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Friday, October 26, 2012

Daily Devotional October 26 - God Without Jesus???

"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.... He that hateth Me hateth My Father also." John 15:18-19 and 23

Maybe you haven't experienced the world hating you yet. Maybe you haven't seen the results of living a sold out to Jesus life and trying to fit in with those around you that don't believe. But in time, if you are faithful to God, you will see the hand of the world come down on you. You will also see the hand of God lift you up and protect you.

I like being chosen by God. I like the fact that Jesus has called me out of the world. But you already know that Jesus didn't call you of out of living in the world. There's a difference. Jesus calls us out of living worldly to living godly. It's not the arduous struggle that has no end like some purport. It is a simple giving over of our will to the will of God. I know this, to be loved by the world is awfully shallow. It is hardly ever sincere and if the world loves you it's just because it wants something from you.

People hated Jesus because he was Jesus. Think about it. Jesus never sinned nor did he do anything to anyone that was disrespectful or wrong and yet they hated Him. If you follow Jesus you will be ostracized by those who hate Jesus, not because you are you, but because Jesus is Jesus and you are willing to be associated with Him.

Jesus sets the record straight. If they hate Jesus, they hate the Father also. If they hate Jesus they hate God. It's that simple. There are a lot of people that want God without Jesus. It can't be. There is no loving God without loving Jesus. You might think that that is unfair, but it is God's way. Jesus is God. Why is it that so many people don't like Jesus anyway? What has Jesus ever done to anyone to bring on this hapless attitude against Jesus? Nothing. People judge God by the company He keeps and God keeps company with Christians and Christians are imperfect, sometimes inappropriate, definitely not sinless and quite often either ignorant or even offensive. Non-believers judge holy God by sinful man. It's all mixed up.

If mankind were to judge Jesus on His own merits there could be nothing except acceptance. That's how much God loves you, that He is willing to be despised for the likes of you and me. By keeping company with you, Jesus's message is tainted. But in the end the Bible tells us that every living soul will be without excuse. God has revealed Himself through Jesus and Jesus reveals Himself through you and me. That's how it is. I would hope that we would at least attempt to be His ambassador with some resemblance.

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