[Ed.] Alternate title: Choose You This Day: Life or Death
1 Kings 18:20-21
“So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.”
Moses, in Deuteronomy, at the end of his life, gave a final sermon to Israel-people. Here it says, “I call heaven and earth as a witness today against you that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing;” therefore choose – what? “Life.”
When you choose life, then you live; and your life will be the result of the love of God and then because of the love of Jesus in your heart you can obey His voice and then you will have Him to be your life. This is exactly the basis of our relationship with God.
We are not doing, we are not obeying without our new life in Christ, without our new love in Christ; obeying is simply the result of my life with God, my love with God, in response to His love toward me. And so the obeying is the result of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
“There is no limit to the usefulness of the one who, putting self aside, makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon his heart, and lives a life wholly consecrated to God.” Ellen White, in Testimonies for the Church Volume 8, page 19.