“The life you live brings credit or discredit to the work of Jesus and the cross. Most people think that when they achieve much or gain much that they are being blessed abundantly. That is not necessarily so. That is not how I judge your credentials. You bring credit or discredit to the work of Jesus by how much you truly look like Jesus.

"Do you love as He loves? Do you care about My plans as He did? Are you laying down your life for others as He did? In how many ways are you like Him?

"Even though you may appear to be a successful Christian to others, even though you fellowship regularly, even though you do and say the right things, you will eventually bring discredit to the cross if you are not continually submitting to the power of the cross to change your life. If you do not have My interests as your priority, if your heart is not on its way to becoming like the heart of Jesus, you have missed one of the main reasons He died. That is not good!”

I Sam. 16:7 AMP 

But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as a man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

2 Chr. 16:9 NIV

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him...”

Hosea 4:6 AMP

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge…

Matthew 26: 53-54 NIV

53) “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?

54) But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

At a very crucial time for Jesus, He cared more that the Scriptures were fulfilled than He cared for His own life. How close to that kind of heart are we? Do we even give thought to the Word of God being fulfilled in our lives?

Have we ever really understood that those in the world knowingly and unknowingly scrutinize our lives and determine in their hearts how powerful the work of the cross really is? If we don’t exhibit continual change as we grow in Christ, they walk away and attach little importance to what Jesus did for all of us.

Make my life a credit to You, Lord,

Jim Corbett