FOLLOW THE RULES

FOLLOW THE RULES

II Tim. 2:5 Follow the Lord’s rules for doing his work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize.  NLT

       We have our own ideas on how things should be done.  Sometimes our ideas are in agreement with other people’s ideas and sometimes they are not.  We tend to want to do things our way.  Experience teaches us that when we follow the rules established by others who have already been where we are at and found them to work, we are better off.  It is never a good idea to make up our own rules as we go along in life.

      When we follow the Lord’s rules, we are following one who has the knowledge and wisdom to know what is best for us.  He knows all the details of how to best live to get the best results.  He knows the end from the beginning of all things and has established the guidelines for us to get there.  He IS the way and wise is he who does things His way.  We cannot know God’s rules unless we read His rule book, the Bible, and study it well.

      The rules of the Lord can be summed up simply in this: live a holy life before God.  All that God desires for us to do is to be a holy people.  A holy people are an effective witness for Him in the world.  They are the movers and shakers of the Kingdom.  They are the ones who get the work of the Kingdom done.  They are the ones who are truly blessed by God.

      Failing to become holy before God is lethal for the soul.  God commands it for His children and all who fail to pursue it are disqualified for the race of life.  Think about it.  Paul makes it clear in I Corinthians 1:30 that Jesus is our wisdom, righteousness, and holiness from God.  Now if we are truly saved, we are made holy by Christ.  If we are not living a holy life, then it is safe to say that we are not saved and ready for heaven. 

       It then behooves us to follow God’s rules for living and strive to be holy in every area of our lives.   Everything we do should be characterized by holiness.