Follow What Is Good

Study: # 650 –Church in the Houses From: September 7 -13, 2010 TOPIC: "Follow What Is Good" Roman 12:9-12

I understood that in my life I have a call for the good things. I ask myself now: Do you also understand that you have a call? And that your call is for the good things? It is not to do anything bad? Those who love have a call for what is good; let us be faithful to the Lord, it is not to do what is bad. We are the family of faith, we love and respect ourselves. Christ rescued us and gave us the great privilege of being united in love and to be the salt of the world. We are those who were born again to do His will. Therefore, may our love be without pretense. As Paul says in Romans 12: 9, 10: "The love be without pretense. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; honor one another above yourselves." Love should be absolutely sincere. How difficult this can be for many! Well, everyone looks out for his own interests! Philippians 2: 21 There should be no hypocrisy in love or pretense or double intensions. It is said that the love with interest and selfishness shows affection with one eye, but looks with the other eye seeking some profit or advantage. That is why we see so many people that live annoyed when they do not receive profits of the ones that pretend to love; with their attitudes they are always demanding. There are some who have that selfish love whose goal is to receive more than what they give. If the love of the Lord is truly there, it is a love without selfishness that gives the heart above all. Is that your love? The Bible says to us: "Abhor the evil and follow the good things." When you are reluctant to sin, when you abhor it, then you will be sure. On one hand one must see the beauty of the holiness and on the other side the infinite ugliness of the sin. If a person avoids being evil, merely because of the bad consequences that it will bring him, then there is no reward. But you see, if there is something that we should hate it is evil, abhor the sin by loving what is good. Many hate only the consequences of evil but do not love justice and what is good, as asked of us by our Lord. We should be affectionate in our love towards other humans, and especially to the family of the faith. Can you imagine what occurs when you mock anyone belonging to the family of the faith? When you tell others about the fall of those you know, while your own and what you are doing is worse? None of us should live like strangers among the other brothers. We are one in Christ. Romans 12: 5 Each one of us has the same Father. We need to realize that the gossip in church many times has to do with the rights, privileges and prestige that some brothers seek for themselves. How dare they claim rights and exclusive privileges when we are all the family of the faith! What lack of love and selfishness they show with those attitudes! The eye of some observes the brothers supposedly loving them, but with the other eye they see them with a great personal interest. They give affection with one eye and with the other they see the possibility of gaining some profit. How the prestige is sought! How much struggle to obtain a good opinion from the others! Including, the fame! One must be like Christ, humble, servant. Luke 22:27 To be humble should be our position inside the family of the faith. None of those who show greatness want to yield before others in the church. When two persons struggle over a position they struggle with great strength without caring who they drag along. There is not humility or love in this. Brothers, Christians do not have rights, only duties. We can see lazy people pretending to feel jealousy for the holy things. Romans 12: 11 There should not be laziness in you, no lethargy for the service to the Lord and to the family of the faith. Do not leave everything for later, what is left for later is never done. In this world one must fight always, continuously against evil so that there will be good. Time is short and life is a preparation for the eternity. If you toil with the things of this world, the world will reach you and can separate you from eternity. We should be "serving the Lord." Do not let the opportunities escape. Life gives us different opportunities to learn something new or to remove something old that should not be in us; we should speak to others and give them encouragement, fortitude, warnings, aid or consolation. The tragedy is to let go by the opportunities that will never return again. There is a saying that says: "there are three things that do not return, the arrow that is thrown, the word that is spoken and the opportunities that are lost." I know many who do not take advantage of the opportunities. You tell me, Pastor, but the tribulations!" What are we going to do? Face them somehow! Receive what comes and see that God is victorious. And we will take advantage of that tribulation. It will not be that the tribulation will grab us by the neck, but at the end we will grab it. We will face anything as long as it is with Jesus. Let us be "constant in prayer." By not praying you create an emptiness of the Lord and of the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If we cease to pray we give up the armors of the Almighty. When we insist in living alone, without Jesus, our life collapses. It is in prayer that the work is done and victories are reached. Prayer brings power to our lives and peace to our hearts. When we pray in the name of Jesus we get as close as we possibly can to the omnipotence where the mortal man can never reach. Because of it, we do ourselves a thin service when we neglect prayer. If you stop praying, defeat will come and others will be blamed later. Careful! Those who lack prayer go back. Do not neglect what keeps you close to your God. Brothers, be wise and follow what is good. Amen.