PART 2

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Be Sure You’re In Fellowship With God!

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” John 10:27

If you want to know God’s will for your life, you must be in fellowship with God. In other words, if you aren’t listening, you won’t hear him! This is where we just do what we already know we are supposed to do as a Christian. It becomes not just a duty, but our deepest desire to know God and to hear his voice!

1. Get Into The Bible

“Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25b-27

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

The best way to know what God wants for your life is to take his word for it! It is amazing to me how many well-intended Christians want to serve God, but they’ve never read the love-letter, instruction manual, and road map that he’s given them! Have you read it? Get into God’s Word and let it get into you! You will be amazed at how God will wash away things in your life that don’t matter, he’ll give you wisdom and guidance for the journey. Here are a couple of tips:

Find a regular time you can read. For me, it’s in the morning before I do anything else. It helps me to focus and start out my day with God’s word in my mind. Some might not be able to focus early on, so the evening works better for them. Whatever you do, make it a priority and don’t let other things draw you away from it!

Set a regular pace. You don’t have to read 100 chapters a day to be spiritual, but you should read something. I use a reading plan which lays out my daily reading each day to get through the Bible systematically.

Don’t read just to read. Read to understand. Read to be convicted. Read to know God. Read, asking God to show you something for today. He will, you just have to focus and look for it!

2. Find Time To Pray

“And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray” Luke 11:1

Reading God’s word is how God speaks to us. Praying is how we speak to God. Cast your cares on him. You don’t have to use big, flowery words, just talk to him! He’s a person, and you can come to him as a dad. He wants to hear you. He longs for you to talk to him. Why do you talk to everybody else before talking to the one that cares the most? There’s much that could be said about prayer, but perhaps we’ll save that for another post. Learn to pray.

3. Get Around Other Believers

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:19-25

This is a lengthy passage, but I want you to see something. If you’re in God’s family, you have access to him! You can come with boldness! Because of this, you should come near him,  you should hold fast to him, and you should get around others to help and be helped. It’s been said that nobody is an island. Your life affects somebody, and you are constantly affected by others. Some say that they can worship God on their own, and that’s true, but it’s not God’s purpose for you to live the Christian life alone. Get around others who will excite you, exhort you and encourage you. You need the church. The church needs you. In scripture, the church is often described as a body. You should find your place in the body.

4. Maintain An Attitude of Repentance

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:7-10

When you accepted Christ as Savior, God took your account of sin and marked it “paid in full!” He then took your record of goodness, and wrote down all of the righteousness of Christ. So, eternally, before God, I am accepted through Christ. My sin isn’t written down anymore! (See 2 Corinthians 5:17-21). However, we still battle the sinful desires of the flesh. Sometimes, you will mess up. God still accepts you eternally, but by our sin we can hinder our relationship while here in this body. This might seem confusing, but think of it this way; our lives are like a lamp. We are meant to give light to a dark place, but if the lamp is dirty, our light doesn’t go very far. We can be bright on the inside, but with dirt, grime and crud caked up on the outside, we won’t be able to fulfill our purpose. This is why we ought to maintain an attitude of repentance. When we mess up, just get back up, asking God for help. He is a merciful and patient God. He is the God of second (and third and fourth and….) chances. Isn’t that great?

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So, to know God’s will, first you must be sure you’re in the family of God! Second, be sure you stay in fellowship with God. Stay tuned for Part 3.