Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- April 10, 2011
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Romans 7:15
Everyone battles bad behavior. Becoming a Christian does not obliterate bad behavior. Becoming a Christian gives you the Spirit of Christ in which to choose good behavior. However, the battle still rages. We know the eternal war is won with our salvation in Christ, but the temporal battle with sin does not cease at salvation. You are naïve to think otherwise. It is spiritual warfare that requires spiritual weapons.
Fighting behavioral battles in your own strength leads to defeat. Do not be cocky with your Christianity. It is not a safety net for bad choices. Rather, it is the power of God for wise decision-making. Still the battle over bad behavior is a daily engagement. You know you need to be patient, but you lose your temper instead.
You know you need not covet another woman, but your lust lingers. You know you are to exercise forgiveness, but you harbor resentment. You practice peace “faking” when you should be humbly confronting. You lie when you know you should be honest and trust God with the outcome. Your pride and ego self-promotes, while you know in your heart you should give God and others the credit and the glory.
These conflicting behaviors do not go away. You find yourself feeling defeated, because you once again gave in to behaving badly. How can this cycle cease? How can we prepare for this sly suicide bomber of bad behavior? This self-inflicted terrorism can drive you crazy. It can even lead you to give up on God. “After all,” you say, “this is the guilt I gave up at salvation.” The battle over behavior is wearisome, but do not give in or give up.
God cares. God understands. He is there with you moment by moment. In spite of behaving badly, you are not any less a Christian. And He does not love you any less. He feels for you in your conflicting emotions and actions. Most of the time He will not erase the negative consequences of your sin, but He will certainly stay with you during this disruptive time. God does not flee from your failures. He is there to help you pick up the pieces. He is there to help you learn from your mistakes. He equips and empowers you to win this particular behavioral battle in the future.
Do not be overwhelmed by the onslaught of the enemy on multiple fronts of your life. Fight each battle one at a time and watch God win. Seek out a mentor to coach you into wise living. Learn how to depend on the Spirit of God living through you. His grace is sufficient. He who lives in you is greater than he who lives in the world. No behavior, no matter how bad, can separate you from the love of your heavenly Father.
There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. Start by being honest about the ugliness of sin that still seeks to influence your attitude and behavior. Become more self-aware of blind spots that cripple your relational effectiveness with others. Learn how to live by faith and not by sight. Seek reconciliation with another you may have offended or who may have offended you.
Avoid magazines and web sites that flame your lust. These are everyone’s battles, and these are battles that can be won. Fight with the weapons of God’s wisdom and truth, and not man’s ingenuity. Let Him fight on your behalf. Be accountable to God and man. Move beyond the guilt of failure to the non-condemnation in Christ. In Christ is everything we need to fight everyone’s battle!
Taken from Dose 50 in the 90-day devotional book “Infusion”. Download the Kindle version here: http://amzn.to/dRobnw
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I print out the Wisdom Hunter,but the last part of each sentence does not print.
Perhaps my favorite quote from this entire article is “Do not be cocky with your Christianity. It is not a safety net for bad choices. Rather, it is the power of God for wise decision-making.” There are several good thoughts in it, please do not misunderstand; however, I wish more Christians would take that quote to heart.
Many, many religions are every bit as valid as Christianity and much older in most cases. However, when anyone believing in any of them dares mention them, they are poopooed or looked down upon or told, in a condescending tone, why it would be much better for them if they “saw the light” and became Christians. Usually, they say that it’s impossible to get to heaven or see God if we don’t believe in Jesus. Is that really how Jesus would want his followers to act? I don’t think so …
My grandfather was a Baptist minister. I was raised in the church and have seen pretty much every side of it. Perhaps that’s why I’ve about had it with the only religion you ever hear anything about unless you’re listening to the news: most of what I’m hearing is talking talk, not walking the walk, and that’s just sad.
Christ is not the be-all, end-all; heaven would be a pretty empty place. GOD is the Almighty and lets people of all faiths “in”.
To Sylvia, It is sad that your experience with Christians are not favorable (walk the walk, talk the talk) You know the word say, in the end, MANY will say Lord Lord, “have I not done this, Or have I not done that” And the Lord will say, get away from me, I do not know you. You are a worker of sin ! (Luke 13:24-28) And it also says, they will be among you (tares, false believer, or fake believers, pretending to do the walk), and they are to be left alone while they mingle with us, because inevitably, in the end, they will be cut off from the kingdom anyways. (Matthew 13:24-30) Sylvia, Being a Believer is hard. That is why I am here on this site, because I am so imperfect. And because of that, I did not walk the walk, nor talk the talk. And one day I’m gonna have to answer to God about these things. But I tell you this, many times, I’ve sobbed, and cried, and pleaded for forgiveness and mercy from the Lord. Yet, I end up doing it again, and again. Frustrated, upset, and disappointed with myself. Sometimes I succumb to denying myself to ask for forgiveness, because I feel I am making the death of Christ like it is just a game. But the word said to repent. And I also have to believe, and hope, and have faith that God is able to deliver me from it all. And also not willfully, and arrogantly walk into it, or arrogantly think that I can walk and be strong enough to walk by closely to sin, and not fall into it.
All in all. I much prefer to live with Christ the best I could, than not live with Him at all. For I have seen with my very own eyes, yes personally. The benefits of living with Him. The miracles, the blessings, and yes, the curses too.(Deuteronomy 28:15-48) So while it may be easy for each one of us to see who is walking the walk, and who is not, let us not look at others (Matthew 7:3), for they are going to have to answer for themselves. But yet, we should look at our own walk, because I tell you, as easy as it is to see someones errors, is as easy as it is for them to see ours. For no man (or woman) is without sin. None. We all have flaws. (Romans 3:23)
But the good thing is, Christ said He will send us a helper (Jonh14:16). And He has. And He has helped many, including myself. To be in better walk with Him, until the arrival of the Father. In all frankness, I rather live a life filled with battle scars, and war wounds, and have the possibilities of living the rest of my eternal life with God, than to enjoy the pleasure of the earth, and live a life to regret it eternally in the lake of fire. OUCH !!!
So to respond to your last statement. (and this is not in any way shape or form, intended to offend you) No heaven is not an empty place. In fact it is a place with many mansions. But there will be many who thinks they are going there, but really He will say, Sorry I do not know you. For the only way through heaven is through Christ (John 14:6) You also said “lets people of all faith “in” ” 1 Corinthians 8:5-6 People believe many things, and they believe there are other ways to salvation. Be not wrong and see for yourself. Look up yourself the verse above. or follow this link here, on Bible Gateway.
” there are many gods and lords- ….”is one God, the Father ….and one Lord Jesus Christ. And only one way. While each on of us has a different level of faith, there should only be one Faith, and belief. : )
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20corinthians%208:5-6&version=NKJV;AMP;KJV;NIV