God's Grace In Montana: If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?

" Take heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye LOVE the Lord your God." Joshua 23:11

This past week I have been dwelling much on the importance of being right before God... of giving my best to a righteous and holy God.

The passage of Cain and Abel was brought up in a recent Bible study and I went home thinking about it. I thought about Cain's offering, an offering that we know was displeasing to the Lord...

.... and then I thought about Abel's offering... an offering consisting of his best, his firstlings and the fat thereof.

Seeing God's approval of Abel's offering, Cain became very angry. Why would God be displeased with his grain offering and not accept it? We would look at it and say, " Well, Cain did bring an offering, did he not?"

Yes, Cain did bring an offering... but God was displeased with his offering. Why? Because God knew Cain's motives and heart. It wasn't his best...

And yet we see God answering Cain with kindness,

"If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?

and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door."

Genesis 4:7

How often I see myself trying to place the SELF above what is required of God.

How often I see myself trying to "maneuver" my actions to be "pleasing" before God... and still come out looking like I'm obeying God.

The flesh is always concerned with "coming out on top and winning"... but God is concerned with a pure heart, a heart that is fully devoted to Him.

The flesh deceives us in thinking we "can get away with it"... but God knows and searches the motives of our hearts.

God surely tests us... and reminds us that we are to take heed-- that we love the Lord our God out of a pure heart.

Oh, how necessary it is for us to examine ourselves... that we be in the Spirit and not in the flesh. For if we do well, we shall be accepted of the Lord... and we will have nothing to fear.

" Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith, prove your own selves..."

2 Corinthians 13:5

Lord God... you are righteous and holy, create in us a clean heart and help us to seek after righteousness. May we be a pleasing aroma before you in Jesus Christ.

May you the love the Lord God out of a pure heart and offer your best to Him.

~Ellie

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Memory Verses

Ephesians 1: 3-23

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.