HOW TO GAIN GOD’S APPROVAL

                                                                    BIBLE TEXT: JOHN 2; 23-24

It is one thing to be accepted by God, it is quite another thing to be approved by God. Many are called few are choosen  and fewer still are faithful, the faithful are the overcomers spoken of in the book of revelation 17:14.

  They are the disciples of jesus who have not only been accepted by God, but who have been tested by him through many circumstances and who have been approved by him.

                                        FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO GAIN GOD'S APPROVAL

                                                                                                                                                         

• 1        SEEK THE GOOD OF OTHERS:

To gain God’s approval you must long to be free from seeking one’s own good at the expense of others [phiIp 1:2-5].

• 2      PASS GOD’S TEST:

It is in the ordinary things of life that God tests us- in our attitude towards people, money, pleasure , earthly honour and comfort etc. like gideon’s army.

When God re-arrange things in our life, we are made to face circumstances: and we mostly do not realize God is testing us to see what our reaction will be. [judges 7:1-8]

Gideon gathered 32,000 men with him to fight with the enemies of Israel and God knew that they were not all wholehearted and God did a test for them in other to get the approved ones. 

 

• 3       DON’T BE DISTRACTED BY THE WORLD:

 Jesus warned us not to be weighed down with the cares of the world if we were to gain God’s approval luke:2;34,paul  also exhorted  us in 1cor:7;29-35,we must not allow anything of this world to distract us from total devotion to the lord. We have to forsake all and be willing to endure difficulties, if we are to be disciples of jesus. [2tim: 2;3]

• 4 SET YOUR MIND ON ETERNAL THINGS:

Like a rubber band that is stretchable, our minds can attend to the things of the world that are necessary, but once those things have been attended to like the rubber band springing back and forth to its normal position when released from tension, our minds too should spring back to things of the lord and eternity,[col 3:2, 1john 2:15-16 , matt 6;33]

• 5      WE MUST BE DILIGENT:

Apostle paul exhorted us in 2tim:2;4,15 ,when we study the life of Timothy we will know that timothy has already been accepted by God .

He now needed to be diligent to gain God’s approval . Paul was among  the chosen and faithful and he longed that timothy should be in that category.

God never commits himself fully to anyone without testing that fellow which requires his gaining God’s approval.

Abraham, job ,jesus Christ, peter are good examples. [job 2:9,1:20;22,  peter 16:23, matt 4: 1-11,  prov: 22:29,  Gen 22:1-17].