Selfishness
There is no selfish section of heaven. There is no place for people who are self seeking there at all. The point of this life is to learn to put off that way of living now, so we are ready to VOLUNTARILY live in selflessness, peace, patience, and love forever.
Jesus will not make you be selfless without your reach for it.
Right now, our culture is growing in self-centeredness. If someone doesn't want to do something, they simply don't. This is especially true in church, where attendance, participation, and serving are seen as optional. Work, leisure, rest, sports, personal needs ...these are all generally seen as more necessary to attend to than the group of believers we are learning to live with forever! Believe me, Jesus isn't carving out a spot in heaven for the selfish. Otherwise, it will be no different than what we are living in right now.
Selfishness now, although it is becoming more prominent, is very dangerous, because Jesus is sifting His church right now along the lines of selflessness. He is asking, "will you learn to love others as you love Me?"
When I was a kid, you went to church because others in your community expected you too. Participation was expected. Good behavior...paying attention...was also expected.
Those werent the good ole days! That generation didn't produce a wholehearted voluntarily selfless church! Rules and expectations don't produce love.
It isnt cultural expectations that create a loving body of selfless people. What creates selfless people is the holy spirit leading people who voluntarily PICK to die to selfishness and live first for Jesus, and then for others, in the power of that same spirit.
Right now, we live in a time where cultural expectations matter less and less. This is terrible if you have no personal vision to grow in selflessness. But, it is great because there is freedom right now to pick who you want to be. I want to grow in selflessness! If I agree with Jesus about that, there is great grace to become the bride!
Everyone is being tested right now to find out if they want to go forward with the Lord into freedom from what has plagued humanity for 6,000 years.
Many dont. They simply want to live for #1. Some do. They want to learn to die to themselves and really learn to love others with acts of selflessness, listening to one another, supporting one another, and stirring each other up to love and good works.
Which are you?
Galatians 5:17For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
20idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
24And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Jesus will not make you be selfless without your reach for it.
Right now, our culture is growing in self-centeredness. If someone doesn't want to do something, they simply don't. This is especially true in church, where attendance, participation, and serving are seen as optional. Work, leisure, rest, sports, personal needs ...these are all generally seen as more necessary to attend to than the group of believers we are learning to live with forever! Believe me, Jesus isn't carving out a spot in heaven for the selfish. Otherwise, it will be no different than what we are living in right now.
Selfishness now, although it is becoming more prominent, is very dangerous, because Jesus is sifting His church right now along the lines of selflessness. He is asking, "will you learn to love others as you love Me?"
When I was a kid, you went to church because others in your community expected you too. Participation was expected. Good behavior...paying attention...was also expected.
Those werent the good ole days! That generation didn't produce a wholehearted voluntarily selfless church! Rules and expectations don't produce love.
It isnt cultural expectations that create a loving body of selfless people. What creates selfless people is the holy spirit leading people who voluntarily PICK to die to selfishness and live first for Jesus, and then for others, in the power of that same spirit.
Right now, we live in a time where cultural expectations matter less and less. This is terrible if you have no personal vision to grow in selflessness. But, it is great because there is freedom right now to pick who you want to be. I want to grow in selflessness! If I agree with Jesus about that, there is great grace to become the bride!
Everyone is being tested right now to find out if they want to go forward with the Lord into freedom from what has plagued humanity for 6,000 years.
Many dont. They simply want to live for #1. Some do. They want to learn to die to themselves and really learn to love others with acts of selflessness, listening to one another, supporting one another, and stirring each other up to love and good works.
Which are you?
Galatians 5:17For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
20idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
24And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
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