Do you care about God's approval? Do you wonder if God is pleased with your Christian life? How can you make sure that God approves of your life that he gave you? For approval, there has to be law/rules, approver and someone who needs approval. Imagine a form that you have to fill out to get approval from God. What will that form be? What should be the information in that form to get the approval? Let us find out.
Approve, per dictionary means to officially agree to or accept as satisfactory, prove.
1. Background Check: Walk by the Spirit: As a person, Holy Spirit is the one who leads you into path of living a life that is pleasing or approved by God. Galatians 5:16 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” So the Background section of your approval form, should list Holy Spirit as the information. Any amount of education. political power or money cannot get you to heaven or approval of God. If a person hearing the Gospel of Christ, humbles themselves, listens to the direction of the Holy Spirit, he or she is a winner. Without proper background information, the approval form cannot proceed or is the first filter to decline.
2. Your Name: Does God really know you? Isaiah 43:1 - “But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” In this grace age, through our redeemer, you have the right to be called sons or daughters of God. Remember God called Samuel by name. As a young person, God chose to call Samuel. One could consider that Eli’s sons were around. If God is calling, are you hearing the call? Just like selective service registration in United States, if you are able bodied (has been called by God), are you listening to the call and following the commands of God? In Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you” was the message for Prophet Jeremiah. Psalms 139:13 “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb.” God created you in the first place and he sent his own son Jesus Christ to die in the cross for our sins, for our redemption.
3. Is your rap sheet empty? He is your redeemer: Usually, when filling out forms, if the answer for misdemeanor or criminal record is yes, you will have to list all instance of these occurrences. If you are redeemed by the blood of the lamb, your rap sheet should be empty? If it is not, clearly, approval is not possible, even though God loves us. Many hears the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but few truly has the confidence to say that their sins have been forgiven. Psalms 55:22 “Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” If your approver knows, if your approver Jesus Christ is your advocate, how amazing it is know that, you are redeemed.
Psalms 130:3 - “If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?” But God blots your sin, if you repent.
Isaiah 43:25 - God forgives and forgets your sin. God is omniscient, but he decides to forget your sins on your repentance.
4. What rules apply to you? Law or Grace: Romans 3:19-24, vs 23,24 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” The law is the mirror to show the inadequacy of man, but grace is the gift of God that brings sufficiency. When we wear Christ, when we believe, Jesus took our sins on the cross, our sins have been blotted out, Jesus has paid the penalty for you.
5. Your Thoughts - God knows your Thoughts: Psalms 94:11 “God knows the thoughts of a man, that they are mere breath”. You can recollect memories attached to your soul, even when you are dead. You choose to dwell on a thought. The Rich man remembered about Lazarus and his brothers.
- Psalms 139:2 - Understands thoughts from afar
- 2 Corinthians 10:5 - Taking every thought captive
- Proverbs 12:15 - Counsel for mentors
- James 1:5-7 - Some people claim they are not hearing from God. He will tell us, if it is best.
- 2 Timothy 3:16 - He speaks to us through his word.
- Romans 8:26-27 - Spirit himself intercedes for us.
- 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 - Guidance of the spirit
6. Your worship aptitude - Sweet savor of sacrifice before God, Joyful Noise: Psalms 100:1 - Make a joyful noise unto the Lord.
Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem with loud shouts of joy (John 12:13).
Luke 19:40 “But Jesus answered, "I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!” Let us not give stones any chances.
Ephesians 5:18-19 “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;”
7. What is your exercise regiment? Feeding on God's word: You should not need to keep your life busy to come across us successful and not have any time for God.
John 7:38 - From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.
Conclusion:
With the approval, you can be rest assured that the rivers of living water will flow out of you for God's purpose and will be a blessing for many. Are you ready? Are you willing?
