The Truth About Christians

 

There are people who claim to be Christians, but they live for their own benefit and advancement. They have little time for God’s Kingdom, because they are too absorbed in amassing worldly benefits for their earthly life. They take pride in their good behavior, but have no problem committing sins of the flesh. Their behavior gives the church and Christianity a bad name, and they cause people in the world to criticize the church and falsely label all of us as hypocrites.

Then, there are those who come to Christ in truth, but they rely on their self-effort to work for God. Self-effort relentlessly drives them and leaves them spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally depleted. Self-effort has no place in the Kingdom of God. A true child of God eventually learns that we have no confidence in our flesh. We trust only in Christ within us for our righteousness, peace and joy (Romans 8:14). He is all we need.

We are saved from hell to enter heaven by the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). We are no longer our own; we are purchased by God for His own purposes (Ephesians 2:10). We struggle with our flesh (Romans 7-8), but we all come to realize that God calls us to take up our cross daily and to follow Him. We are not signing up for a life of trials, but of simply nailing our will to the cross and surrendering to the life of Christ within us (Matthew 16:24).

Our identity is no longer found in our human capabilities, but in our kinship with Jesus as our brother, and with God as our Father (1 John 3:1-3). The blood of Christ completely cleanses us from all unrighteous thoughts, words and behavior (Hebrews 8:12, 9:14). We can approach the throne of God with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). We have fellowship with our Father as children of the Most High God, and Jesus Christ, whom He sent (1 John 1:3). He is our shepherd, and we follow Him with trust in His faithfulness (John 10:27).

God does not strip us of anything, but we simply relinquish our flesh to Him. He restores us to the spiritual position where Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Paradise. We turn away from all self-confidence, self-serving and self-adulation and follow the leading of God’s Spirit instead (John 6:63). We experience true peace and joy for the first time in our life (Romans 15:13). Each moment of every day, we purpose in our heart to live in obedience to, as well as dependence on God’s Spirit.

Prayer:

Father God, our entire purpose for living is to glorify You as our Father and to function as a good and faithful servant through Christ in us. We live in the center of Your perfect will for us (Romans 12:2), functioning by the leading of Your Spirit within us. We are dead, and our life is now hidden with Christ in You, because Christ is our whole life (Colossians 3:3-4). Totally immerse us in Your life, because it is greater than secular status, financial fortunes and material possessions. We desire nothing more than Your will for our life.

Thought for the Day:

The Spirit in us is a mirror, which causes those who live in sin to reject us, because they are convicted by the presence of Christ in us. – James 1:23

What to do with Unbelief

Human beings have a hard time believing something by faith. If we can’t prove it with our senses, then we do not believe it at all. Unbelief is a problem that stems from the beginning of time. Moses feared the people would not believe him when he told them God sent him to deliver them. It took ten plagues to finally convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go (Exodus 4:1-9). God actually had to speak from a thick cloud before the people would believe Moses (Exodus 19:9).

Even after that, the Israelites continually rebelled against God and Moses. They actually provoked God by their unbelief in spite of the myriad of signs God provided for them (Numbers 14:11). All through the historical Biblical books, as well as throughout the ages of time, the story remains the same. People will not believe the Lord, His leaders or His prophets  (Deuteronomy 1:31, 2 Kings 17:14; 2 Chronicles 20:20; Matthew 21:32). In some cases they even disdained the men of God (Luke 24:25).

Human beings tend to believe deceivers and liars before they will give up their stubborn pride and trust in God (Jeremiah 12:6; Habakkuk 1:5; Matthew 24:23). Even though Jesus gave the people a multitude of signs and wonders, they wanted more (Matthew 27:42; Mark 15:32; Luke 22:67). Half of Jesus’ nature was God, and they still did not believe His words of Truth. Jesus even laid down His own life for us all, but people everywhere still refuse to believe (John 3:12, 10:18; Luke 16:31).

Even if we do believe the Truth of God’s Word, then the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of sin, the works of the flesh and Satan’s hordes all try to steal the Word of faith right out of our hearts (Luke 8:12-13). No man-made religion can offer the total salvation and unconditional love that Jesus can. His is the only belief system that provides eternal life and comes to us as a free gift, requiring no self-effort at all (Isaiah 43:10; Ephesians 2:8-10). There is no God like our Lord (1 Kings 8:23; 1 Samuel 2:2; 2 Samuel 7: 22 ; 1 Chronicles 17: 20; 2 Chronicles 6:14; Jeremiah 10:6; Isaiah 45:5).

Even nature proves God exists with every sunrise, sunset and everything in between (Romans 1:20); yet people refuse to credit God for these daily miracles. In His lifetime, Jesus did encounter a few people who believed in Him (Matthew 9:28). Many more believed His disciples and came to healing faith in Christ (Mark 1:15). If we honestly seek Him, Jesus enables anyone with doubts in their heart to believe His truth.

If we determine to believe, Jesus will help our unbelief (Mark 9:24; Mark 11:23-24). All God asks us to do is to sincerely confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, and to totally trust in our heart that God raised Him from the dead. This leads us to salvation in body, soul and spirit (Romans 10:9). Signs follow believers. In Jesus’ name, we will cast out devils; heal the sick; raise the dead and speak with new tongues (Mark 16:17). If we trust in and believe in Christ, He makes our broken life whole. Christ in us will then influence for righteousness all the true seekers of God who come into our life (Luke 8:50; John 1:7).

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, the unbelief of sinners does not make belief in You ineffective. Their pride and arrogance does not nullify the truth of Your existence and Your sacrifice on Calvary’s cross (Romans 3:3). We can be of good cheer, knowing that what You say will come to pass (Acts 27:25). Remind us to preach Your Word in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). No one can call on You, if they do not believe; and no one can believe, if they do not have the opportunity to listen; and no one will hear, if we do not proclaim Your truth (Romans 10:14).

Thought for the Day:

Everything is possible for anyone who believes. – Mark 9:23