Is Your Life Worthy of His Name? By Brother Curtis Hansen

         This morning, we will be reading from the book of Ezekiel. We will be turning to the 36th chapter and start to read at the 22nd verse. 

        22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes: O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.

        23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

        24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

        25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from your idols, will I cleanse you.

        26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh.

        27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.

        28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers: and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

        As similar as it was in the time of Ezekiel where the people rebelled and followed after the world, the scripture written pertains to us still today. Today, there are so many facets of the world's culture has gotten into church denominations. Sometimes our faith as a whole is seen though the prism of our country's culture. If the walk was easy as a christian, there wouldn't be so much in scripture that warns, cautions, instructs and reveal. If you are truly God's son or daughter, he has designs to sanctify you towards holiness. The scripture we read is about the coming of Jesus. 

        Stepping back and looking at the 1st verse. This is a lot of Old Testament talk about how the people have just profaned the name of the Lord with their actions and their life. How many examples are around for people to look and see a man upright before the Lord? I know there are far too many examples of man using the Lord for his own benefit. New doctrines preached is like Job. There are heads of houses whom sacrifice their time, work, their all before God, just to cover their families sin and abuse of God's grace. God's objective is to lead you into holiness. Nothing in this flesh wants to go anywhere toward that, because that means surrendering control to Jesus. We are all individually accountable in our walk.

        Do we care about God's reputation? Are we the same example on Tuesday that we are this morning? Old testament line of thought was Why should we change our ways when we can sacrifice? Today's line of thought is Why should we change our ways when we live in grace? How do you keep your christian walk and continue to live in the world? God demands that you walk with him toward holiness. The people in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament ran down God not through their works, but, by their actions. 

        The first part to holiness is knowing God's rules and statutes. The purpose of Jesus' time on earth was to send back his holy ghost. We don't deserve it. We don't drive God to love in our filth of sin, but judgement. 

        No matter where you live, if you are one of his, you are to be separated from the heathen. You got to stand out in the world. When the early churches were established it was for the assembly of believers. Where two or three are gathered is a service. It isn't a building with expensive production and dozens of activities. America gets it wrong by misunderstanding the simplicity of faith by adding a bunch of unnecessary diversions to it. 

        In verse 25, it speaks of what happens when you start following Jesus. He will clean you of your filthiness and idols. Verse 26 continues with the transformation. Without that heart of flesh, you are a stone. The one taking a break from holiness is man. God never takes a day nor hour off. 

        The Holy Spirit will activate the love of God's statutes and rules. Your flesh will try to go back to those old haunts and habits, and you can't bring yourself to do them because your spirit is saying no! Our flesh is tainted by our fallen nature to promote itself and to try and discredit God's power. Miracles of healing are a language that translates into native tongues around the world. Miracles most believers should be testifying in public about and giving praise for. Yet, isn't it not disheartening to see people of faith try to hang science or medicine on a miracle? The same bunch runs to urgent care for the sniffles. God wants you to take the miraculous and promote him with our life, not promote what new supplement some faith based medicine practitioner gave you. 

        Turn to the book of Hebrews chapter 12. We will read starting at verse 5.

        5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaks unto you as unto children, My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.

        There will be chastening and rebuking of our thoughts as we proceed towards holiness. The walk toward holiness is not a hands off approach by the almighty.

        6 For whom the Lord love he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receiveth.

        Yes, this may be a surprise to some. If he truly loves you, and you get out of line you will be corrected. You may even suffer. But.. if God loves his children, surely he wouldn't do something like that? I know some people think of love in a romantic sense, but, this is a parent child relationship. If you were raised right, you got a correction for a mistake. Scourging is causing great suffering to. How is God's reputation in your heart? 

        7 If ye endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chastened not?

        The writer of Hebrews very well knows that there are some believers who will draw the line at correction and suffering. If you are entitled to the blessings of God, you are also entitled to being a good example for God.

        8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye all bastards, and not sons.

        That's a hard truth for the flesh to take. If you have the all love, all accepting of everything and no correction take on Christianity, then you aren't serving Jesus, you're serving a Jesus designed by your imagination. Turn to the book of Romans chapter 9 verse 13

        13 As it is written, Jacob I have loved, but Esau have I hated.

        How did God hate Esau? How did he manifest love towards Jacob? In the world's eyes, the man Esau was living a #blessed life. He had wealth, power, large family, influence. All the traits that are celebrated in the world as a resounding success story. Esau did not have the blessing. Jacob was a deceiver but later in life became blessed. Esau was more about self gratification and blazing a trail as he saw fit in his life and dismissed divine blessings because he dismissed divine blessings. The world and most of us in fact define a blessing as ownership of property or many possessions. You can have plenty of both, feel #blessed and may not have God's covering. God let Esau be Esau. If you haven't received chastisement, or scourging in your walk for sometime when you have fallen short or messed up a statute, you may be a statue of stone. Before Jacob received blessings from God, there were trials to go through. If God is truly blessing you, no man can stand in your way to prevent it from happening.