Posted on November 18, 2021 by Catey Stover in Freedom Fighters
I guess we shouldn’t be surprised at how many people walk away from something they said, “they believed.” In an ‘I’ oriented culture where ‘my truth’ and ‘my way’ dominate our reasoning, the ideas of commitment, responsibility, respect, and truth have no value beyond whatever ‘I want’. Paul wrote about times like this, when he said to Timothy, “Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people.” (2 Tim 3:1-5 MSG)
The last category bothers me the most, ‘those who make a show of religion.’ The rest of the categories are quite apparent in their behavior and purposes, and you can see them coming; But those who say ‘they believe God’, only for the purpose of gaining their own desires are deceitful.
Someone who truly understands what we have in Christ, is first of all grateful, followed by a humble desire to know Christ and obey His Word, while trusting in the work of the Spirit. They also understand that:
“if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us.” (Heb 10:26-29 NLT)
Perhaps the greatest way to hold on to our faith and walk in gratitude as a believer in Christ is to remember what Jesus has done on our behalf. He left His place next to His Father in Heaven to come to our rescue. Because of His perfect, selfless act, we don’t have to fear anything. He walks with us, never leaving or forsaking us, He stands at the throne of God defending us as our advocate, and Jesus is always hedging us in, going before and behind us, fighting for our hearts and minds. If we really allow that to sink in, our hearts will be grateful.
Life is tough and we face many challenges; but, we don’t have to face any of it alone or in our own limited capacities. We have a living Saviour who has died for us, covering over all our sin. And He has risen, conquering death and sin. We can enter every day as more than conquerors, when our faith is in Jesus Christ, who forever reigns as King of kings and Lord of all. Amen
Praying 4 U
Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, grandfather, Pastor with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is the Associate Pastor of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church.
Think About This: “Prayer is the spontaneous response of the believing heart to God. Those truly transformed by Jesus Christ find themselves lost in wonder and joy of communion with Him. Prayer is as natural for the Christian as breathing.” – John MacArthur
The Daily Bible Reading: Reflection | You can download our 2021 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here.
This Week’s Verse to Memorize: I, therefore, the prisoner [a]of the Lord, [b]beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3
Consider a retreat at America’s Keswick retreat center.
