Living the Christian Life

Living the Christian life isn’t easy. Thankfully, Ephesians 4:25-32 provides a few guidelines for Christians to live by. The verses say:

Therefore each of you must put off falsehoods and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every other form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Living the life of a Christian is an ongoing process of studying, learning, putting learning into action, and constantly reflecting and evaluating your actions. It can be a very liberating process, but it can also be very daunting as well.

Getting back to the passage from Ephesians…..first, we are told to be truthful to one another, but notice the same section discusses how we are all members of one body. The reference is to the body of Christ….other Christians, not the body of mankind. I don’t think this is telling us it is ok to lie to non-Christians….not at all, but our Christian brothers and sisters deserve more honest attention from us.

Once we admit with our mouths that Jesus is Lord we are sealed. Nothing can undo the grace we receive at that moment because we are sealed…protected by the Lord. However, our lies and the other negative things we say grieves the Holy Spirit. Thereafter, we should only use our mouths to build each other up.

The part about not letting the sun go down on your anger…I heard my mother spout that bit of advice over and over as I was growing up. Part of her spill was the advice was always something her mother told her. It just makes sense, doesn’t it? It’s amazing all of God’s instructions regarding life make sense. Hmmm….I guess it’s amazing because God’s plan for us is perfect.

Getting back to that anger thing…The longer you wait to settle something with someone the harder it becomes to face the person no matter who was right OR wrong. Anger allows too many other sins to creep in and gain a foothold. One sin that comes to mind is pride.

Work…work not just to provide for your family, but to keep your hands busy. This passage from Ephesians takes the idea of work one step further to becoming Christ-like though. Work to help others….work to be able to provide for others….work to make a difference in the world.

So, let’s see….as a Christian I cannot lie, I cannot be angry with anyone for very long without dealing with the issue, I must work not just to buy stuff but in order to be able to help others, I must watch my tongue and totally turn my back on any type of malice. I must strive to be kind always and forgive others as Christ has forgiven me.

The problem? While I am a Christian, I am also human. Professing Jesus is Lord saves me for eternity, but it does not make me perfect during my stay here on Earth hence the need for the constant study, constant learning, constant putting things into action, and constant reflection and analysis....oh, and constantly praying as well.

No….it’s not easy to be a Christian, but it’s worth it. :)

Love Lessons from God

 

“Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.” –1 Thessalonians 4:9

Wherever we go, we’ll find brothers and sisters in Christ in need of love just as we are. How do we love them? Let’s look at Jesus to count some ways:

 

1. He gave up everything to give us a tangible glimpse of God. When we live for God, we do the same.
2. He healed the sick. We can pray for such while offering comfort and care.
3. He welcomed little children. We can lead them His way.
4. He forgave the adulteress, though He was without sin. We must forgive, for we were born in sin.
5. He cleansed the temple of the cancer of greed. We can prayerfully (and carefully) offer loving correction when it seems a Christian brother is stepping off of Heaven’s path.
6. He ate with tax collectors and sinners. We can befriend non-Christians, too, that they may see God’s love in us and want it for their own.
7. He died and rose again to save us from our sins. We may never be called upon to die for our faith, yet we can stand firm in obedience to God. By doing so, we encourage other Christians to stand as well. We also prove to non-believers that our faith is something real.

God, thank You for sending Your Son to show us how to love each other. As I study His Life through Your Word, help me to absorb the example and live life as He taught. Amen.

 

 

Psalm 34:8

Oh taste and see that the Lord is good.
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

I think of the difference between looking at a shiny red apple and tasting it. No matter how tasty the apple looks on the outside, the only way that I will truly experience its goodness is to take a big bite out of it!

It is when I sink my teeth into it, that I will be able to taste and see that it is really delicious. Looking at an apple will never sustain us. We could be surrounded by an entire orchard of apples and yet die of starvation if we don't eat the apples.

I believe that God is extending an invitation for us to not only behold His goodness from afar, but to come close and taste and see that He really is good. In some Christian circles, looking for an experience with God might be seen as undermining the importance of believing without seeing. I am not suggesting that we base our entire Christian walk on experience, but I would suggest that experience is part of any relationship that we have.

While faith (Hebrews 11:6) is still the foundation on which we relate to God, I believe that He wants us to experience Him in every facet of our being. I pray that today, each and every one of us will taste of God's goodness in a very tangible way that will give us a greater insight into our Lord's heart.

 

God Loves You

 

 

John 17:23

I in them, and you in me, that they may be perfected into one;
that the world may know that you sent me, and loved them, even as you loved me.

I can understand that God loves Jesus completely and without reservation because Jesus is His perfect Son. But to think that God the Father loves me exactly the same way that He loves Jesus? Wow!

The truth is that when we became born again, we were united with Christ in every way. In today's Bible verse, Jesus describes it by saying... "I am in them, and you in me." When our God and Father looks at you, He sees you through the finished work of Jesus Christ. In Galatians 2:20, the Apostle Paul said "No longer I that lives, it is Christ that lives in me". Because I am in Christ, and Christ is in me, the love that the Father has for Jesus is exactly the same love He has for me!

The truth is that there is nothing that we could do to make God love us any MORE than He does right now... And on the flip side of the same coin... There is nothing that we could ever do to make Him love us any LESS either! Don't try to understand God's love, just receive it like a little child! God is your Father and He loves you even as He loves Jesus!

 

The Bible – Just Another Book

Relax. Of course it’s not just another book.

Well actually it is… without light on it.

Not the night-light for reading. Revelation light that unlocks what you’re reading.

God is light (1 John 1:5) and His light is stored in His word (Psalm 119:130). Which is why the Bible doesn’t just call us sons of God, but SONS OF LIGHT.

Christ in you is the shine on you.

Hence Isaiah’s call to action: Arise, SHINE! For your light has come. And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you ~ Isaiah 60:1.

Lampposts don’t light up the City of God. Sons do.

Engineers don’t flick the switch. God‘s apostles do – through the power of revelatory preaching. But that’s a post for another day.

It’s all in the Book – which is like no other. Assuming your inside light is on to see it.


While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light ~ John 12:36

Stepping Stone Seasons

We don’t like the difficult seasons in life.
We don’t jump up and down for joy when everything goes wrong.

We struggle when the heavens seem silent.
We get uncomfortable when God doesn’t fulfill His promise in our timeframe.
We freak out when the job is lost, the family fights and our health dwindles.
We can’t stand staying in the dead end job longer than a day.
We hate chasing a dream, pursuing God’s call on our lives only to watch it all fall apart.
We find it unfair to do the right thing, flee from temptation, and pay the consequences of someone else’s sin.

We want every season to be a season of blessing.

We want to always feel God with us.
We desire to see our prayers answered right away.
We strive after the well-paying job, the new house and fancy car.
We pray for God’s favor to be poured out on our lives.
We want the family to be healthy, the job satisfying and the bank account overflowing.

We fully embrace the seasons of blessing.
And do all we can to avoid the seasons of hardship.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

Seasons of hardship aren’t meant to be avoided. Seasons where it feels as if God has turned his back and forgotten about us aren’t meant to be despised. The lack and frustration and heartache shouldn’t be wished over.


God works every season in our lives for our good.

Noah spent years building an ark and over a year in the ark in order to be saved from the flood.
Abraham cried out 50 years for a son, only to see his prayers fall flat.
Moses endured 40 years of obscurity in the desert before standing before Pharaoh.
Joseph was thrown in a pit, sold into slavery, accused of rape and put in jail for a crime he didn’t commit to prepare him to be second in command.
David endured the pain of his mentor trying to kill him in order to become king.
Ester was ripped from her home, spent a year being scrubbed and cleansed all to spend one night with the king.

Every season where it felt as if God turned His back is just a stepping stone in His plan for our lives.

You don’t become king without sacrifice.
You don’t save a nation from famine without betrayal.
You don’t lead people out of bondage without time in the wilderness.
You can’t stand before rulers and authorities without brokenness.

You can’t expect to accomplish great things for God without seasons of hardship.
They go hand in hand.

God allows every season in our lives for a purpose.
Our job is to embrace whatever season we are in, and use it as a stepping stone in His plan for our lives.