What did you do yesterday?
1 John 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
Take a look back at yesterday in your mind. Just for one day take a good look at your whole day. From the time you got up, until your head hit the pillow last night or early this morning. What were the activities; how were they prioritized? How was your conduct and speech throughout the day? At any point in the day could someone point to you and know that you are a Christian? Would everything yesterday point the opposite direction? These self exams can be a painful process that the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins. He puts mine in BOLD FONT when I humbly take these retrospectives. The Apostle John clearly states our daily duty as a follower of Christ in one simple sentence above.
My study Bible has the heading, “The Test of Knowing Him” for 1 John 2:3-11. These scriptures speak of keeping the commandments He has given us. 1 John 2:3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. The desire of your heart should be to emulate Christ. To be a better person today than you were yesterday. To show the love you have for Him to everyone at every opportunity. When you live with the first and greatest commandment sealed in your heart; this is your hearts desire. Luke 10:27 So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ “ The last part of that scripture may be the hard part; loving others. In today’s selfish society showing love and grace can be difficult; but how difficult is it for God to do the same for us?
We will never live a life of perfection; we will fail in countless areas every day. Even when we seek to do good all day we are in constant battles of lust, envy, and great sins in our minds. It is not these sins that condemn us if we have a heart for God. God knows our heart, and knows if these are a battle we face, or a sin we hide. He knows our level of love for our fellow man, or how we hide it. Psalm 44:21 Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. Pray for that desire; spend time in God’s Word; soak yourself in the things of God and you will begin to emulate Christ. At the root of it is love, and the deeper your love for Him, the more you will find you reflected Him yesterday and the days to come.
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