These notes identify the importance God places on His belongings and His promises. This subject was touched on briefly in God's plan for demons that possess spelled out in Bible, but with a more demon-specific angle than this more human one.
Do you belong to God?
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| In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears [Psalm 18:6] |
In a dangerous world, it's important to feel cared for and protected in order to venture into it with the requisite confidence for success. Considering what's out there—consider just what you see on this blog alone—that's not possible without God on your side.
God takes the sanctity of His property very seriously, and, historically, has exacted grave penalties to those who don't respect "what is His and what is theirs."
And, once you belong to Him, even those who offer you even the most trivial of niceties will be blessed:
God takes the sanctity of His property very seriously, and, historically, has exacted grave penalties to those who don't respect "what is His and what is theirs."
David killed a man for mercy killing Saul because Saul was God's anointed—even though Saul requested that the man do so:
[King Saul] said unto me [an Amalekite] again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me. So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord [David].
And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lord's anointed? And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died. And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the Lord's anointed. (2 Samuel 1:9-10, 14-16 KJV)
Not only that, but God struck dead on the spot the most reputable, well-known and very aged priest in Israel for touching the Ark of the Covenant, even though all he did was try to keep it from tipping over onto the ground from the cart on which it was being carried:
Could this apply to you?
And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzza put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. (2 Samuel 6:6-7 KJV)Some would say these are exaggerated responses from a God to whom they can't relate; but, take it from me—read the blog—you'll be glad to know such a God on the day you face the Enemy.
Could this apply to you?
God treats people as seriously as he does his property, and even allows analogies to be drawn between your body and the items he struck even the highly respected dead for having touched:
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 KJV)What are the benefits of belonging to God?
It is advantageous to you to belong to God, especially given how the world really works, and what you now know are dangers in it. If you want to not only survive, but also be able to care for and protect those you love, you'll appreciate what God has to offer those He calls His own.
First, all obstacles are already overcome for those who love the Lord:
First, all obstacles are already overcome for those who love the Lord:
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4 KJV)Second, God listens to you:
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15 KJV)
I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul. (Psalm 31:7)
Third, He gives you the knowledge you need to differentiate yourself from the ignorant, and gives you the knowledge you need to make it through life:
We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:6 KJV)
Finally, He will never leave you, and promises a happy ending to every woe:
For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. (Acts 2:25-28 KJV)
How do I belong to God?
God calls those who call on His Son, Jesus Christ, His own:
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. (1 John 4:15 KJV)
He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. (1 John 2:6 KJV)
For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. (Mark 9:41 KJV)How do I live like I belong to God?
Those who belong to God have an overarching theme to everything they do—love:
For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. (1 John 3:11)
NOTE | The entire book of 1 John outlines the way of God's own, and summarizes all the reasons for the love shown by the children of God.If I am not a child of God, then what am I?
To belong to God does not involve a designation, a bumper sticker, a placard, or a crisp Sunday suit; rather, it's a way you react to and proact in life. That, of course, is by and through acts of love. There is an opposite and only other kind of person that are also defined by their actions:
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (1 John 2:9-12, 15-17 KJV)In short, you should love less in thought, word and deed anything that is not centered around love, and, of course, Christ:
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. (1 John 2:22 KJV)
Therefore, your priority should be working towards the day that it will be said of you that:
"Ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." (1 Corinthians 3:23 KJV)And, work towards the day when you can say of yourself:
"My beloved is mine, and I am His." (Song of Solomon 2:16 KJV)