Bible Truth for Today about LIVING
( How should I live ?)

We live in a day of great confusion. Foundational concepts of truth and error, of right and wrong, are being questioned, altered or discarded. Some people are being made to wonder whether or not there is any such thing as absolute truth. Is anything "black and white" or is everything a gray area? And, in relation to lifestyle choices, people question whether the way they live really matters.

Please consider the following:

GOD IS A GOD OF ABSOLUTES. Webster defines an absolute as something "independent of arbitrary standards of measurement". The Bible contains many passages which speak of God's absolute character. Titus 1:2 speaks of "God, Who cannot lie". 1John 1:5 tells us that "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." Malachi 3:6 reveals that God is immutable: "For I am the Lord, I do not change." These are only a few of many verses which describe clearly defined, unchanging characteristics of God.

GOD IS A MORAL GOD. Isaiah 6:3 tells us, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory." Holiness is the state of being completely pure from any sin or evil. Habakkuk 1:13, speaking of God, describes His holiness this way: "You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness."

AS CREATOR, GOD HAS CREATOR'S RIGHTS TO HIS CREATION. Does not an artist have the right to do as he wishes with his painting? He may keep it, sell it, give it away, destroy it, or anything else he wishes to do with it. The same is true of a song writer, an inventor, and other "creators"of ideas and works. The Bible uses the illustration of God as a potter (Jeremiah 18) Who has the right to do as He wishes with the vessels He creates on His potter's wheel. In this illustration, nations of people are the vessels whom He has created, and over whom He exercises His rights as Creator.

GOD HAS REVEALED IN THE BIBLE THAT HE DOES HAVE EXPECTATIONS OF HOW WE SHOULD LIVE. At the beginning of the book of Genesis, God gave Adam and Eve rules they were to obey. Exodus records God's commandments for Israel. Jesus taught His hearers about the proper way to live. All through the Scriptures we find that God does in fact care about the way we live. An ultimate expression of His desire for our lives is found in 1 Peter 1:15-16 "...but as He Who called you is holy, you also be holy in your conduct, because it is written: "Be holy, for I am holy"." One other example is found in Micah 6:8: "He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?"  

THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT EVERY PERSON WILL BE REQUIRED ONE DAY TO STAND BEFORE GOD AND GIVE ACCOUNT FOR THE WAY HE OR SHE LIVED!

Two different "judgment days" are foretold in the Scriptures. Those who have been true followers of Jesus Christ will appear at the "judgment seat of Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:10). Each person's works will be evaluated and each person will be rewarded (or not rewarded) as is deserved. Those who have not been true followers of Jesus Christ will appear at the "great white throne judgment" (Revelation 20:11-15). Their works will also be evaluated before they are sentenced to eternity in the lake of fire. At neither of these judgments does the evaluation of a person's works determine whether that person spends eternity in heaven or hell, because "by grace you have been saved through faith...not of works..." (Ephesians 2:8,9). Nonetheless, these judgments show that God does care about the way we live! We, in turn, ought to care about what God thinks about the way we live! 

We cannot live a life which is pleasing to God until we have first come into a right relationship with Him. The only way to a right relationship with God is through Jesus Christ Who died on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins and was raised again from the dead. When a person repents from his sins and in faith turns to Jesus Christ, placing all of his trust in Him, that person is "born again" into the family of God. Then, and only then, can a person begin to live a life which is pleasing to God.

You may have noticed that this article does not contain a list of rules. Our purpose has not been to present a list of rules, but to emphasize that the way we live does matter, and to point people to the Word of God as the absolute standard. Some truths are hard to accept, but are nonetheless truth!

Part of determining how we should live depends on knowing what happens when we die. For that discussion, please click HERE.