Are You the Lord's? Are They the Lord's?

Do you belong to the Lord? Do the people that disappoint you belong to the Lord?

The Word of God tells us that we believers belong to the Lord, and that Jesus is our Lord. And if Jesus is our Lord, why do we allow ourselves to get entangled with the choices of our brothers and sisters? We all will give account of ourselves someday.

We should spend more time looking at ourselves and how we can be a better example and influence, and less time looking at what's wrong with others.

For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL CONFESS TO GOD." So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way. I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. (Rom 14:7-19)

So are you expending your energy on being a better example and influence, or on talking about what troubles you about your brothers and sisters?

Those that serve Christ pursue the things that build up their brothers and sisters in Christ and that bring the peace of God to the family of God.

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.