Three Earmarks of A Christian

# 88 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 7:5,6 “And Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you." 6 So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before the LORD. And they fasted that day, and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah. (1 Sam 7:5,6) Samuel is pictured as a type of Christ here as he carries out his priestly duties of interceding for the people. What a comfort to know that Jesus is doing the same for His brothers and sisters today. Heb 7:25 says, “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Who is Jesus interceding for? “Those who come to God through Him,” and part of the process of coming to God involves repentance and contrition. It is an admission that we have sinned against the Lord, and that we need a Savior! Then believing that the work, and the prayers of our Intercessor are heard by God. We can be assured of our acceptance because of His resurrection from the dead. Now, I also want to talk a little bit about fasting because I think the lack of it in the church today is scandalous. It's not that fasting can earn merit with God, but it is an earmark of the follower of Christ, along with praying, and giving to the poor. These three disciplines of the Christian are spelled out for us in the Sermon on the Mount in Mt 6:2,5,16. Jesus says, “WHEN you give, WHEN you pray, and WHEN you fast,” It's not if, or perhaps, or should , it is WHEN. Furthermore in Mt 9:15b Jesus says, “the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they WILL fast. How are you doing with these disciplines? Are they an earmark of your Christian life? Read this portion of Matthew again and note that even though these earmarks are not to be displayed to the world, they are to be displayed to God. They are meant for His eyes alone, and know too that according to Mt 6:4, “your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”