Christ is Alive: Live For Him
- Live to honor and please the Lord-
I Corinthians 15:12-20, 56-58
I Corinthians 6:18-20
II Corinthians 6:17-18
Jesus is alive and living today. We should live to honor and please the Lord.
We all need guidelines to live by. God’s Word is our manual for life. We can choose to live and obey God’s Word and enjoy a life blessed of the Lord or we can choose to do what we think is right in our own eyes and live a life of pain and regret.
There are several practical questions and guidelines we can use to help us determine whether certain activities are right or wrong.
Questions
1. How will this activity or decision affect my body? Will it contribute to good health and in building a strong body, or will it weaken my body. We can better serve the Lord with healthy bodies than with sickly bodies.
2. How will this activity affect by spiritual life? Will it help me grow closer to the Lord or become a stumbling block? You might say, “I can live and do with my life what I want to do? It’s nobody’s business what I do?” The scriptures say otherwise: I Cor. 3:16-17
If you have invited Jesus into your life Christ lives in your and you are living a new life. II Cor. 5:17
3. What affect will my action have on others?
Will my participation be a stumbling block to others or an encouragement to others? The way you life your life may be the only Gospel of the good news of God’s love some people may see.
Will the life I life and what I say make it easier or more difficult for me to witness to unsaved friends about God’s love?
4. What affect will my actions have on the cause of Christ?
Can I expect God to bless me in this activity? The scriptures say: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the Church of God.” I Corinthians 10:31-32
Will my attitude help or hinder the work of Christ’s Church? Will my actions reflect credit or discredit upon my church?
When Jesus has done so much for us, should we not be willing to avoid anything that would be an embarrassment to the Lord?
I want to assure you that the Lord has your best interests in mind. Jesus came to give you life and that more abundantly. (John 10:10) The Lord knows that when you life your life based upon His Word you enjoy life at its best. Psalm 84:11 “No good things does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
Tests
I want to suggest three tests to use in determining what is right or wrong.
1. The test of secrecy.
Is this an activity you would not be ashamed for your mother, teacher, Pastor to know about? Right kind of living is not lived in the dark or in secret. Jesus said in John 3:19-21, “For this is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lies by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
2. The test of universality.
Would it be all right with you if everyone else this activity? - Your mom or dad, your teacher or your pastor? Would you approve of their participation or would you lose respect if you saw them doing it? What kind of family, church, or community would we have if everyone engaged in this activity?
3. Test of prayer.
The highest test is the test of prayer. Can I pray and ask God to bless my activities? If we consider it inappropriate to ask God’s blessing on our activity then it is a good indication the activity is wrong. We need to ask, “What would Jesus have me to do?”
Let’s consider three sources of Light.
1. Light from within.
God has given every person an inner light we call conscience. If you do something and feel guilty then that’s an indication that you need to make changes and stop doing certain things.
2. Light from without.
We can get guidance from people who had experiences in life. When we obey their guidance we save ourselves a lot of grief. Proverbs 11:14, Where no counsel is the people fail; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”
Regardless of how mature you think you are, you can profit by listening to the advise of others.
God has given you a mind to think for yourself. No one can force you to make good choices. But remember the choices your make are your responsibility. Whatever our actions or attitude we sow we reap the consequences that are either positive or negative.
You can look at the lives of people who have lived their lives in honoring the Lord and look at the lives of people who have lived for themselves with wine, women and song. What do you see? Some of the wealthiest people in the world are the most miserable.
3. Light from above.
The best guidance we can get is from the Lord. James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
The Proverb writer says that if you remember the Lord in the days of your youth you will enjoy a long life of God’s blessing and spiritual victory.
How does your life measure you? Do you need to make some changes? Do you need to ask Jesus to forgive you and give you a fresh start?
