Daily Verse: Hebrews 10:22

let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

When discussing matters of faith, an individual once said “Me and God have an understanding. We are good.” It was almost as if this person was implying that he and God met at a long conference table, negotiated the commands that God had brought forth, and reached a mutual agreement where both sides basically “met in the middle”. And unfortunately this individuals life reflected that belief, as he cherry-picked the commands that worked for his chosen lifestyle and discarded those that were not a good fit. One thing that I am certain about is we cannot fool God…we cannot fake our sincerity. We may be able to fool one another, creating logical arguments or putting on polished fronts…but God knows the heart and mind…all is revealed to him (see Hebrews 4:13). He knows whether or not our commitment to and love for his Son are genuine…and whether or not we are truly giving our lives to him each day…in gratitude for a sacrifice we are completely unable to make on our own. The consequences of deliberately returning to a life of sin after receiving the Gospel message are no laughing matter…just see Hebrews 10:26-27, “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God”…and verse 29, “How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?” Let us leave no doubt where we stand in our faith…Let us take the opportunity today to seek that sincere, deep relationship with the Lord…welcoming a total renovation in our lives as we set aside old ways and embrace the new. So that when the curtains come to a close, the sun finally sets, and last breath is spent, we will meet our Savior face to face with a sincere heart. To God be the glory!