“PEOPLE OF GOD”

“Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture” (Psalm 100:3).

            People throughout the world lay claim that they were all created by the same Creator.  That is what the Scripture says in our text.  But, being created by the same Creator and being people of God differ as much in extremes as “hot and cold.”  It is true (as confirmed earlier) that all men have a common Creator, thus the similarities in overall human make-up and design.  But, are we all “people of God”?  You see, that is where the difference becomes obvious, i.e., in the spiritual, rather than the physical.

       It is true that people throughout the earth believe in the existence of a Supreme Being.  It has been this way for thousands of years.  But many of these “so called” gods are mere fabrications made by the hands of man.  Yet, they are worshipped by thousands and hundreds of thousands the world over.  There are others who worship the God of Heaven, the Creator, without acknowledging His completed Word, the entire Bible, and what He demands of them if they would indeed be people of God.  God’s Word is clear as to how He expects people to worship Him.  “God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth”(John 4:24).

       Does God know His people?  Look at the declaration of the Scriptures:  “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19).   Does God have requirements for His people?  “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16).  When people say they are people of God and that they are in His family, they need to understand that God sets the standards for His family’s structure and it’s based on obedience to His Word.  “WHEREFORE COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM (idolaters), AND BE YE SEPARATE, saith the Lord, AND TOUCH NOT THE UNCLEAN THING; AND I WILL RECEIVE YOU, AND WILL BE A FATHER UNTO YOU, AND YE SHALL BE MY SONS AND DAUGHTERS, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:17, 18).

         After reviewing these Scriptures, ask yourself this question, Can I really say that I am truly one of the people of God and honestly mean it?

                                                                   Pastor H. Preston Parker