Integrity- People of God

World religion has become a distortion of reality which people use as a means of displaying a false goodness in an effort to get blessing from God or look good in the eyes of people. Work is done and duties are performed to appear important and to be connected to a worldly system of religion created to keep people busy laboring. This busyness can keep one from a close relationship with God and from the knowledge and understanding that is needed for their true purpose and true identity.

With the fall of mankind he was removed from the presence and family of God; mankind lost their awareness of who they were and how to commune with God. Jesus came to take away the sin that distorted who we had become and showed us the path to follow to the true life God has designed for us.

We have been taught by society and our culture that we are to stay busy and work hard to get ahead in this world system. Priority is placed on earthly and temporal things of the world rather than the eternal things of God. Jesus tells us to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given to us.

Many people feel hopeless once they hear we are to be righteous, because they do not believe they can live up to God’s standard of righteousness. So they do things their own way. Jesus is our righteousness; He paid the price for us so that we can live in a right position with God as forgiven children. That is what righteousness means- we are now in a right relationship with God and He no longer sees our failures but Jesus’ Righteousness. This is done by a simple act of our will, submitting to God’s way by faith in the completed work of Jesus. We cannot work our way into righteousness, we receive it as a gift and then we work to renew our minds to the kingdom ways and God’s love.

Matthews 6:31-34a Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow

People are trained from a young age to be consumed with getting money, a bigger car, bigger house and bigger bank account. They are so obsessed with satisfying self and getting ahead, they fail to learn how to trust God and to rest on His promises that develops faith. When people do not realize there is a greater purpose, they lose sight of the most important eternal plan of God which is a relationship with God and the people who are created in His image.

Jesus came to show us the Father and to give us a new life, a new family and a new identity. Identity defines purpose and purpose changes behavior. This fallen world wants people to believe in the theory of evolution; that their identity came from animals. If their identity is distorted and they think they come from an animal, then their purpose is to be like an animal and then their behavior will reflect behavior of an animal. Jesus came to show us our true identity so we may understand our created purpose to reflect the image of God. Then our behavior will line up with God’s created purpose, to look like and act like His children with everyone we meet.

When we seek God’s kingdom, we learn that we are to operate through the Sovereign Grace of God which is in Christ Jesus. Many people struggle with religion because it is hard to give up old ways of thinking and old ways of doing things. We all understand the difficult process of breaking old habits in the natural. God has given us His Grace through Jesus to give us the desire and the ability to do His good pleasure. Yet still, so many people fail to ask God to give them the power to be set free of old habits and mindsets through the power of the Holy Spirit. When we seek God while we are still in our mess, God will give us the aspiration and strength to do His will.

Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure

The pride of mankind is the root of world religion to lift up self and the rejection of God’s Grace. The pride of religion says, “I can do things to please God in my own strength” and the pride of rejecting God says, “I do not need God, I can do it in my own way.” Though it is God’s Sovereign will that all men should come to repentance, His Love for us allows everyone their ability to choose, by the act of their will; God’s life eternal or their own way which is pride and destruction. True love never forces anyone to love them, though they may desire, encourage and pursue. Love always leaves the choice to their beloved to receive or reject their love. Although, God loves us and desires fellowship with us, God will never force anyone to come to Him.

Some people believe Jesus lived His life through His Own power as God, which is why He could do all that He did, but He did not. Jesus laid aside His right to operate as God Divine, to become a man. He limited Himself so He could show us how to live this life by the power of the Holy Spirit and to show us our true identity. He lived to show us how we should live now on earth with eternal life in the kingdom of God and not waiting until we die. Now in this life we should live by the power of Holy Spirit so people will know Him and seek His kingdom. Jesus died so we would be reinstated into the family of God while on earth to reflect the glory and love of God.

We have no excuse not to live the life Christ lived. Jesus lived and suffered as a person. He went through trials and hardships in life. Jesus prayed and cried out to God Who was able to save Him. Yet, Jesus submitted His will to God’s will and He obeyed God. This is the one thing every person who walks in victory must do, die to self and trust their life to God by submitting their will to God’s will. This is a simple act of the will but it is not necessarily easy. The greatest battle one will fight is the battle of one’s own will.

* When we understand the kingdom of God, then we will not be seduced to go after the things of this world, the world’s way.

* When we develop faith in God to supply all our needs, then we will not be fearful when we are faced with difficult situations.

* When we are identified with Christ as children of God, we can humble ourselves to serve others because we trust God and know we are of the royal family of God. We can die to our selfish, destructive lifestyle and live for the kingdom of God.

Remember, worldly religion teaches us to stay busy doing things and although they may be good things, they may not be the priority God has for us. God places His kingdom and our relationship with Jesus, which produces the righteousness of God, as the first priority.