Taking a Stand
(I) Section I
(II) Section II
(III) Section III
(IV) Section IV
(V) Section V
Section I
Have Christians Forgotten How to Take a Stand?
In the midst of all the religious confusion, can today’s Christian reduce the Bible to its’ original first principle? Is God the author of confusion? Of course not! With their long winded sermons, books, and explanations, some scholars, pastors, and teachers, etc. have, over the years, created this confusion. Can a man with a longing for the truth, ever get back to God’s word, and the narrow path which leads to salvation?
The answer lies in prayer, the supplication of the Holy Spirit, the intense study of Scripture, mixed with a pit bull mentality of continual learning and the desire to know all there is to know about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Section II
Easy Christianity can not help or hold anybody. Christianity is not easy, and not every person can understand the Bible when they read it. A hard heart will prevent one from understanding the word of God. The Bible is not a single book, but a library. The only teacher is the Holy Spirit.
The challenge of the Bible rings out loud and clear. As people grow older, they may lose their health, their business, experience a bad marriage, have problem children, and even lose their desire to live. Having touched the bottom of what life has to offer, there is stirred up in their spirit, even for a moment, the desire to experience God and His word.
Section III
Has the Christian message failed for you? have you ever given Christ a chance? Has your Christianity been a casual drive to church on Sunday? Are you only given a blurred or obscured vision of God’s message? If so, whose fault is it? Who are you going to blame for your lack of effort?
Does the church you attend, conduct its service and act in a manner that is pagan? Is it without principle, having little regard for that which is right and having little concern for speaking and teaching the truth of God’s word?
Is everything expedient, that is, are the seminarians, pastors, and teachers always proposing and promoting their ideas, and not God’s.
Today’s Christians do only as much as their fellow Christians, giving only as much as they get, and out of what abundance they have, they keep for themselves. These are Sunday morning Christians.
Those who do not keep their word, lie to others in order to gain an advantage, or to cover up something, covet, are rude, unreliable, compromising, and from Monday through Saturday, are ashamed of God, His word, and His promises. These are ugly Christians, unreliable, vexing the Holy Spirit, always trying God’s goodness.
Section IV
Jesus said, in Mark 8:38, “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
As a person grows in their Christian faith, God’s word will begin to grind away at their old nature, they sometimes having to suffer a slow and painful spiritual growth.
As they slowly let go of who and what they think they are, having to humble themselves before God, learning to rely fully on Him, glorifying Him, thanking Him for their life, and liberty, then, and only then, can they come to an honest repentance for their sins. Only then will they begin to fully understand what their purpose is in Him, and for the body, which is the true Church.
Section V
Do you love God? If you answered “yes,” how much time do you spend with Him? Compare the time you spend with God to the time you spend, watching T.V., exercising, talking on the phone, reading the newspaper, magazines, books, taking care of your pets, watching the kids play football, baseball, soccer, fishing, etc. So where does God come in on your long list of things to do?
1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Ye = (Christians) are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Are you surprised that God said, “Ye are bought”?
Because Christians have been purchased with the blood of Christ, we are bound to Him and to Him alone are we accountable. Jesus as our High Priest, our mediator, our Father, will bring us to His Father’s throne, and into eternal glory with Himself.
Acts 20:28, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”
Again, if you are a Christian, you do not belong to yourself, to any man, or religious organization. Therefore, in your body and in your spirit, you are to again take on the image and likeness of Jesus, and walk in the light of God’s glory. If you can do this, I’ll see you in eternity with our Lord Jesus; A-men.
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com