Yesterday I wrote about the 5 Ways To Recognize Sin. Today I wanted to write about how to recognize righteousness. As I stated yesterday I have many conversations with people about their sin, but I also speak to many people that are in pursuit of God. Just like those in sin have common signs, those who pursue God also have common signs. Below are the top 5 I have noticed.
1. Love For God: When one has a changed heart their love for God is very visible. Those around them can not help but notice their love for the One who saved them. They speak of Jesus as one speaks of their first love.
2. Love For God’s Word: Much like a relationship one cannot go long without speaking to the one they love. This comes in the form of reading the Bible (to know what God has said and is saying) along with prayer (an on going conversation with God). As a good father God comforts, protects, loves, chastises and guilds.
3. Love For People: As the Holy Spirit changes ones heart they begin to see people the way God sees them. Those who where once different and far away seem near. We begin to see people as God sees them. Our reaction to the poor, outcast, wealthy, ethnicity and gender all change. We no longer see people as we once saw them. We now see through the eyes of grace, mercy, justice and love.
4. Love For God’s People: One also beings to have a deeper love and connection with the church body. They realize that they are now part of a family not just an organization. This moves them to give, suffer and participate within and for the community.
5. Love For Grace And Justice: As one becomes more like Jesus and we begin to see people as God seems them we start to have a deeper love for grace and justice. We have been shown grace so we show grace. We begin to see sin as God sees it and therefore we pursue justice as God does. This requires Christians to forgive when many would not forgive. This requires us to not simply try to live the American dream but to help the poor and voiceless.
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This of course doesn’t mean that these are the only five signs of someone pursuing and being changed by God. However like I said yesterday these are the ones that I see the most.
If you are not a Christian I would pray that God crushes your identity so that He can give you a new identity in Christ. If you are a Christian I would pray that we all by Gods grace become more like Christ. That we would have a love for God, His people, the lost, grace and justice.
Pastor Mike Moore 