WHAT WILL YOU ALLOW TO CONTINUE?

I read a saying that speaks truth - "What you allow is what will continue." Of course "what you allow" can be changed, but even after it is changed, that new thing is what will continue - so choose "what you allow" wisely.

Revelation 22:11 says,

• "Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”

The context of this verse is the soon coming of Christ the King. To me this verse says - just as the tares/weeds (evil) of this world grow next to the wheat (good/believers) in the world, they both must be allowed or "let" to continue in their ways until Christ Jesus returns. The good news is that the restraining ministry of the Holy Spirit that lives within the believer of Christ has held back and will continue to hold back the full force of evil until the appointed time.

• "For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way." (2 Thessalonians 2:7)

So, until that time when The Spirit and body of believers is taken out of the way (Rapture) - what do Christians do? How should believers of Christ behave? What should they allow and continue? Consider another well-known saying - "Garbage in, garbage out."

When addressing the believers in Rome, Paul advises if you want kindness to continue toward you, kindness must continue from you. Sound like a Golden Rule you have heard? 

• "Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness." (Romans 11:22)

Plus, if Christ Jesus were truly our Lord, Savior and King, then our lives would reflect the diligent effort to have Him as so.

• "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,..." (Colossians 2:6)

However, even if you recognize the reconciliation of your soul to God, provided by the death of Christ's physical body - your faith must continue to the end to legitimize your salvation decision.

• "But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel." (Colossians 1:22-23)

If you are under good teaching or have been under good teaching - remember the good reputation of your teachers as you "continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of".

• "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,..." (2 Timothy 3:14)

If you are allowing for faith building, food consumption and fellowship time then Acts 2:46, the New Testament church, encourages continuation.

• "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,..."

The members of this New Testament church continued with great power so they must have allowed more of God's great power to be received for use. Acts 4:33 states - 

• "With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all..."

For the good and decent people in this world, the idea - "What you allow is what will continue." - can be a personal check and balance system for the better. For all Christians this same idea could influence the entire globe for Christ! It starts with the individual and his/her relationship with Jesus Christ. If your Allowance and Continuation System is God-based then you will know it and others will know it by the testimony of others. The Greatest Compliment, This Side Of Heaven is something John said to a group of fellow believers - 

• "It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it." (3 John 1:3)

I hope and pray we can continue to say this about each other in The Faith too, testifying to what we allow in our own lives - Christ's leadership.