Choose Life
Moses speaking to the children of Israel, as they were about to cross over to the
promise land, tells them what blessings will happen to them which obey the Lord
Yahweh their God, and what curses will happen to them which disobey (Deuteronomy
30:1-20), verse 19-20 says “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you,
that I have set before you life and death, blessings and cursing, therefore choose life,
that both you and your seed may live. That you may love the Lord Yahweh your God,
and that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life, and
the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land which the Lord Yahweh swear
to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them”.
In biblical perspective, life flows from the living Father through the Son, into a world
thirsting for real life (John 6:57) “as the living Father has sent Me, and I live by the
Father, so he that ears Me, even he shall live by Me”. The Greek word for “life” is zoe,
in all instances the word was used to designate the divine, eternal life, the life of God.
This life resided in Jesus, and He made it available to all who believe in Him.
Human beings are born with the natural life called “psuche” in Greek, translated
personality; they do not posses the eternal life. This life can be received only by
believing in the One who possess the zoe life, Jesus Christ. Many people think that
because they are breathing they have life, but God alone gives life. God told Adam
that the day that he shall eat of the tree of knowledge, he would surely die, and he
did. James says “for as the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without works is
dead also”.
Choosing is making a decision. Choosing life is not an one time event, but a daily
walk; remember that the devil is always trying to get you to disobey God. I Peter 5:8
says “be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks
about, seeking whom he may devour”. Each day we have to decide whether we will let
the will of God rule in our life or not. We need to practice submitting ourselves to God;
choosing to do His will in our lives. Paul said “I die daily”; he died to his self will. And
he also said “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ lives in
me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who
loved me, and gave Himself for me”.
The Bible says that there is death and life in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:20-
21) says “a man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth, and with the
increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and they that live it shall eat the fruit thereof”. Because of this, we are to choose
words of God rather than words of satan. Jesus says “it is the spirit that quickens, the
flesh profits nothing, the words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life
(John 6:63). So we have to choose to speak His words (Spirit filled words) over every
area of our lives. Every word that we speak is either bring life or death into our lives.
Jesus says “for by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be
condemned” (Matthew 12:37).
The everlasting life that we receive from Jesus, started the day we received Him into
our lives (John 3:36) “he that believes on the Son has everlasting life, and he that
believes not the Son, shall not seen life, but the wrath of God abides on him”. We are
to remember that Jesus said “the thief comes not but to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy, I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more
abundantly” (John 10:10).
Martha met Jesus after her brother Lazarus had died, and when Jesus told her “your
brother shall rise again, she said to Him, I know that he shall arise again in the
resurrection at the last day” (John 11:23-24). Even though she believed that Jesus
was the Messiah, she was waiting for the resurrection at the last day. Many Christians
are doing the same thing, they believe that Jesus is the One that gives life, but are
waiting to go to heaven to be blessed.
Yes, we will receive rewards in heaven, Jesus said “if any man will come after Me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whosoever will save his
life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:
24-25). He goes on to say “verily, I say to you, there is no man that has left house, or
brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My sake,
and the gospel. But he shall receive a hundred fold, now in this time, houses, and
brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions, and in
the world to come eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30).
We have to choose to believe the word of God, Proverbs 4:20-23 says “my son,
attend to my words, incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your
eyes, keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those that find them,
and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the
issues of life”.
Martha was so busy serving that she didn’t take time to listen, yet her sister Mary
choose to sit at the feet of Jesus. Martha complained to Jesus, but Jesus told her
“one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken
away from her” (Luke 11:38-42).
The greatest choose we can make is to chose Jesus as our Lord and Savior and to
not be afraid of man. Jesus warns in Luke 12:4-5 “and I say to you My friends, be not
afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I
will forewarn you whom you shall fear, fear him which after he has killed has power to
cast into hell, yea, I say to you, fear him”.
We have to choose how we live our lives (Romans 6:16) says “know you not, that to
whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey,
whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness”. The devil has tricked so
many people into thinking because we are saved by grace, we can live any way we
want, but choices has consequences. Galatians 6:7-8 says “be not deceived, God is
not mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to
his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that sows to the Spirit, shall of the
Spirit reap life everlasting”.
We have to choose our words wisely, to live a life pleasing to God. Jesus said I only
speak what I have heard My Father do or say. We have to choose to live a life of love
and forgiveness.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: January 2, 2009
Moses speaking to the children of Israel, as they were about to cross over to the
promise land, tells them what blessings will happen to them which obey the Lord
Yahweh their God, and what curses will happen to them which disobey (Deuteronomy
30:1-20), verse 19-20 says “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you,
that I have set before you life and death, blessings and cursing, therefore choose life,
that both you and your seed may live. That you may love the Lord Yahweh your God,
and that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life, and
the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land which the Lord Yahweh swear
to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them”.
In biblical perspective, life flows from the living Father through the Son, into a world
thirsting for real life (John 6:57) “as the living Father has sent Me, and I live by the
Father, so he that ears Me, even he shall live by Me”. The Greek word for “life” is zoe,
in all instances the word was used to designate the divine, eternal life, the life of God.
This life resided in Jesus, and He made it available to all who believe in Him.
Human beings are born with the natural life called “psuche” in Greek, translated
personality; they do not posses the eternal life. This life can be received only by
believing in the One who possess the zoe life, Jesus Christ. Many people think that
because they are breathing they have life, but God alone gives life. God told Adam
that the day that he shall eat of the tree of knowledge, he would surely die, and he
did. James says “for as the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without works is
dead also”.
Choosing is making a decision. Choosing life is not an one time event, but a daily
walk; remember that the devil is always trying to get you to disobey God. I Peter 5:8
says “be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks
about, seeking whom he may devour”. Each day we have to decide whether we will let
the will of God rule in our life or not. We need to practice submitting ourselves to God;
choosing to do His will in our lives. Paul said “I die daily”; he died to his self will. And
he also said “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ lives in
me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who
loved me, and gave Himself for me”.
The Bible says that there is death and life in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:20-
21) says “a man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth, and with the
increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and they that live it shall eat the fruit thereof”. Because of this, we are to choose
words of God rather than words of satan. Jesus says “it is the spirit that quickens, the
flesh profits nothing, the words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life
(John 6:63). So we have to choose to speak His words (Spirit filled words) over every
area of our lives. Every word that we speak is either bring life or death into our lives.
Jesus says “for by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be
condemned” (Matthew 12:37).
The everlasting life that we receive from Jesus, started the day we received Him into
our lives (John 3:36) “he that believes on the Son has everlasting life, and he that
believes not the Son, shall not seen life, but the wrath of God abides on him”. We are
to remember that Jesus said “the thief comes not but to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy, I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more
abundantly” (John 10:10).
Martha met Jesus after her brother Lazarus had died, and when Jesus told her “your
brother shall rise again, she said to Him, I know that he shall arise again in the
resurrection at the last day” (John 11:23-24). Even though she believed that Jesus
was the Messiah, she was waiting for the resurrection at the last day. Many Christians
are doing the same thing, they believe that Jesus is the One that gives life, but are
waiting to go to heaven to be blessed.
Yes, we will receive rewards in heaven, Jesus said “if any man will come after Me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whosoever will save his
life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:
24-25). He goes on to say “verily, I say to you, there is no man that has left house, or
brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My sake,
and the gospel. But he shall receive a hundred fold, now in this time, houses, and
brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions, and in
the world to come eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30).
We have to choose to believe the word of God, Proverbs 4:20-23 says “my son,
attend to my words, incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your
eyes, keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those that find them,
and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the
issues of life”.
Martha was so busy serving that she didn’t take time to listen, yet her sister Mary
choose to sit at the feet of Jesus. Martha complained to Jesus, but Jesus told her
“one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken
away from her” (Luke 11:38-42).
The greatest choose we can make is to chose Jesus as our Lord and Savior and to
not be afraid of man. Jesus warns in Luke 12:4-5 “and I say to you My friends, be not
afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I
will forewarn you whom you shall fear, fear him which after he has killed has power to
cast into hell, yea, I say to you, fear him”.
We have to choose how we live our lives (Romans 6:16) says “know you not, that to
whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey,
whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness”. The devil has tricked so
many people into thinking because we are saved by grace, we can live any way we
want, but choices has consequences. Galatians 6:7-8 says “be not deceived, God is
not mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to
his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that sows to the Spirit, shall of the
Spirit reap life everlasting”.
We have to choose our words wisely, to live a life pleasing to God. Jesus said I only
speak what I have heard My Father do or say. We have to choose to live a life of love
and forgiveness.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: January 2, 2009
