How To Know How Godly You Really Are

I find it interesting that most people consider themselves to be a good person. If you ask just about anyone if they are basically good, and if they expect to go to heaven, they will say yes, or at least, they hope to get to heaven. Probe a little further, and they will tell you that even though they are not perfect and don't always do the right thing, the good outweighs the bad in their life. So is everyone good? According to the Bible, we are not, For all have sinner and fallen short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23. You may not want to accept this truth from God's word, so here is the proof from your own life. If you really want to know how godly you really are, think about how you act when no one is looking. You are by yourself, or you are away from home in another community, state, or country. What do you find tempting, and how much do you respond to that temptation? The answer you give tells you how godly you really are. Here is another test, ask yourself how you act and think when you are dealing with stress and difficulty in your life. When you are under stress, you will automatically default to who you really are. Any ungodliness in your life will come front and center for all to see.

So how godly are you? If you are like me, not as godly as you thought!

Blessings,

Dr. Paul

New Beginnings: 3 Scriptures

After posting such a negative sounding article, I thought I would start the New Year on a much more hopeful note. One of the most encouraging truths of the Bible is the fact that God is the God of new beginnings. Maybe for you, 2011 was a year where you fell into some serious sin. God has an answer for that. In first John 1:9 we read, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Notice that He promises to cleanse us not from some of our sin, or most of our sin, but ALL of our sin. The key is having a relationship with God and confessing our sin to Him.

Perhaps 2011 was a year when a lot of things didn't go well for you. God has a message for you as well. In Philippians 3:13-14 Paul writes, But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. You can't change the past, you can only decide to follow a better path today by renewing your commitment to Christ and seeking after Him.

As we begin a New Year, I want to share one of my favorite promises of God's word from Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope. I can think of no better way to look forward to a better New Year, confessing our sin, pressing forward to be more like Christ, and doing so with hope!

Blessings,

Dr. Paul