You Can Know You Have Eternal Life
#73 – Consequences of Christ’s Kingdom
How do I acceptably Glorify Jesus in His Kingdom? (1)
by Jim Mettenbrink

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     In the midst of the religious diversity, encouraged by the existence of American freedom and culture, “How a person acceptably glorifies Jesus” is a most important consideration.  Over the last 30 years American culture has experienced major changes in attitudes toward many aspects of life.  Much of this change is undergirded by secular humanist philosophy, i.e., man is his own standard of conduct.  Ultimately, no objective absolute standard is acknowledged, so each lives as he desires.  This is readily noticeable in the realm of morals and religion.
     Beginning some 35 - 40 years ago, the secular humanist attitude has been given strong public emphasis, being boldly proclaimed in the 1970s in slogans such as, “You’re OK, I’m OK” and “If it feels good, do it!”  This idea is also evident in the “feel good” religious attitude.  “If it feels good it must be right.”  “We are all going to the same place, only on different paths, but so long as it feels right to each one, it’s acceptable.”  Individual “feelings” become the standard of religion.  Is this, “Whatever feels good to me” or perhaps better stated, “I’m gonna do it my way” attitude, the right standard of glorifying Jesus?  Just who do we think we are to decide what is pleasing God?  How do we “know” what is acceptable to God?
     In the local newspaper, a man wrote that he had attended church regularly from infancy, however Jesus had not been first in his life.  Indeed, this is the state of many if not most folks.  Their religious belief and sense of conviction is nominal (acknowledging belief in Jesus as the Savior and maybe church attendance).  It is not in the sense that “Jesus is my King and I will follow Him according to His will.
     The man further declared that only when he totally surrendered to Jesus, i.e., took “self” off the throne of his life and allowed Jesus to be the King of his life, that he found true happiness.  Regarding some first century Christians’ activities, the Apostle Paul stated “
they ‘gave themselves first’ to the Lord,” (2 Corinthians 8:5).  Indeed, when we take that first step of total submission to God,... “Yes, Jesus, I will let You unconditionally guide my life,” then we will have turned onto the road that will lead us to contentment, this true peace of mind, that everyone so desperately seeks from the depths of one’s spirit.
     Learning to surrender to Jesus is the door to the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).  Since Jesus is the King and rules His kingdom by the stipulations in the New Testament, we must study it to “know” what it means to acceptably glorify Jesus.  It will show you the way to the “
peace that passes all understanding” and prompt you to boldly declare “You know you can have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).  What does it mean to surrender to Jesus?  What is involved in surrendering “self” and allowing Jesus to sit on the throne of my life, to allow Him to guide me unconditionally?

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      © Jim Mettenbrink; used by permission; courtesy of the Brookings church of Christ. rev.140711
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