Righteousness is the moral state of perfection required by God to enter heaven. Learn how Jesus Christ opened the way to heaven for you.
Jesus
Jesus is calling–Amy Grant
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luke 9:23 King James Version (KJV)
What does your attitude says about you?
Your attitude says a lot about you. A Christian with a friendly demeanor is more likely to draw sinners to the Kingdom of heaven than, let’s say one with a repulsive attitude.
It is true; many of my Christian brothers and sisters have attitude problems. (…you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either. Matt. 23:13) We often scoff at sinners and anyone who does not attend our church. Hence, we limit ourselves to the four walls of our sanctuary and refuse to adopt to the changing environment. Essentially, we have become aloof, judgmental and disinterested.
But no one likes being around a person with a bad attitude. So, if we want our light to shine before men, that they see our good works and glorify the Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16), then we must clean up our attitudes.
Since Jesus is our example, Christians are obligated to follow His lead and strive to emulate Him in every respect. He never turned anyone away. Everybody is welcome in His presence; even the little children. He is approachable, and He never looked down on sinners. As a matter of fact, He sat down and ate and drank with sinners, much to the chagrin of Pharisees. ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and “sinners”? They asked the disciples. The bible said, “On hearing this, Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance’” (Luke 5:30-32).
Does your attitude helps to draw people closer to the kingdom of heaven, or does it drives them away?
Do you have a credibility problem?
Do you have a credibility problem?
Most people I know would answer no to the above question, but that’s because they have creditability issues, and they think no one notices. Look, we can’t help being disingenuous sometimes. It is part of the legacy we have received from Adam and Eve. If we humans did not have credibility issues, then there would be no need for the cross.
Of course, credibility is a bigger problem for some of us than others. Many of us have managed to disguise the problem from human attention, but Jesus sees and knows everything you do.
In Matthew 23, Jesus called out the Religious leaders and teachers of the day. He referred to them as ‘hypocrites’ which I am sure was a surprise to the people. It seemed the religious leaders of the day had blinded the people with their facade. Here are some of what Jesus had to say, according to Matthew 23:1-7:
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.
“Everything they do is for show. On their arms, they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and be called ‘Rabbi.’ by others
Getting into the boat with Jesus doesn’t mean you trust Him
Jesus had just finished healing the sick and casting out demons. The crowd overwhelmed Him. He needed a break, so He instructed His disciples to crossed on the other side of the lake.
The Bible said, ” Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You are men with little faith!” Then He got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him” (Matthew 8:23-27).
Apparently, the disciples, who had been with Jesus for a long time did not know Him. They had seen Him cast out demons and healed the sick, yet they did not trust Him. Do you?
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