😇What made the difference❓

To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.

Proverbs 14:14 (KJV) The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.

In this verse we see the “backslider” and the “good man.” One can never slide backward if they aren’t  going forward. Look where the backsliding began “in heart” because it was “filled with his own ways.” Then we read something very interesting: “a good man.” A good man! I was under the understanding of what the Apostle Paul wrote in the book of  Romans 3:9 (KJV) What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

The whole human race under sin.

Romans 3:23 (KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

How can that be? Genesis 1:21 (KJV) And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:24 (KJV) And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

Genesis 1:25 (KJV) And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Did you notice that everything reproduces after their kind? Plant corn and you get corn. Plant green beans and you get green beans. Plant an apple tree and you get apples. Depending on what kind of corn, green beans and apples there are different kinds but whatever kind you plant that is the kind you will get. Adam and Eve were human beings by the time they reproduced they had disobeyed God and had become sinners. When they had children they were of their kind, sinners. Just like the kind of corn, green bean or apple they had no choice of their own. There are those in Churches today that want to please God. They do good things. They attend regularly, they give of their time, talents and treasures. They look and sound and act great but then something happens. Their heart fills “with his own ways” not God’s way but their way. There was a song released in 1969 by the Isley Brothers named “It Your Thing” It’s your thing do what you want to do. To be honest I like to do what I want to do. The only problem with that is I don’t always get to do what I want to do. Have you ever wanted to just slap someone across the lips? You didn't get to do what you wanted to do. I know I enlarged what I wanted to do but you get the idea. Now let’s look for a moment at this “good man.” What makes him so good? Well the first thing I see is he is not working from his heart that is filled with his own ways. We read that he “shall be satisfied from himself.” He has kept himself from doing things his own way. What’s the difference? It’s not because you go to Church, give your time, talents and treasures to good things. It’s because God showed you that you were a sinner and you received the gift of His Son Jesus Christ. Romans 6:23 (KJV) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The day one sees and understands that they are a sinner and they need a Savior. At that point ask Jesus to forgive them of their sinful ways. At that moment things change within their heart for eternity. See the difference of a heart “filled with his own ways” and “satisfied from himself.” What made the difference? Jesus Christ. Oh but there is a war that goes on everyday of our life. Even though we are forgiven and now want to follow our Lord and Savior we still live in the flesh. More times than we like we find ourselves doing things that are sinful. An unkind word, deed or action. We get unset then angry and we do or say things we wish we hadn’t. The fight against sin will never end here. Oh but one day it will when we open our eyes in another land called Heaven. Then we will be free from sin for eternity. Do I really believe that? Yes I do! Because of the proof that lives within me. If you have it you know and if you don’t you know. The Apostle Paul calls himself a wretched man the chief of sinners then Paul says this;  2 Corinthians 5:8 (KJV) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

It’s not what we do, it's what Christ did! Don’t get confused, we are not righteous and we can never do enough good to go to heaven. Nor can we be so wrong and bad that it will keep us out of heaven. We need to be forgiven and Jesus Christ is more than willing to forgive. Have you asked?