2Corinthians 5:17 (Amp) says, "Therefore if any person is ingrafted in Christ Jesus (the Messiah), he is a new creation (a new creature altogether). The old previous moral and Spiritual condition has passed away. Behold, all things are new and all things are of God (because Spiritual awakening bring a new Life)."
The above scripture tells us that, "All things are new and all things are of God" and this means exactly that. You're not the same person you were before being born-again. God no longer sees the old sin natural and you're no longer Spiritually separated from Him, but you're a new creation in Christ Jesus. We're now God's sons and daughters and are part of His family. We sometimes act like we really don't belong to God and are afraid to approach Him.
"Fearing God," doesn't mean we're to be afraid, but it means we're to honor and revere Him. Christians should never be afraid of our Heavenly Father. If God was out to get us, then He would have done so, before we were saved. God seeks to save and deliver us from the one who is out to get us (satan) and return us to Himself. God set out to bring us back to Himself by Jesus' Sacrifice, immediately after Adam's fall. We were always on His mind and still are.
Jesus and the Word are One. The Word is God's perfect GPS system and is a Light unto out path. God says that we're always to keep His Word before our eyes. No one carries a lamp behind him/herself, but always carries is before themselves, in order to light up their path. Psalm 23:1,3 (Amp) tells us that, "The Lord (Word) is my Shepherd and He leads me in paths of righteousness for His Own Namesake." Jesus is the Word of God Himself and is our Shepherd, Who leads us. He is the Lamp and the Light to our path.
The more we know Jesus as our Lord and our Lamp, the easier it will be to follow Him. God will direct our steps, by His Word. We can walk in the Light, by following His path. Jesus isn't only in the Light, but He is the Light and we will not walk in darkness. The Word of God isn't just a book of rules and religious items we must follow, but it's a Light that will show us how and where to walk with Him. Jesus told His followers in Matthew 6:33 (Amp), "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness (His way of doing and being right)." God's Word is His way of doing and being right. God's Word illuminates our paths to righteousness.
If we listen to the GPS while in our vehicle, then it will direct our every turn, so we can reach our destination. If we don't follow the GPS and take a shortcut, then we probably will get lost or arrive late to our destination. The GPS will continue directing you, but you probably will need to make extra turns to get back on the path. God's GPS or His perfect Plan or system, will always bring us to our goal, if we simply follow the Lamp and Light of His Word. There will be smaller light along the way and many roads we could take but they don't all lead to where we want to go. Proverbs 1:20-21 (Amp) says "Wisdom cries aloud in the streets, she raises her voice in the markets. She cries at the head of the noisy intersections, in the chief gathering places, at the entrance of the city gates she speaks."
Wisdom is always trying to lead us in the paths of righteousness, but we must listen and heed it. How many times have we failed to forgive someone, when God was trying to keep us on the right path and telling us that we needed to forgive? Wisdom, the Word and Lamp directed us to forgive, but we took a shortcut and held onto unforgiveness, until it took a toll on us in some way. We failed to listen to God's GPS and got lost in the noisy intersection. Proverbs 1:2-5 (Amp) says, "That people may know skillful and Godly Wisdom and instruction, discernment and comprehend the Words of understanding and insight. Receive instruction in Wise dealings and the discipline of Wise thoughtfulness, Righteousness, justice and integrity, that prudence may be given to the simple, and knowledge discernment, and discretion to the youth. The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel, so that he may be able to steer his course rightly."
We're new creations and citizens of a new Kingdom, so we must learn what the rules and Laws of that Kingdom are and how they govern our lives. The only way we can fully walk in the new Life that God's Word Jesus has given us, is by abiding by His Word. There are many voices at a busy intersection, that will tell us to "turn here or go there." When we listen to these voices, more than we follow God's GPS, then it will be difficult to stay on the right course or the paths of righteousness.
We must pay very close attention to the signs and directions, while driving in a large city that we're unfamiliar with. If we don't, then we'll get off course fairly quickly. It doesn't mean that we won't finally reach our destination, but we might encounter construction, closed roads or spend extra hours driving, when we took the wrong turn. God tried to have us repent and listen to His instructions, but we didn't listen and held onto our forgiveness.
We can still get out of trouble, after not following His Word. We stubbornly drive around a long time, before humbling ourselves and asking for directions, but once we do this, we quickly get back on the right path. We sometimes listen to and heed the big signs and neglect the smaller signs. Adultery is a big sign, but shouldn't we follow the smaller sign and love our brethren? If we drive past such small signs as forgiving, not gossiping, strive, division, unbelief, limiting God by our opinions, and lying, then we can get off course.
God doesn't put up road signs that aren't important, but He puts them in His Word, in order to Light our paths. We've never walked in this new creation, so it's easy to try and follow the same paths we walked before knowing Jesus. God's Kingdom has a way of doing and being right, which we must follow. God is King in His Kingdom and His way is the only right way. We must listen to God's Holy Spirit and follow His Word, in order to navigate this new Life. Jesus is our Great Shepherd, the Word and them Lamp unto our feet. He doesn't drive us, but leads us. We must follow His Word.
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