HOW TO KEEP FOCUSED ON GOD.
"How to Keep Focused on God" is based on the
letter Paul sent to Christians in Galatia
about 50 A.D. You'll find references to
Galatians as you read on and brackets
indicate our comments.
(Before you can keep focused on God you have
to get focused on Him and here's how to do
it).
God loves you and has a great plan for your
life. But we all prefer our own plans.
This breaks His "Law of Love," the price
being separation from Him. Christ paid the
price by dying in your place and rising to
offer reconciliation. Accept His offer now,
turn to and trust Him, if you have not
already done so, with a prayer like this.
"Jesus, I turn to and trust in you, forgive
me for going my way in the past and help me
to go you way in the future."
Whether you feel any different or not, if you
said that to God and meant it, His Holy Spirit
lives in you and you are now one of His family.
You have accepted the Good News (Gospel) about
how to become God's child and your mission in
life is to pass it on).
God has given you this mission to accomplish.
No man has sent you on it.
May you continually know the grace and peace
of God and Christ who obediently died for
your sins to rescue you from these evil times
(Ch. 1 verses 1-5).
God's Good News is that you get right with Him
by turning to Jesus and putting faith in Him
- plus nothing.
If men try to tell you more is required such
as keeping man made religious rules - ignore
them. If they were right Christ died for
nothing.
The miracle is that Christ loves you and
died for you. As you live by faith in Him,
it's no longer you who lives but Christ (in
the person of the Holy Spirit) who lives
through you.
Ch. 1 verse 6 - Ch. 2 verse 21)
This is real living. Like a pipeline from
a mountain lake to a desert, all you have to
do is be where Christ wants you to be.
With the pipeline kept clean (sin confessed
and removed) Christ "the water of life" just
flows through you to "bring life to the desert."
You won't improve on this system so don't
try to.
Before Christ came, the old way to get
right with God was by keeping His laws. But
now the new and living way is through faith
in Christ. (This way the laws are still
kept, not as a means of getting right
with God, but out of gratitude to Him for
Christ).
You are God's child through faith in Christ.
Nothing separates you from your brother
and sister believers. Race, age, sex etc.
are no longer barriers - you are all one
in Christ Jesus.
(Chapter 3)
The world's idea of religion is to get right
with God by keeping a whole lot of rules and
regulations. But at the right time God sent His
Son to deliver you from such hopeless systems.
Becoming God's child by faith in Jesus Christ,
He sent the Spirit of His Son into your heart.
From there, in the closest possible relationship
with God, He calls out to the Father.
Now that you know God, or rather, are known by
Him, resist at all cost, the temptation to
substitute your real relationship with Christ
for the world's religious rules and regulations.
Unfortunately, these are often promoted by
"Christian" churches - "Do things our way" they
say and you will be right with God. It's a sure
way to lose the joy and freedom of a real
relationship with Jesus Christ.
(Chapter 4)
Christ has set you free, so stay free. Don't
alienate yourself from Him by substituting
religious rules and regulations for Him.
Remember that the only thing that counts is
faith in Christ expressing itself in love. Serve
others in love. God's law is summed up in His
single command: "Love your neighbour as
yourself."
Live under the control of God the Holy Spirit
who dwells in you and you won't be controlled by
the desires of your sinful nature. These are
sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery,
idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy,
fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions,
factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the
like. Instead, your life will exhibit the fruit
of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.
(Chapter 5)
If you find another believer caught in a sin,
help by restoring him gently, being careful not
to be tempted in the same way. By carrying
another's burdens you fulfil Christ's law to
love your neighbour as yourself.
Do what Christ tells you to do each day and
don't waste time comparing yourself with others.
If someone teaches you God's word, then support
his work.
Remember that God can't be mocked. You reap what
you sow. If you live to please your sinful
nature, destruction will follow. If you live to
please the indwelling Holy Spirit you'll
experience eternal life.
Let Christ direct your daily actions and don't
become weary in doing good, especially to other
believers.
Avoid being pressured by Christian groups to
keep their man made religious rules and
regulations. Such things mean nothing. All that
counts is that by turning to and trusting in
Christ, you have become a new creation.
May you have peace and mercy and may the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
(Chapter 6)
HERE ARE SOME MAIN POINTS FROM GALATIANS:
1. The Good News is that you get right with
God and stay right with Him by turning to Jesus
and putting your faith in Him - PLUS NOTHING.
Then God lives in and through you in the person
of the Holy Spirit. This is true freedom. It's
the best life you can have.
2. But people will try to "con" you out of this
freedom by saying you have to keep a whole lot
of religious rules and regulations to get and
stay right with God. Beware of "Christian
churches" who do this. You'll take God's rules
seriously, but out of gratitude that He's given
them to you because He loves you and not to earn
His favour. There's a lookout at Echo Point,
Katoomba. Below it is a 1000-foot drop. It's a
good thing there's a fence around that lookout.
God's laws, like that fence, are there because
He loves and wants to protect you. But to-day's
sick society insists on its "democratic right"
to remove or ignore the fence. How dumb can you
get?
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