Topic: Sacrificial Living
Text: Philippians 3:6-16

Profession is one thing, reality is another. In the sight of God your attitude or behaviour is more important than your belief or profession. God sees beyond the veneer of our declarations. God measures you by the yardstick of genuine love. Do you have genuine love in your heart? If there is no love in your heart, you do not know God. You are not even a CHRISTIAN. How can we detect indices of love? Love is generous. John 3:16 says: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son.” The first sigh of love is the willingness to give. This however does not mean that you should give to every Dick. Tom and Harry that comes your way. God does not give just for the fun of it. He gives purposely. He even allows the sun to shine on sinners so that they might repent, and if they fail to repent He will be able to say on the Day of Judgment that He did all He could have done. When we talk about giving, we are not just talking about giving money. It also entails giving of one’s time. God wants you to spend time with Him. He desires your company. Also, God want you to give Him yourself. Paul said he would spend and be spent (2 Cor. 12:15). If you claim to be a favourite of the Almighty God but your life shows some traces of darkness, then you are lying because your husband is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. We are talking of living a life of transparent honesty. If light is beamed on you anytime, there should not be found on you anything that is not of God. Those who love live a life of boldness because they have nothing to hide. Proverbs 28:1 says: “The wicked flee when no man pursues: but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” The sanctified is bold because he is operating in love. I John 4:18 says “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” Perfect love casts our fear. Lastly, if you have love you have hope. The Bible says, in Titus 2:13: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” This is blessed hope. Jesus is coming again! It is only the sanctified that can look forward to the coming of Jesus Christ with great excitement because, when He comes, He is going to take those who are ready with Him. Are you ready?

Memory Verse: Jeremiah 3:14: “Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD: for I am married unto you; and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.”