Actions

Have you ever paused to think how Jesus may view you and your actions? Jesus is very concerned about those who follow Him and their progress over time. Because of His death, Jesus’ disciples have the Holy Spirit living within them, but final choices are still the responsibility of each disciple. Since the disciples would one day be ultimately responsible for their own decisions, Jesus was concerned about them. As all people do, the disciples would change over time and this change needed to be guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit. That they made poor decisions is clear in the case of Peter’s exclusion of Gentiles (Gal. 2:11-21). As He prepared to return to heaven, Jesus prayed, "But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.”- John 17:14-15 (ESV). If we are honest, we also will make poor decisions as we walk along our spiritual journey; this is expected during the growth process. However, if we rely on the indwelling Holy Spirit, we will not be pulled away from Jesus as we live our lives in this world.