What Can They Offer?

What agreement does Christ have with Belial?  Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?  And what agreement does God’s sanctuary have with idols?  For we are the sanctuary of the living God, as God said:  I will dwell among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.  Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord;  do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you.  I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty.  2 Corinthians 6:15-18 HCSB

Our scripture passage part of a passage that begins by stressing the importance of not being mismatched with unbelievers and ends with some awesome promises from God.  In this passage, Paul tells the Corinthians that if we separate ourselves from lawlessness that God will dwell among us and walk among us and be our God.  We will be His people.  He will be a Father to us and we will be His sons and daughters.

You see we often think that we live in La-La Land where we just do as we please and God loves us and  blesses us.  Not so, my friend.  God gives us commandments to live by.  If we want the rewards that he promises us, we must do the things He commands us to do.  If you think that you can run with the sinners and do as the sinners do and waltz on into heaven, you are delusional.  Sorry, to bust your bubble, but that’s the simple truth.

We often hold off or hold back on our worship because we are afraid of change.  We like the friends we have even if they tell a few too many dirty jokes or take the Lord’s name in vain, or dabble in things like alcohol, drugs, or porn.  We don’t want anything in our lives to change.

We are afraid that if we go to church on Sunday either we won’t get enough work done or we might miss out on boating or the big game.  Or we may have to cut our Saturday night out short in order to get up on time for church.

I know all the excuses because I have used them all.  I have feared the change.  I thought I was happy with my life, but boy was I wrong.  I was miserable and too stupid to know it.  My life was a series of highs and lows and the farther I strayed from God the lower I went.

So if any of this sounds familiar, I encourage yourself to ask yourself a question, what do they offer?  By they I mean the games, the bars, the boats, the friends who are sinners.  What can they offer you?  Now, I know that back in the day, my answer would have been a good time.  But again, I was wrong.  Living that lifestyle without God front and center in my life, left me with nothing but heartache and regret.  I was heartbroken when I realized how my lifestyle was breaking God’s heart.  I regretted the sins that I had committed.  I regretted not being closer to the God who loves me more than any human ever could.  I regretted not spending more time in prayer with Him. I regretted not putting Him first and taking the time to gather at His house with fellow believers to worship and praise Him.

If you want a life filled with meaning and purpose, draw near to God.  Allow Him into your heart so that He can dwell with you and walk with you and be your God.  Give Him first place in your life and allow Him to be your Father and allow yourself to be His daughter or son.  If you don’t do this, you may find yourself at the throne of judgment only to hear Him say, “I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!” (Matthew 7:23).

I learned the hard way that all the world has to offer me is heartache and shame.  My prayer for you today is that you are a much quicker learner than I was.  I pray that you are putting God first in your life and are experiencing the peace and joy that it took me so long to find.  It took me so long to find these things because I was searching in all the wrong places.  Turn to God, He has so much to offer.  He loves you and wants to dwell with you and walk with you and be your God.  He wants to be your Father and call you His son or daughter.

So, today I ask you to take a minute to think about the choice that is before you.  Do you want the temporary fleeting happiness that the world may offer?  Now, remember that this temporary happiness could lead to an eternity of misery in hell. Are you willing to exchange temporary happiness for the permanent peace and joy that God has to offer?  You need to decide before it’s too late.

Have a great day!