Our Champion and Savior Jesus Christ has set the bench mark for us to follow. His whole life was dedicated to bringing glory to His Father!!! "Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word", (John 8:54-55). As we have been commanded by our Lord in verse 16 of Matthew chapter 5, we are to shine His Light so that the world would see the good deeds and glorify our father in Heaven. How can we bare this light and perform these good deeds? "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other", (John 15:12-17).
When Jesus left this command, He did not leave it as a boss on our job would leave a command. We receive commands daily in which the authority never lays hand to plow, so they can never sympathize or empathize with what we go through in order to follow that command. "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need", (Hebrews 4:14-16). Not only do we have an authority who knows what we are going through to comply to the command, He also wishes us to rest and allow Him to do the work through us!!! "In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus", (Philippians 1:4-6). Not only did Jesus Christ live a lifestyle of glorification, He called us to live that same lifestyle. He knows what it takes to follow this lifestyle so He can empathize and sympathize with us as we bare our cross. Then on top of all that, He gives us the promise that He will do the work through us, who is like our God??? “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”, (Matthew 11:28-30). Be Encouraged!!! Have a wonderful life of glorifying God on purpose!!!!!
Matthew 5
Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
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