7/30/2019 There is Still a Balm in Gilead by Trina Johnson

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THERES STILL A BALM IN GILEAD Jeremiah 8:22

March 16, 2012, New Covenant

Freedom didnt cost us anything to achieve. Christ paid that price. However, weare responsible for maintaining it (by our actions).

We must be sober, vigilant ( 1 Pet. 5:8)Clear minded and watchful; self-controlled and alert

Some of us are not taking our relationship with our Creator the Lord as serious aswe should. We are in the church grove. We come to church we enjoy the

fellowship of our brothers and sisters but we arent really tending to our relationship whole heartedly with the One who is responsible for us being here.

Weve gotten into the habit and routine of church, and there is where the danger lies.

Israel was a nation that came from nothing and God made her something.He made it a nation to be looked to. She was supposed to be the example; a sign

of Gods character . But little by little she became side tracked with her own beauty.

Instead of influencing the other nations to serve the Lord, she became influencedand began to commit whoredom, she served other gods.

God also warned Israel be sure your sins will find you out. In other words, the penalty for sin will find you.

Some of us Hes warning privately through the conviction of the Holy Spirit but if we dont get back in right standing, He may allow our sins to be uncovered.

We are examples of His freedom, but He will also like He did with Israel, make usan example of judgment. To whom much is given, much is required.

So, what is God requiring of you? There are several scriptures that tell us this:

7/30/2019 There is Still a Balm in Gilead by Trina Johnson

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" He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

22Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call onthe Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Tim. 2:22)

11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,righteously, and godly, in this present world;13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God andour Saviour Jesus Christ;

14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purifyunto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. ( Titus 2:11-14)

DENYING UNGODLINESS -Isolate and eliminate. This simply means to reject,renounce or disown whatever is opposed to God. Whether in our minds,bodies, homes or lifestyles, music, TV. programs; we should isolate thosethings which are opposed to God and reject or disown them.

DENYING WORLDLY LUSTS - Guard your heart so you can Please God. Thisimplies rejecting, renouncing and disowning something; but here it is dealingspecifically with worldly lust. The battle in our minds is one of rejecting worldlydesires, which is what the flesh wants, and accepting the desire to please Godwhich is what He wants.

LIVE SOBERLY Stay alert by exercising self-restraint or self-control.

LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY -to live righteously is to behave in a just and right manner before men. To "live right" is the manifestation of "being right" in one'srelationship and fellowship with God. By our fruit we are known and othersneed to see the good fruit of righteousness we produce when we liveaccording to the standard of God's Word. As believers, we strive to think, actand speak that which is right and proper per God's definition.

LIVE GODLY -here is where our "righteous living" in respect to God enters thepicture. Just as we strive to "live right" before men; we strive to live in a godly

7/30/2019 There is Still a Balm in Gilead by Trina Johnson

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manner to bless God. It is not so much what Jesus would do as how Jesuswould live and think.

LOOKING FOR THE BLESSED HOPE AND GLORIOUS APPEARING -Keep your

eyes on the prize! Without the hope of Christ's appearing burning in our heart,we will surely "burn out" and fail in our walk.

ZEALOUS FOR GOOD WORKS He has begun a good work in you so you can dogood works.

Access to God does not automatically yield intimacy with GodExamples of those who did not take advantage of access:

CainJudasFive foolish virginsAnanias and Saphira

You must cultivate your own relationship with Jesus. It is YOUR responsibility to seek Him while He may be found (Isa. 5:6)

After hearing this word of warning and you find yourself not quite lined up withGod, take heart. He says there is still a balm in Gilead, a physician that can heal.

Little children I write unto you that ye sin not. And if you do sin you have anadvocate, Jesus Christ the righteous one (1 John 2:1)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)