it is to profess belief and not live it. The Israelites were going through the motions of being God’s people, but they were not living according to His commands. In reality they were hypocrites, professing one thing while living another. Rather than remaining faithful to God, and leading others to Him through a righteous life (bearing fruit), they adopted the evil lifestyles of the very ones who they should have witnessed to. They had turned from God and embraced the world around them. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other."
We do not have to look far to see how God and the world are opposite. Pornography thrives and unbiblical relationships are prime time. Lies and broken vows are winked at. Violence and vulgarities are common place. Just as in Joshua’s day, we too can find ourselves being swept away and walking in step with those who have no regard for God’s word and serve the world and it’s views. Views that are void of Gods high morals and self control. A world where the guilty walk the streets and the innocent are killed before birth and where consequences and personal responsibility are not demanded. God’s people are to live differently. 1 John 2:15-17 says “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”
Joshua chose to invest his trust and his life in God’s unchanging truth and his call to righteousness. God has revealed, through the scriptures, his salvation plan through Jesus his Son, who demonstrated for us a Godly life. The daily struggle we face as Christians is to reject the world’s values and persevere in faithfulness to Jesus, like swimming upstream against a current of self indulgence and moral decay. We’re to imitate Jesus through obedience, good works, kindness, and self control. This is God’s will for us.
God’s word must direct our lives and we need the company of those who are committed like Joshua around us. Proverbs 13:20 tells us, "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise." We are influenced by the company we keep. 1 Corinthians 11:1 says “imitate me as I imitate Christ”
At Evangel we seek to teach God’s word to all who will come and tell of the salvation he offers through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We seek to encourage each other, in a loving community, to choose daily to serve the Lord. Come!
Evangel Church PCA (evangelchurchpca.org)
423 Thompson Rd., Alabaster Al
SS 9am, Worship 10:15 am
Colby Reeves - member
