“And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of them all is love’ (1Corinthians 13:13 KJV).
Just as the scripture says in Proverb 4:7 that, “wisdom is the principal thing,” we can also say of the above scripture that love is a principal thing.
Love is important, and everyone responds to it. It is not a mere feeling. It’s a verb, an action. It connotes giving. God demonstrated this when He sent His beloved son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sin.(more…)
A Christian who has backslided from faith can be restored by God. This lesson can be illustrated with God’s behavior to the people of Judah (in the bible). People of Judah were God’s children, but they sold themselves to sinful lifestyle. They became corrupted to the extent that God turned his back against them.
However, despite the sinful behavior of people of Judah, God promised to restore them into his true love. The Creator would buy them back from their sinful entrapment.
Jehovah promised to redeem his outcast children and restore them to have mutual relationship with him to enjoy his benefits. God would favor his children as promised,
“I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; for I am the Lord their God, And I will hear them” (Zechariah 10:6 NKJV).
Hope of Restoration for A Backslider
Every Christian is a child of God. Jehovah will redeem, restore, and forgive any of his children that have fallen from faith. That is, he will forgive and restore any Christian who has backslided.
God is loving and forgiving, and he will forgive our sins and bless us if we can turn to him. The ever gracious Lord will show us his loving-kindness and redeem our lands. He will also wipe off our painful memory and replace it with senses of calmness, peace, and joy.
However despite God’s enduring love and mercy, he still warned people not to take him for granted. He expects no one to live in a sin and hope for mercy at the same time. Every sinner must repent from his/her sins and turn to God to receive his mercy and forgiveness.
Consequences Remain For Unrepentant Sinners
Jehovah will punish an unrepentant sinner to the pit of hell fire! Therefore, it is important that everyone repent from his/her sins to appease God and obtain his mercy. We must have a genuine relationship with God to receive his abundant benefits.
God expects honest repentance from us all. The Creator will be proud to endow us with his goodness if we can walk uprightly before him.
Choose to honor God with dignity and serve him well so that you can prosper everyday of your life!
Dear God please teach me how to serve you with honesty. Empower me to yield my complete life to you so that I can prosper. Let me be in your good book to receive your abundant benefits. Also, let your Holy Spirit empower me to faithfully serve you so that I can qualify for your eternal kingdom. Please bless me today, bless me tomorrow, and bless me everyday of my life! For in the name of Jesus Christ I make my requests. Amen.
Love and humility are excellent virtues that God’s children must practice.
Jehovah requires all his children to live uprightly before him.
A good child of God would not seek for an excuse to hate others, or entertain pride.
Christians should learn from King Uzziah in the bible who practiced both sides of the coin and reaped the consequences.
Uzziah lived in humility at the beginning of his tenure, but switched to entertain pride at the end.
Explore the Life of King Uzziah from 2 Chronicles 26
King Uzziah succeeded many wayward kings in the land of Judah. His predecessors disobeyed God but he chose to act differently. He satisfied God.
Against the common practices of his time, Uzziah prioritize serving God and ruled his land with Godly fear.
God compensated the King for his faithful by helping him to become prosperous.
Uzziah was more famous than other kings that reigned during his time.
The Coin Flip of King Uzziah – Pride replaced Humility
It is unfortunate that King Uzziah who started well with God did not finish well.
He allowed fame and success to blindfold him.
Uzziah he let down his guards and stumbled into sin. The king allowed pride to set in, and was derailed.
The end game of Uzziah’s exploit was horrific!
The scripture reported,
“When he (Uzziah) was strong his heart was lifted up, to hisdestruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense” (2 Chronicles 26:16).
Despite all warnings that Uzziah received to repent from his sins, he persistent to pursue the tasks that God forbad.
King Uzziah usurped the priest’s position, and his action upset God. The bible reported,
“Then Uzziah became furious; and he hada censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the incense altar.
And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he wasleprous; so they thrust him out of that place.
Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the Lord had struck him. King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death.
He dwelt in an isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord.
Then Jotham his son wasover the king’s house, judging the people of the land” (2 Chronicles 26:19-21).
Important Lesson on Love and Humility
Children of God must operate in love
Christians are required to love God, serve God, and fear God.
Most importantly, children of God must operate in humility.
Christians must remember that we were once sinners saved by the grace of Jesus Christ to befit God’s benefits. We must not abuse our grace opportunity.
Christians are saved by grace as the bible stated,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
It is important to emphasize that God will bless people that are consistently loyal to him.
In contrast, he will not withhold his correcting rod but punish anyone who refuses to repent from his or her sins.
Prayer to Walk with God in Humility
Dear God please give me grace to serve you in humility at all times. Help me to operate in fear and respect.
Please let your Holy Spirit guide me to make decisions that satisfies you.
Also, help me to love other people dearly as Christ demonstrated his love for the world.
Please ever keep me fit for your eternal kingdom. For in the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
A Christian who has backslided from faith can be restored by God. This lesson can be illustrated with God’s behavior to the people of Judah (in the bible). People of Judah were God’s children, but they sold themselves to sinful lifestyle. They became corrupted to the extent that God turned his back against them.
