What Happens When I Live For God?

Many years ago, I did my civic duty by studying, then becoming a police officer. Every one of my instructors gave the class the same warning. If you really like your friends, you are going to find out that you don't have near the friends you thought you had. When they see you with a badge, you will no longer be their friend, but someone who is only to be trusted to arrest them or give them a ticket for speeding. Those sage words rang ever so true. People I thought would be friends for life, totally disowned me. Others became friends. Some were for convenience, others liked the security, still others were of the brotherhood of the thin blue line. However, none of them were ever someone who would truly watch out for you, or accept you for who you really are. Of all those people I found one that I could truly say, had my back in times of trouble. Unfortunately, he lost a battle with cancer last year and is no longer with us.

The same things can be said about coming to the Lord. If you have friends who are unsaved, they will no longer be your friend. You will not want to follow in their sins, or in their lusts. You will want to follow the Lord, in all His ways. You will want the Lord to light your path, not the street light outside of the bar. You will want his loving hand to guide you, not use you for what ever resources you may possess that may be squandered. You have repented; changed your ways, your direction. You have been buried and reborn in the wonderful name of Jesus. You have surrendered your sins and lusts over to God, and allowed His spirit to dwell inside you. You no longer wish to associate with the things that cause sin.

There is a wonderful side to all of this. I have made new friends. Friends, that I can easily call Brother or Sister, because we have all had the same experience. We have all been transformed. We know what it means to love, to sacrifice, to bend to the will of God. We know what a friend we have in Jesus. We know of His love for us. We understand the old rugged cross. We live for Him, so that others may see Jesus in us.

Let us, therefore, lay aside, the things of sin. Let us put away the lust of the eyes; the lust of the flesh and the lust of familiar spirits. Let us put all this aside, and welcome the brotherhood, the love, and the graces of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Let us lift His name in worship, without wrath, without blemish; without sin. Let us Praise His Holy Name...