Benchmark II: This whole line of thought that I am currently pursuing started out with “ Defy the odds/ don’t be a statistic” then “just another blog” and now these two on “Benchmarks”
I THINK I see a pattern don’t you? Two comments on the previous benchmark blog have caused me to respond to them . In fact all three deserve our attention. C.M. said “Keeping our standards where they should be is something that we tend to forget when we get too caught up in the world.” How true and for that very reason we need to guard our hearts and also how much time we spend fellowshipping with those who will drag us down to their level. We are in the world but we don’t have to be partakers of their sins. In fact Hebrews 3:1 says we are partakers of the heavenly calling. And again in Colossians 1:12 it tells us “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.” The very next verse says “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” I love the song the Gaither vocal band sing; “He came down to my level when I couldn’t get up to His” He has shown me what living is.
Coffee says, “We should all shoot for excellence but some of us will never hit the target but don’t ever stop trying. Remember No matter how much we strive to be like JESUS it just isn’t Going to happen but he wants us as close as we can. We will never make it on our own so ask him for help.” And my reply to that is indeed never stop trying and also never neglect this great salvation as Hebrews tells us in chapter 2 verse 1 “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard , lest we drift away” and stepping down to verse 3”how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”
The comment that came from “Anonymous” has left me to think soberly and seriously about what he or she calls “cheap grace” and it agrees so much with this scripture reading from Hebrews ch. 2 that I have just quoted from.
Go back and read his/her comment “We who have experienced forgiveness of God sometimes can get careless about keeping to the standard of His Word and rely on His forgiveness to make things right. His forgiveness is there but we have to be careful not to fall into the hole of "cheap grace", I can do this and get away with it because I know He will forgive me later.” One more scripture found in the epistle of Paul to the Romans ch. 6 verses 1&2, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! (NKJV) the King James says…God forbid! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
If there is one thing I can’t over emphasize it is this verse in the same chapter of Romans #6, “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should be no longer slaves of sin.”
Vs. 7, “For he who has died has been freed from sin.” Read the whole chapter. Before I leave this blog and send it out into cyber space, let me give you the definition of “benchmark” it is a standard by which something can be measured or judged. It is an archetype, a basis, a canon, an example, a fact. All these things can be said of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, our God. And so much more.
We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, Philippians 4:13. We can and we must…strive for the prize; you can do it! I said one more scripture…indulge me, please…Colossians 3:1 “If you then were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.” Read it down to verse 5. Remember Jesus is LORD!...the Blog Master