If you’re looking for loop holes, a common practice, to justify your failure take note of the word “nothing” in vs. 4. There are no exceptions. Certain things sometimes prompt us to act out of character and do things we normally don’t do– but they shouldn’t. There is never a cause for disobedience. It is our own selfish, sinful, stubborn attitude that causes us to fail and fall. The word “nothing” means something. It means “not even one”, no-thing. That’s a test we all fail, which is evidence that we all need God’s help all the time. This is a standard too high for people so weak. And our need of God is not just in this area, but every area of life. Without Christ we can do nothing (John 15:5).

God expects you to serve Him whether you are a pastor or a plumber, a missionary or a merchant, etc. As disciples we are on duty full-time, every hour of every day of the week. While our duties may vary our purpose and mission is the same– regardless of what we do to put bread on the table. Nor does your vocation make you any less important than the person whose salary is paid by the church. Rather than dividing everything into the sacred and secular we need to think of all ground as holy ground. That would do away with the foolish notion that some of us are more important or deserving than others. You should commit yourself and conduct yourself as the full time servant of the most high God. Being anything else, doing anything less, is to miss your mission, and that is to fail at life.

A world without Christ would be utter blackness unilluminated by a single ray of sun or even by a single far-away star. Christ is light. Only think what light does for us! It makes our days very bright; it shows us all the beautiful things that are around us. But it does far more. It produces all the life of the earth, and then nourishes it. There would not be a bud or a root or a leaf were it not for the sun. Nor would there be any beauty, for every lovely thing in nature the sun paints. Think of Christ, then , as light. His love brooding over us causes us to live, and nourishes in us every spiritual grace. Every beam of hope is a ray of light. What the coming of light is to a prisoner in a darkened dungeon, that is the bursting of mercy over the guilty soul. Light gives cheer; and oh what cheer the gospel gives to the mourner, to the poor, to the troubled!

Is it not strange that any will refuse to receive this light? If any one would persist in living in a dark cave, far away from the light of the sun, with only dim candles of his own making to pour a few feeble, flickering beams upon the gloom, we should consider him insane. What shall we say of those who persist in living in the darkness of sin, with no light but the candles of earth’s false hopes to shine upon their soul? There are many such, too. They turn to every ‘will o’ the wisp’ that flashes a little beam, anywhere rather than to Christ. It is like preferring a tallow candle to the sun.” He was right!

I know what darkness is! I have worked underground all day many days and I’ve been in numerous caves where no light could be seen when the flashlight was turned off. I have to tell you–I prefer light to darkness. But I have been in a much worse situation. For years I lived in spiritual darkness, which was dreadful and destructive. But the most wonderful day of my life took place when I received Christ, “the true Light”, as my Lord and Savior! If you are trapped in the dreadful darkness of sin, come to the Light of Life and be at peace. Do it now!–HDS

Because God is love, healing, hope, holiness, help, and happiness are possible. Knowing He loves us, even when we don’t love Him, gets our attention as nothing else can. Amazed by so great a love we accept God’s Son and the Father accepts us as His own dear children, making us joint heirs with Jesus. Then afterward we live everyday in the awareness of His blessings throughout the days of our life, until our final and finest day comes when we enter into His presence forever.