This morning, my little brother Cody was just being himself, but unfortunately that meant he was being louder than anyone in the house, all while some people were trying to sleep. I tried to get him to be quiet, and finally after some persuading, he shut up. When my mom asked what was going on, I explained the situation and told her that Cody needs to learn how to listen better. My mom, being the amazing guilt trip she is, turned this back on me and reminded me how many times she had asked me to clean my bathroom just in the last couple of weeks. (I'm probably gonna have to do it when I'm done writing this, so I'll make sure to make today's extra long) But as I was mumbling to myself about how cleaning the bathroom was a different story, I finally lowered my pride and realized that she was right. I was chastising my little brother for doing the very thing I had been doing all week long; not listening. Now, all that having been said, how often do we try to point out the things others are doing wrong, only to turn our backs and do that very thing? There is a reason the Church has been labeled as "hypocritical" today. Some of it may be that people don't understand the true meaning of grace, but most of it is just what they say it is. So many of us say one thing and act one way in church, but when we leave the property, do the complete opposite. I include myself in that number of people. There are times when I go to church, hear a teaching, and say "amen", but when I leave I do the very thing I was just taught not to do. I'm not saying that every time we leave church, we will be perfect in every way, but how often do we really mean what we say in church? In Revelation, John writes to the church of Laodicea, saying that God will spit them from His mouth because they were doing one thing in church services, and doing the complete opposite outside of the church walls. I don't know about you, but getting spit out of God's mouth doesn't really sound all that pleasing. All of us are guilty of this, but if I only told you what I wrote above, there would be no point. There is a solution to this problem.
John later writes in the very same letter to be zealous and repent. He says repent, meaning that you need to ask God for His forgiveness, but more than that, turn away from that sin and start on a new path. This goes for any sin, not just hypocrisy. God offers us a new life in him. I've been learning lately that although accepting Jesus into your heart is the best start you could get, you need to do something with that. If you have never done, this, it is by far one of the easiest things you could possibly do. All you need to do is admit that you are a sinner, because if you are honest with yourself, you'll soon find out that no matter how hard you try, or how many New Year's Resolutions you make, without God, those are pointless, and will get you nowhere. The second step is you realizing that God did something about the first step. You see, if we are sinners, then theres really nothing we can do about it on our own. It would be like a blind man trying to lead another blind man to the grocery store. You can go ahead and try to imagine that for a second if you want. Anyways, God sent His only son Jesus to earth to fix this little problem of ours. It may be hard to believe, and blow your mind, but Jesus lived a perfect life and didn't commit a single sin. Not one. However, the very people He created accused him of blasphemy and nailed him to a cross. Jesus died, and was buried. But there's good news! We don't serve a dead God, because 3 days later, Jesus rose from the grave and defeated death once and for all. Jesus said "I am the way, the Truth, and the Life. None come to the Father except through Me." By dying, and rising again, Jesus made a way for us to be reunited with God. The Bible also says that if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, you will be save. Its as simple as that.
If you want to know more, please please please please, you can message me on Facebook. I really hope this was encouraging for you today.
God Bless,
Bailey
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