What do you think that God expects from you? What is God’s expectations of us? “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Micah 6:8.
God has a “Rulebook” for us. A “Rulebook” is a collection of rules or prescribed standards on the basis of which decisions are made and may I add, the way we should live our lives.
We know what God does and doesn’t want us to do. Do not lie. Do not steal. Do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not covet what others have. Do not dishonor your mother and father. Do not use His name in vain. Do not worship any other god, but Him. These are the “DO NOTs”.
There are some “DOs”. He does expect us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, strength and mind. He does want us to love others as we love ourselves, and love others as Jesus loves us.
Those are the do’s and don’ts. God has given us the “rulebook” for living on this earth. The “rulebook” is His Holy Bible.
But what is God’s ultimate expectations from us? God expects us to accept His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as our Savior. He expects us to give our lives to Him and in doing this, we will develop His character.
What character? Jesus combines majesty with the greatest humility. He put together the strongest commitment to justice and mercy. Then He reveals to us self-sufficiency and yet an entirely trust in our Heavenly Father. The Bible shows us His tenderness without any weakness. We see His boldness without any harshness. He insists on showing us the TRUTH, showered in His LOVE. He shows us His power, with sensitivity and integrity. He shows us passion, without any prejudice. There was no respect of man. He welcomed and ate with prostitutes. He touched the lepers, those that was considered physically and ceremonially uncleaned. He showed that he was not a bigot toward the bigoted, those Pharisees when he ate with them.
He welcomed and befriended all, while surprisingly witnessing the truth, even to Zacchaeus, the despised tax collector. When He encountered women who were sexually immoral, he engaged with them with respect, but He gently pointed out to the Samaritan woman the error of her ways.
Jesus is full of grace, mercy, compassion, and He is the TRUTH. God wants us to develop the character of His beloved Son, Jesus. Jesus’ character traits were humble service, holiness, righteousness, purity, love, forgiveness, compassion, endurance, submission, humility, obedient, kindness, generous giving, meek, and prayerful, just to name a few.
In order to be like Jesus we must conformed or transformed into His image. We must emulate Him. God expects for us to put on the character of Jesus. How do you do this? By building your life on the teachings of Jesus, by applying the principles of Scriptures to our thoughts and conduct, conforming through transforming to the will of God, and not of the world.
When we allow God to mold us and renew our mind, a transformation will occur and we will take on the qualities of God’s character.
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