God is Not Mad at You! by Billy Joe Daugherty

Author:Billy Joe Daugherty [Daugherty, Billy Joe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Attributes of God
Published: 2012-02-27T05:52:42+00:00

5

Possessing a Right Spirit

There are opportunities every day to demonstrate a right or wrong heart motive, attitude, or spirit. Paul said we are to be living epistles, credentials, or letters of recommendation of the nature and character of Christ, known and read by everybody.

...You yourselves are our letter of recommendation (our credentials), written in your hearts, to be known (perceived, recognized) and read by everybody.

2 Corinthians 3:2 AMP

God wants us to edify and nurture believers and unbelievers alike with our words, actions and attitudes. Jesus rebuked James and John for a wrong spirit or a wrong heart attitude. Let's look at this account in Luke 9:51-56:

Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.

And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.

But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.

And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"

But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.

"For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them."

From this scripture, it is obvious that the disciples had a problem believing that God loved the heathen. They wanted to roast and toast those who opposed Jesus right on the spot!

It took revelation to understand that God wasn't mad at the heathen. Jesus loves the world. How do we know that? Because we are part of the world, and He didn't just start loving us when we were saved. He loved us even before we were saved. "...While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

Religious people, bound up in a system of do's and don'ts, work to gain God's acceptance and have trouble believing that God loves them.

To possess a right spirit, we must understand God's unchanging love for every person. He stands at the door of every sinner's heart and knocks, but He doesn't beat down the door! He comes in when He is welcomed.

Behold, I stand at the door [of your heart] and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Revelation 3:20

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.