“If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” (NLT) – John 15:15-16, 21
When we give our hearts to God through Jesus Christ, the Bible says that we become a new person. It’s not a physical change but a spiritual one. We possess a new spiritual life. When we repent of our sins and give our hearts to Jesus Christ, He then must become the Center of our lives from that day forward. But what is the proof that He is? How do we know we are expressing our love for Him in a way that is pleasing to Him? Jesus told us all we need to know in this regard from the last time He was with his disciples before He was crucified. At the Last Supper Jesus told us now to express our love for Him. So what happens when we live out our faith by doing what Jesus instructs us to do? Here’s one example from a hero of the past.
On October 8, 1918 Sergeant Alvin C. York single handedly captured 132 German soldiers which earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor. Definitely, he was a hero to be honored. In this battle he displayed courage and selflessness that is required of heroes. In Sergeant York’s case, the reason that he was a hero in many peoples mind was not the way he carried himself during the battle but how he lived his life. This a quote that he made in his diary of his experience in World War I. On July 1st, 1918 he wrote: “I carried a New Testament with me. I still have the New Testament I carried with me during all my fighting. I read it through five times during my stay in the army. I read it everywhere. I read it in dugouts, in fox holes, and on the front line. It was my rock to cling to. I didn’t do any cursing, no, not even in the front line. I cut all of that out long ago, at the time I was saved.” Sergeant York lived his life in humble, submissive, obedience to the Lord. A hero is someone who does much more than just an amazing thing. A hero is someone who reflects heroism in his life. A hero is someone who does heroic things because his character demands it.
Do you want to be a hero for God? Then just show your love for Him by doing what He says to do. Not out of duty but because you love Him. Maranatha!
Pastor Don
