Bible Matters 358: Choosing God – Preponderance of Evidence

God chose you from the womb.  You’ve grown tired of the old man in the flesh and are choosing God, instead.  Using the preponderance of evidence standard, it is clear that by choosing God, you are born again and converted from a sinner in the flesh to a servant of God.  You accept the forgiveness of sins offered by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and no longer desire to serve the devil.  Many of you have been taught that you are saved by faith.  Do not let the devil fool you!  God is looking for your service.  When you choose God, you show your belief by doing the will of God.  Your desire a righteous life, loving God and loving your neighbor. By choosing God, you serve the God of love.

1 John 4:7-8 – Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

When you choose God, you crucify the old man in the flesh and accept God as a little child, being born again in the spirit.  Being born again is not a state of mind, but a state of being a servant for God unto love and good works.  

John 12:25-26 – He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.  If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

1 Peter 1:23 – Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Hebrews 10:24 – And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

All sin is love of self.  When you are born again, you are converted from a lover of self to a lover of God and one another.  Jesus gave you a commandment to love God and one another!

Matthew 22:37-40 – Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Mark 12:29-31 –  And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Luke 10:26-28 –  He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?  And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.  And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

John 13:34 – A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Galatians 5:14 – For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

James 2:8 – If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

Titus 1:8 – But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

Hebrews 13:1 – Let brotherly love continue.

1 John 4:18-21 – 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.  We love him, because he first loved us.  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?  And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

2 John 1:5-6 – And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.  And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

1 Peter 3:8-12 – Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:  Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.  For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:  Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.  For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

Your eyes and ears have been opened to the understanding of God’s word. 

Matthew 13:15-17 – For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them ; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Mark 4:12 – That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

John 12:40 – He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

Acts 3:19 – Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Acts 28:27 – For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

You do that which is pleasant in the sight of the Lord.

Hebrews 13:20-21 – Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,  Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus’s instruction is simple:

John 14:15 – If ye love me, keep my commandments.

You endureth temptation out of love for God unto eternal life.

James 1:12 – Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Jude 1:21-22 – Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.  And of some have compassion, making a difference:

It is clear that out of the mouth of the eight witnesses, you are to love God and love one another.  No one witness spoke more on love than John.  In his gospels and books in the epistles, he spoke on love 71 times.  Matther, Mark and Luke spoke 27 times on love.  In the books of Paul, he wrote on love 86 times.  James, Jude and Revelations spoke on love 11 times.  Choosing God, entails loving him and loving your neighbor.  Loving in action!  Being born again and converted is truly a change of heart from self to God and others.  The rich man did not want a change of heart.   He loved his stuff.  Your good works will show God your change of heart. 

To God be the glory in all you do, Amen.