Christians represent God. Because of that fact it is important for every Christian to honor God by living according to His will. People around us will then see God living in us and know that we respect Him. Through our actions, we will encourage fellow believers to live godly lives, and perhaps convict a non-believer of their sin and their need for salvation.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).

Every day we have a choice of whether to conform to the world or of conforming to God. As I look around it seems that more and more Christians conform to the world.

Once we accept Christ’s sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sin, we no longer belong to our self; we belong to the One who paid the price for our redemption.

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

The precious blood of Christ…oh what a price He paid for you and me. Remember the price He paid when you’re tempted by the fleshly lusts and desires of the world. Ask yourself if your actions reflect Christ who died for you, or Satan who wants you to conform to the world and a life of rebellion to God. The Holy Spirit is continually working in us to help us conform to Christ’s image and we need to listen to Him.

“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof” (Romans 13:14).

Temptation will always come our way, but if we stand firm upon Scripture and walk close to Jesus, temptation will not turn into action.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).

How do we present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God? By honoring God with our life. There are many things that the world condones which should not be present in a Christian’s life. Foul language does not honor God, nor does dressing provocatively. Tattoos and body piercing are worldly desires, sexual relations outside of a one man/one woman God ordained marriage is outright sin.

Yoking with friends who are worldly will only drag a Christian back into the gutter of the world. If we don’t keep ourselves separate unto God we are no longer distinguishable from people who reject Jesus and who live for the world. Remember, we are in the world but not of the world. Our bodies are the temple of God and they belong to Him. We have no right to mar these bodies or make sin a part of our life.

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

God dwells within Christians and we are His temple. That fact should humble us and cause Christians to desire to please Him in all we do and say. Remember that when you are tempted by the flesh. Whatever activity we participate in, whether it is godly or worldly, we take Him with us. He sees what we do and can hear what we say. Why would a professing Christian want to take Him into an abortion clinic or a homosexual encounter? God’s Word is our guide in life.

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Once we accept Christ as our Saviour we are justified; our salvation is secure. After that a process of sanctification begins. That is when we begin to grow in our faith and draw nearer to our Lord day by day. Our attitude is molded and we learn to honor God with our life by turning away from the things that Satan, the god of this world, tempts us with. The process of sanctification continues until we are glorified…until death carries us Home to Jesus.

In heaven God is honored and the sins you find so tempting are not tolerated. If you claim to be a Christian begin honoring Him with your life today. Ephesus was a very pagan city. False gods were worshipped and most people didn’t care about the one true God. It wasn’t so different from our world today. Paul wrote to the Christians there and urged them to honor God. He reminded them that before they came to Christ they belonged to Satan and lived according to the standards of the world.

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others” (Ephesians 2:1-3).

We, like those Christians in Ephesus, were once dead in our sins, but Christ has given us life eternal. The word “conversation” means the way we conduct our life; the way we live. Paul reminded them, and us, that prior to coming to salvation through Jesus Christ we lived according to the lusts of the flesh, but since accepting Christ our life should be changed to honor Him, not Satan.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ by grace ye are saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5)

Christians need to step away from past sin and honor God in all we do. Christ sacrificed His own life so that we can live with Him eternally. That fact should humble us and cause us to honor Him with our life instead of conforming to the ways of the world which is ruled by Satan.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Religion is based on works, and there is no salvation in works. Faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross is the only basis for salvation. The faith we have placed in Christ should bring changes to our life because of love and gratitude for what Christ has done for us, not as an attempt to make us more saved based on works.

If you claim to have accepted Christ but continue in rebellion to Him, you might want to take a hard look at how you live. If you accept the sin in your life as “normal” then you may not have truly asked Christ into your life.

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

Sanctification is a process that continues throughout our life. This process means the sin in our life needs to be recognized and turned away from. I’m not talking about works based faith, but God honoring faith.

“Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

That isn’t easy to do, but if you study God’s Word and consciously begin to apply it to your life in all situations it soon becomes a habit. Then, instead of conforming to the evil of this world you will honor God with your life and those around you will see Christ living in you.

“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:11-12).

Again, the word “conversation” means the way you live and conduct your life. Former friends may speak against you because of your faith, but they will see the good in your life. If you stand fast in your faith you just may lead someone you love to Christ.

“Let you light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Christians are to be a light that shines out of the darkness of the world, showing the way to Jesus Christ. A scribe asked Jesus about the first commandment:

“And Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these’” (Mark 12:29-31).

Jesus quoted this Scripture found in Deuteronomy chapter 6. The Israelites had left Egypt, which was filled with pagan worship of false gods, and were headed to the Promise Land. This land was inhabited by demon worshipping pagans who practiced many of the evils that are common in our world today. God did not want the evil of the Canaanites to influence His chosen people as they entered the land that He gave to them.

“Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: and thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:3-5).

This was true for the Israelites and it was true for the scribe who questioned Jesus. It is also true for us today. If we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind then we will honor Him with our life.

Brethren, be conformed to Christ Jesus and not to the world.

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11).

Honor the Lord your God with your life.

God bless you all,

Ron & Nathele Graham

Jesus is God the Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity. He is worthy of all honor, glory, and praise. He humbled Himself in obedience and entered His creation to give mankind the only way to become reconciled to God. Sin separates us from God and only the shed blood of Jesus allows reconciliation. If you have accepted this truth and asked Christ to forgive your sins then bow before Him in obedience, praise, and thankfulness.

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth and things under the earth; and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

Too often, Christians grab hold of the forgiveness part of Christ’s love, but fail to be thankful. We forget that He is God and salvation is available only because the Creator of the universe loves us. need to set aside our pride, bow before Him, and honor Him with our life out of gratitude for what He did. Salvation is freely offered to us. When we admit that we are sinners and know we need Him for salvation, we are forgiven and the Holy Spirit is sealed within us.

From the moment we truly believe we are saved by grace. Remember that every gift has a cost. Though this gift is free to us, God Himself paid a huge price. He left Heaven and took on human form. He sacrificed Himself on the cross to be the once for all atonement for our sin. Christians should be overwhelmed with gratitude, yet we think we deserve His grace and mercy. Like spoiled children, we act as if God owed it to us.

“And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:38).

Are you worthy of Him?

Do you take up your cross and follow Him? Christ spoke these words to His twelve disciples and they truly understood what taking up a cross meant. It meant death. Jesus had just told them that if they loved anybody more than Him, they denied Him.

Following Jesus may mean that your family turns on you or that some friendships must be terminated; nothing in your life can come before Jesus. You must take up your cross and nail your old self to it. If you are willing to deny Christ in order to hold onto friends or lifestyles then you are not taking up your cross to follow Him. You are like a baby who never matures.

“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).

We are not saved by works, but by grace. We cannot earn salvation, but if you deny Christ by living contrary to His ways you deny Him and may not truly have accepted His grace. Eternity is a long to spend thinking “Oops.” Every person who has ever lived faces judgment from God. The Great White Throne judgment is where those who have rejected Christ will be judged for their works.

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them”(Revelation 20:11).

You don’t want your worst enemy to face this judgment. God is love, but those who face this judgment will be judged according to their works and not through the blood of the Lamb which takes away our sin.

“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12).

Let me tell you right now, there are no works you can do that will make you worthy of salvation. Nothing. You can’t help enough little old ladies cross the street or serve in enough soup kitchens to make you worthy. The people who face this judgment have all rejected Christ and are judged solely by their works.

“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14-15).

There are no second chances after death. If you have rejected Christ in this life, this is the eternity you will face.

“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19).

There will be many people who face this judgment who claim to believe in one god, but they all will have condemned themselves because they don’t believe in God Almighty. Muslims and Mormons say there is one god, but they don’t worship God Almighty. Even many who claim to be Christians don’t worship God Almighty.

You can say there is one god, but if you haven’t humbly bowed before God Almighty and confessed Christ as the only way of salvation, then you haven’t placed your faith in Him. If you haven’t taken up your cross to follow Jesus, then you deny Him.

The White Throne judgment is for those who have rejected Christ. Christians will also face judgment. It will not be the same type as the White Throne judgment, but is still a judgment.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is” (1 Corinthians 3:11-13).

It’s clear that works matter in this judgment, but only those done for Christ will not burn.

“If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1 Corinthians 3:14-15).

No matter how good a work you do, if it isn’t done for Christ it will be burned up in the fire of this judgment. Only works done for God will remain. Will you be left bare when those hidden sins are burned up because you have done nothing for Christ?

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

Don’t defile the temple with worldly pursuits, yoking yourself with non-believers who will drag you into sin, or anything that will burn up in the judgment. Gold, silver, and precious stones are the things done for God and will not burn. Take up your cross and follow Jesus.

“And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matthew 27:29).

Even the Roman soldiers bowed before Jesus, but like many people today they only mocked Him. So-called Christians who don’t take up their cross to deny self and follow Him, also mock Him. They engage in fornication, accept sin as a way of life, yoke themselves with unbelievers, and generally disrespect the God they claim to serve. Those who mocked Him in times past are now well aware Who it was they laughed at and mocked.

Don’t laugh at Jesus. Don’t mock God by bowing before Him as a joke. Honor Him. When you stand before Him in judgment, whether the White Throne or the Bema Seat, your life will be laid bare. You will look upon the Lamb of God who was slain for your salvation. Will you be ashamed of how you served Him?

Brothers and sisters, we are living in the end times. If you pay attention to the news headlines you know without a doubt that the wars, pestilence, earthquakes, and other birth pains which Jesus spoke of in the Olivet Discourse are growing in intensity. The dry bones of Ezekiel chapter 37 have come together in the rebirth of the nation of Israel. Israel is now surrounded by enemies who are trying to eliminate her from the face of the earth (another sign).

As war rages in Syria, we can see that the destruction of Damascus, as prophesied in Isaiah 17 will be fulfilled. Sin is fully embraced by every nation. There is a push for a one world religion, a one world government, and a one world currency. Study prophecy and compare it to what is happening around the world right now and you will understand how close Daniel’s 70th week is.

Time is short and today is not the time to put off taking up your cross to follow Jesus; bow before Him and be grateful for His sacrifice. Study God’s Word to know His ways.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

No matter your age you are just one heartbeat away from eternity. You may die from heart attack, cancer, or a car accident. A better scenario would be for the Rapture to take all Christians to be with our Lord. Right now, put aside your pride and arrogance and give yourself entirely to Christ.

“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear” (Isaiah 45:22-23).

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah recorded this, and it is repeated in the New Testament.

“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God” ( Romans 14:11).

Look to Him for salvation. Bow your knee before Him, confess Him before men, take up your cross and follow Him. Don’t face the White Throne judgment and be sure you won’t be ashamed to meet Jesus at the Bema seat.

One day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Which throne will you bow before?

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham