All in Christian

We live in a sin-filled world, and in such a place as this God sent His precious Son Jesus to redeem us; to save the lost souls that we are. Into the very dwelling place of sin, evil, corruption, and death, He sent His child, a baby, His gift of life. His love was manifest in grace for you and me, and His perfect Son was made imperfect on the cross, being given over to sinners, taking on our sin, and sacrificing Himself, so that we might have life everlasting through Him. So, how are we receiving God’s love, His grace, and such a gift as this... His Son?

When Satan comes against us in the world he looks for the chinks in our armor, but our defenses are complete in the perfect protection of God. Our fear of the dark one comes because we don’t understand the war being waged. We think that victory or defeat depends on the earthly wounds we sustain in mortal battles, and we assign might to others by what occurs in the here and now. Yet, though our bodies, loves, and possessions might suffer, and though we be pierced while upon our crosses, these wounds are of little consequence because the war is not over our physical selves, but for the disposition of our souls.

We are not meant to be frightened by death, nor to dread its coming. We know that what awaits us when we arrive in our heavenly home will far exceed anything we can imagine, and that our peace and joy there will be unquenchable. So knowing this, do we take heart in the thought that it is ours to die? Do we long to be forever in the presence of God and sitting with Jesus? Does this thought drive us on towards the perfection of our faith, and a love of God that allows us to serve Him fearlessly in this our mortal life?

Do we believe ourselves to be self-made men and women? Do we look around and see all of the affluence that surrounds us, and stare in the mirror; smiling at our own reflection? When we find that we want for nothing, and have become smug in what we have done, it is in our self-righteousness that we are truly lost. What the world has to offer is fleeting, and satisfies us for a day, and yet we can become addicted to its allure, and lose sight of God, Jesus Christ, and the satisfaction they give that is eternal.

We are meant to glorify God, but so often we don’t see ourselves as being very successful at it. However, that should remain our great desire, and ambition. Do we try to compensate for our feeling of failure by doing physical things in the world to make us appear glorious? If we strive to please God by boasting glory before others then we have lost sight of what He wants of us. Our actions aren’t meant to be for our own glory... but His alone. If we yield ourselves completely to His will, and do everything in our lives for His glory, then truly we have come to know God.

In this time of great world turmoil, and chaos, when the ungodly run rampant and hijack the good intentions of righteous men, we can easily become angry with all that is happening, and our anger is justified, but we must not allow it to boil over into sinfulness. Lions frighten and panic the herd before selecting their quarry, so it is with us and sin as Satan hunts in the world. Anger can cause us to lose our sense of righteousness, and in that moment when our good judgement falters, the lion with teeth of steely sin pounces. Beware of the raging lion that hunts in the midst of such a world as this.

Do you ever find yourself worrying about being inadequate in the eyes of God? Do you recall all of your human shortcomings, and think “How can God, the creator of the universe, possibly tolerate me; much less love me?” Then, In your despair, He takes your hand, fills you with His Spirit, and you find yourself amazed to realize that despite all your faults He does love you... so deeply that He sent His Son, and His Spirit to redeem, and transform you? This is more than mercy, it is more than grace, it is a love that conquers all things, forgets all your faults, and forgives the bitterness of every sin. 

We get up in the morning, say a quick prayer, wash ourselves, and then prepare to dress, but now the decisions of the day begin... we must decide what we should wear. We can easily decide which shirt to put on, or between blue jeans or slacks, but the one choice that determines how our day will really go is this... will we put on the armor of God? Will we wear just the breastplate, or the full suit of armor today? Perhaps at this point in our daily routine we fool ourselves completely, and wear nothing at all.

How are we in our faith today? Are we having a good day, or a bad day? Did we open our eyes this morning with a prayer of thanksgiving on our lips, or were our first thoughts about something in our earthly lives that we were worried about? As Christians we often end our day by turning over our concerns to God in bedtime prayer, then sleep soundly through the night, only to open our eyes in the morning to take those things back again... We lean on the promises of God at one moment, and not in the next, yet God’s promises are not meant to be whimsical, but everlasting. 

What do good fathers give their children of themselves that lasts for a lifetime, and what does our Heavenly Father give us that is more valuable than His love, and grace, which lasts an eternity? Discipline is a way of training someone, or one’s self, to adhere to certain rules, or manner of behavior. It also includes punishment as a form of correction. Fathers owe their children more than just food and a place to sleep, they must teach them how to live well in their life, and world... how to be honorable, and who God is.

Are you in the middle of a situation that perplexes you? Are you overwhelmed by adversity and don’t know what to do next? Sometimes we find life to be more than we can handle, or circumstances to be new to us, and in such times we are uncertain what our next step should be. In times like these we should seek the presence of God, and the intercession of Jesus; then obey As they instruct us. The apostle Paul found himself in just such a confusing circumstance as he travelled to Damascus.

Are we living a Christlike life? Do we want to be pleasing to God, or even more than that, do we want to be like God... perfect? To some this might sound like heresy, but we should always want to do as He does, and be as He is, because isn’t that what Jesus is, and doesn’t He tell us that He abides in us, and we in Him? So if Jesus is the exact imprint of God’s nature, and being like Him is our great desire, then being like God should be our greatest desire. Knowing Jesus we then know God.

There is a difference between faith, and imagination. Both dwell in our minds, but faith springs from trusting the Word of God, and the gospel of Jesus Christ, whereas imagination is founded on fantasy, and the concoctions of our own mind. Some who say “I am a Christian“ are guilty of folding the two into one way of worshiping as they seek what is easy or pleasing to them in God’s will, while imagining the hardships and suffering to be useless, and not of the Lord.