There are two sides to near enough everything in life. You have a perceived image of yourself. And then there is the perceived image by others about you.
There are people who like you, people who love you and want to work with you. But then there are also those who will never take a liking to you despite what you do. Yes.
If there's one thing that I've learned in this life, it's that there is two sides to everything. Even the Bible speaks of the seen and unseen. It speaks of walking by faith and not by sight.
It speaks of both angels and demons, the righteous and unrighteous. And I mean, if you look at someone like David, we know that the same David who was described as a man after God's own heart, David the psalmist, David the giant slayer, one who was chosen and anointed by God. Even he had another side to him.
The side that looked at Ba Sheeba with eyes full of lust. He had a side to him that drove him to commit adultery and murder. But this is the same David.
The same can be said of Elijah. The same Elijah who defeated hundreds of prophets by calling for the Lord to answer his prayers with fire from heaven. This same Elijah ran away in order to hide from Jezebel.
You see, the harsh reality of this life is that there are two sides to everything. Even within ourselves, we fight. We're pulled in one direction to do what is holy, pleasing, and acceptable to God.
And on the other hand, this body, this flesh wants to be associated with the pleasures of this life. But the aim of my teaching today is to make you carefully consider your response to this question. Are you for or against Jesus Christ?
And you can jump to your own defense and say, "Well, it's not like I'm against Jesus. " But I want you to see that there are only two camps. There are only two kingdoms.
You're either for him and you've bowed your knee and you've accepted and received him as your authority and you've given him right and rule over your heart and your life. Or you haven't. You either have Jesus Christ on the throne of your heart or you have something else, someone else at the center of your heart.
Hear me clearly when I tell you that there are two choices in terms of eternity. You will either find yourself in heaven or in hell. And saints, we need to talk about these things.
We need to always be mindful that what we do today, what we do while we're here still alive and breathing will affect the unseen world for us. Matthew 6:33 puts it this way. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
A different translation says, "But first and most importantly, seek, aim at, strive after his kingdom and his righteousness, his way of doing and being right, the attitude and characters of God, and all these things will be given to you also. " To put this in perspective, we're being told to choose Jesus Christ in a world that is rejecting him. We're being called to live a righteous life in a hostile world.
Being in the God's camp means that Jesus Christ alone rules and reigns in your life. There's no other God you bow down to but Jesus. You see, living a righteous life in a hostile world means that Jesus Christ has the authority over the choices you make.
He rules your thought life. He's the motivating factor behind your actions and deeds. A life of righteousness in a hostile world is a call to be set apart.
You begin to think, "God is holy, therefore, I must be holy. I'm in this world, but I'm not to be of this world. " Living a life of righteousness in a hostile world means having a heavenly perspective.
There is total commitment, total dedication to run the race, to fight the good fight of faith and without compromising. I encourage you to serve the Lord. Serve the kingdom of God.
Serve Jesus Christ. The kingdom of darkness offers nothing of significance, nothing everlasting. But oh, the kingdom of God, that's a whole different story.
The kingdom offers eternal life, everlasting joy and peace. It offers you the privilege of one day being in the presence of the Almighty. So choose the kingdom of God, saints.
Choose life over death. Choose Jesus. Lord, give me grace to make my way pure before your sight.
Whenever I think impure thoughts and whenever sinful desires start creeping in, give me strength, King Jesus, to resist the devil. And forgive me because at times I let things into my heart that may hinder my walk with you. And I know that these things will only destroy me physically, spiritually, emotionally if I continue to hold on to them.
So give me the awareness to recognize those things and the strength to get rid of them. Father, be the gatekeeper of my heart. Let nothing enter except what is godly, what is pure, what is pleasing in your eyes.
Your word says in James 4:8, "Drw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Help me to be spiritually sensitive, able to detect anything that tries to slip between the cracks, ready to rebuke any evil desire and influences that threaten to barge in.
I know that from my heart flow the springs of life. So help me to guard it with my life. motivate me to open your word and to simply soak in your lifegiving truth.
May I be so filled with your spirit that I can no longer stand to be in the presence of anything contrary to your will. Father, thank you for your mercy. Thank you for giving me a fresh start.
I know that I constantly fall short of the glory of God. But I also know that there is no heart that is too damaged or too broken. There's no heart that is too stained by sin that it can't be washed clean in the blood of the lamb.
Father, I praise you. I declare Psalms 95:13, which says, "Oh come, let us sing to the Lord. Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving. Let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise. For the Lord is a great God and a great king above all gods.
Be praised for the rest of my days. Lord, you are worthy of all glory. I worship you and I say that you are the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
In your hands resides all the power on heaven and on earth. And so I submit. I lay down my life for you, Father.
Your word in Ezekiel 36:25-26. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away and you will no longer worship idols.
And I will give you a new hawk and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony stubborn heart and give you a tender responsive heart. Lord, I pray that your living waters would flow over our lives and make us clean.
May they rejuvenate us and wash away all evil. Transform our heart, change our sinful hearts, and give us hearts that are humble, obedient, and passionate about you. Give us hearts, Lord Jesus, hearts that live for you.
Take away this deceitful heart of mine and give me one that desires to be faithful to you, Lord Jesus. There is only one answer to death and that is you. Because you said that you are the resurrection and the life.
Lord Jesus, touch our lives. Intensify your presence in our lives as we seek to abide in you. Father, you are the true vine.
And Lord, I pray that I would be a branch that bears much fruit. King Jesus, teach me how to abide in your love. Let it be my heart's desire that I would dwell in your presence always.
Father, I thank you for giving me life. I thank you for saving me from eternal damnation. It is because of your precious work on the cross that I can live.
It's because of you, Lord Jesus, that the power of sin no longer has a hold on me. It's because of you, Master, that I can truly live in victory as an overcomer. Father, help me be dead to this flesh.
Help me to be dead to my sinful desires. and may I live for righteousness. May I live for holiness and for your kingdom.
I desire to be wrapped in your steadfast love. I pray that your presence would always be strong and rich around me and around my home. I pray that you would find my heart to be full of faith and burning brightly for you.
May you find me, Lord, to have a heart that is full of trust and reliance in you. Lord, I pray that I may never be too busy for you. May I never be too tired to pray and give you [Music] thanks.
I pray that my heart would never be too busy for your word. My heart certainly finds rest and comfort in you because you are an unfailing God. Your word says in Micah 7:18, "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity, and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever because he delights in steadfast love. Who is a God like you? There is none who is like you.
You have been so kind to forgive my wickedness. I am so privileged that you are patient with me. I am so glad that you are a God who does not retain his anger forever.
I lay down my life for you, Father. Be glorified now and always. All glory be to Christ forever and ever.
In Jesus' name, amen. Oh, come, let us sing to the Lord. Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving. Let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise. For the Lord is a great God and a great king above all [Music] gods.
Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away and you will no longer worship idols. and I will give you a new heart.
And I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.
It is by grace you have been saved.
