JOHN 6:37 LB “But some will come to me–those the Father has given me– and I will never, never reject them.”

People may reject you. But Jesus will not. Jesus died for sinners. He loves them and will help them, if only they will come to Him. Jesus did not come to condemn us, but to help us. The truth is, when your self-worth is based on any opinion other than God’s, you will always be vulnerable to rejection. Think of the Bible account of the woman caught in adultery. JOHN 8:11 NIV “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life free from sin.”  Religious people will reject you for any number of reasons. The length of your hair, the food you eat, or the clothes you wear are only examples of reasons they may reject you. But Jesus is different. He will accept you just as you are. Overcoming rejection starts with understanding and accepting how much God loves and values us (1 John 3:1). Many people think they need to clean up their life and get their act together before coming to Jesus. But they have it backwards. They should come to Jesus now and let Him “clean them up.” If we could make ourselves perfect, we would not need a Savior. Think about that!

1 Samuel 15:22 NIV “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed better than the fat of rams.”                      

King Saul had a hard choice to make; destroy the Amalekites and everything that belonged to them or save the best they had to offer as the spoils of war. Unfortunately, King Saul chose to satisfy his lust instead of obeying God’s command. God instructed King Saul that the Amalekites and all they had be destroyed. Contrary to God’s instruction, King Saul decided to spare the life of King Agag and the best livestock and other beautiful items. Maybe King Saul thought he could do as he pleased and ask for forgiveness afterward. Has there ever been a time as a Christian when you have deliberately disobeyed God because you were counting on His grace and mercy to excuse you after the fact? Yes, God loves us, but He is also God of truth, judgment, and justice. In God’s eyes, obedience is better than sacrifice. The devil will always tempt you with things he knows you desire. He wants you to sin. He wants you out of the protection and shelter of God’s care. He wants you out of God’s plan for your life. Do not listen to him. Do not give Satan a seat at your table (Ephesians 4:27). Choose obedience not sacrifice!

James 1:21 NKJV “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”

The Lord Jesus Christ, in the parable of the Sower (Matthew 13), described four responses to God’s Word. First there is the hard heart, which the seed on the roadside represented. The hard heart does not understand and receive the Word, and therefore does not produce any fruit. Next there is the shallow heart, which represents the seed that fell on ground filled with rocks. This describes those who are very emotional but have no depth in their lives. Thus, they bear no fruit. Thirdly, there is the crowded heart, represented by the seed that goes into the soil imbedded with thorns. This speaks of those who receive the Word initially, but they lack repentance and permit sin to choke out the Word of God. Lastly, there is the fruitful heart that receives the Word and allows it to bring forth fruit. You determine what kind of soil your heart will be. You determine whether you will have a hard heart, a shallow heart, a crowded heart, or a fruitful heart. You determine how the Word of God will affect your life. It is up to you. The Word of God cannot work in our lives unless we receive it with the right heart! It requires that “we lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive God’s Word with meekness “.  The Word of God (the truth) is your defense against falsehood and deception of Satan. The Word of God is the raw material you have, to produce victory in any area of your life!