Three types of people in this world…question is: which one are you?
“Thus it would be a lowly kingdom, not asserting its own interests but observing the agreement so that it would survive.” Ezekiel 17:14 CEB
The natural man. This is someone who does not acknowledge God as their Sovereign Lord. This includes those who deny there is anyone such as God. They call our beliefs myths and ridicule our Faith. They point to everything and anything as an explanation for the things that happen around them, but refuse to give God the rightful credit for the countless miracles all around them. They think that they are the king of their lives and do everything they can to “assert their own interests,” as this verse says. They come up with the agendas of the world and attempt to push their theories on the rest of the population. They are godless. They are lawless. And they are lost…and worse, they have no desire to be found. No judging here, because they are also greatly deceived…but lots and lots of prayers are needed, because God can turn anyone’s heart towards Him. (Think CS Lewis here)
Even more heartbreaking, the natural man can also be someone who religiously attends a church service every week. They think that their regular appearance at a building, where someone is talking about God, will somehow make them worthy of entering Heaven someday. They imagine that the dollars they haphazardly throw into the offering baskets will somehow earn them a place in Paradise. They suppose their acts of goodness will show that they are good people, and belong with God forevermore. But as I have said so many times, good people do not go to Heaven…only holy people do and there is only one Way to become holy. We must have all our sinfulness— our selfish nature, as well as our wicked thoughts and deeds— removed entirely from us, for us to be pure. Can any human do this? Only One: Jesus! And all the natural man has to do is humbly accept what our Christ has already done, and they too will be given the right to be called a child of God. (Jn 1:12) (Think Saul/Paul here) Only God can convert the heart. Will we let Him?
Join me in memorizing 52 verses this year:
January: 1- Jn 3:16; 2- 2Co 5:17; 3- Jas 2:26; 4- Eph 2:10
February: 5- Jn 10:10; 6- Ro 6:23; 7- Rev 21:4; 8- Php 4:13
March: 9- 1Pe 5:7; 10- Jn 8:32; 11- Dt 30:19; 12- Jn 3:30; 13- 2Chron 20:3
April: 14- 2Chron 20:12; 15- 2Chron 20:15b; 16- 2Chron 20:17
May: 17- Ro 8:28; 18- 1Co 13:13; 19- Php 2:12; 20- Mt 5:4
June: 21- Lk 23:42; 22- Jas 4:7; 23- Pr 22:6; 24- Mt 5:3; 25- Jn 14:6
July: 26- Jas 2:19; 27- Dt 31:8; 28- Jn 14:15; 29- Jn 8:11
August: 30- Ro 8:1; 31- Pr 4:23; 32- Pr 18:21; 33- Ps 118:24; 34- 1Jn 4:4
September: 35- Mt 16:24; 36- Isa 53:6; 37- Ps 23:1-6
October: 38- Heb 4:12; 39- Jn 15:5
November: 40- Jas 5:16; 41- 1Jn 3:1; 42- 1Jn 5:12; 43- 1Jn 3:3; 44- Ps 139:16
December: 45- Ps 119:105; Eze 17:14
<>< Peace, Diane
