“Endurance is a key indicator of spiritual fitness.” Alistair Begg
Did
you ever have a song that you loved when it first came out but then it was so
overplayed, you changed the radio station when it came on? How about one of
those commercials that was hilarious the first time you saw it but when it was
played over and over, it drove you crazy? Maybe there was a new car style that
was so unique and different at first, but then it seemed like everyone was
buying one, so it just became “another car”?
Many things are wonderful when they’re new – new paint, new hairstyle, new recipe, new restaurant, new friend – but soon they’re no longer…new.
Marriage as God designed it is probably one of the best examples of this. When you’re first married, everything is new. It’s exciting! It’s thrilling. It’s the Honeymoon. Yet sooner or later—the newness wears off. Maybe the spark that started the relationship or the fire that was burning in the early years of marriage, begins to fizzle.
The Bible compares the Christian life to a marriage. Like a marriage, becoming a Christian is a commitment. It requires repentance, submission, and transformation. Repentance involves confessing our sins and turning from them. Submission means accepting that we can’t save ourselves and totally need Jesus as our Savior. Transformation happens as we allow God’s Spirit to change us from the inside out.
When you become a Christian, everything is new. It’s hard to describe the ecstasy of surrendering your life to Jesus, of having the guilt lifted off of your heart. You have a new purpose, plan, and desires. As Billy Graham said, “Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion – it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.”
Many things happen at the moment of salvation but two are very noticeable and significant. You have a new friend dwelling inside you – the Holy Spirit. Just as you could not save yourself, you can’t live the Christian life on your own. The Holy Spirit is your 24/7 companion, the source of spiritual power, and the One who cultivates spiritual growth in your life. His transformative power will continue throughout your lifetime as you strive towards loving Jesus more, loving others more and becoming more like Jesus. Literally, when you become a Christian, everything becomes new. It’s a life-changing decision that sets you on a path toward abundant life now and eternal life with Christ in heaven in the future.
But then you got a new enemy that you never had before. Before you were on Satan’s side, part of his doomed crew. Now you’re part of God’s forever family. As Satan hates God, he now hates you. You’re his enemy!
You became a Christian when you trusted God and His Word. One of Satan’s greatest attacks is to cause you to doubt and to stop trusting God. Sorrow, pain, loss, and injustice are part of life. Often, they take on a new intensity for a Christian as Satan heats up his assaults. He’ll whisper in your heart that “if God really loved you, He wouldn’t let you go through this.” It sometimes seems the most diabolical individuals have lives of ease. The author of Psalm 73 experienced that and began to doubt God but turned back to God in the end.
Temptation is one of Satan’s main weapons. It takes many different forms that fit with our soft spots. With some he’ll tempt with sins of the flesh like immorality, pleasure-seeking, or destructive habits. If those don’t work, he’ll tempt with sins of the heart like evil thoughts, wrong motives, anger, pride, jealousy, or bitterness. Or he’ll attack us spiritually by seeking to fill us with doubts, convincing us that God doesn’t care, filling us with fear, anxiety, or despair. One of his greatest attacks is very subtle – he just keeps us busy, so busy that we’re distracted from the real world. Temporal things become huge; the eternal becomes increasingly insignificant.
When Satan attacks you, it’s his ploy to turn you away from God. To win over him you must combat his lies with the truth of God’s Word, with prayer, and the help of other believers. The Bible says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
How do you keep your Christian life fresh? It’s the same thing that you do to keep a marriage fresh – you keep dating! Any couple having marital problems will share that a core issue is a lack of communication.
Regularly attend church services and get involved with your church family. Technology is a blessing and a curse. Watching a worship service isn’t the same as being there. It’s a substitute for real relationships.
I haven’t been with my son, Aaron, who’s in Taiwan for six years though we talk via the Internet. It’s not the same and limits our relationship.
To keep your Christian life fresh, you must physically connect with fellow believers and build meaningful relationships by participating in worship together regularly. As with a healthy family, it’s vital to both serve and be served. It’s hard for that to happen without presence. Serving helps us grow and lets others have a godly impact on us. Being part of a community of believers provides a sense of belonging. It helps hold each of us accountable in our faith. It can include checking in on each other, praying for each other, and encouraging each other in spiritual growth.
Your faith will stagnate unless you share it. The most miserable Christians are those who don’t share their faith. God saved us and enlisted each one of us to be His missionary where He’s placed us. It is easy to get focused on social activities or the church building or even more Bible study but neglect sharing the gospel.
There’s nothing more exciting for a whole family than a new baby. There’s nothing more exciting for a church family than seeing individuals come to Christ. When you meet Jesus, it’s natural to want to introduce others to Him. It’s weird to not to share what He’s done for you. Telling the good news of the gospel is as simple as sharing what you’ve personally experienced and inviting someone else to consider Him.
So, if your walk with Christ has grown cold, turn to Him and let His Spirit set you on fire again. Then, live for something that eternally matters!
Many things are wonderful when they’re new – new paint, new hairstyle, new recipe, new restaurant, new friend – but soon they’re no longer…new.
Marriage as God designed it is probably one of the best examples of this. When you’re first married, everything is new. It’s exciting! It’s thrilling. It’s the Honeymoon. Yet sooner or later—the newness wears off. Maybe the spark that started the relationship or the fire that was burning in the early years of marriage, begins to fizzle.
The Bible compares the Christian life to a marriage. Like a marriage, becoming a Christian is a commitment. It requires repentance, submission, and transformation. Repentance involves confessing our sins and turning from them. Submission means accepting that we can’t save ourselves and totally need Jesus as our Savior. Transformation happens as we allow God’s Spirit to change us from the inside out.
When you become a Christian, everything is new. It’s hard to describe the ecstasy of surrendering your life to Jesus, of having the guilt lifted off of your heart. You have a new purpose, plan, and desires. As Billy Graham said, “Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion – it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.”
Many things happen at the moment of salvation but two are very noticeable and significant. You have a new friend dwelling inside you – the Holy Spirit. Just as you could not save yourself, you can’t live the Christian life on your own. The Holy Spirit is your 24/7 companion, the source of spiritual power, and the One who cultivates spiritual growth in your life. His transformative power will continue throughout your lifetime as you strive towards loving Jesus more, loving others more and becoming more like Jesus. Literally, when you become a Christian, everything becomes new. It’s a life-changing decision that sets you on a path toward abundant life now and eternal life with Christ in heaven in the future.
But then you got a new enemy that you never had before. Before you were on Satan’s side, part of his doomed crew. Now you’re part of God’s forever family. As Satan hates God, he now hates you. You’re his enemy!
You became a Christian when you trusted God and His Word. One of Satan’s greatest attacks is to cause you to doubt and to stop trusting God. Sorrow, pain, loss, and injustice are part of life. Often, they take on a new intensity for a Christian as Satan heats up his assaults. He’ll whisper in your heart that “if God really loved you, He wouldn’t let you go through this.” It sometimes seems the most diabolical individuals have lives of ease. The author of Psalm 73 experienced that and began to doubt God but turned back to God in the end.
Temptation is one of Satan’s main weapons. It takes many different forms that fit with our soft spots. With some he’ll tempt with sins of the flesh like immorality, pleasure-seeking, or destructive habits. If those don’t work, he’ll tempt with sins of the heart like evil thoughts, wrong motives, anger, pride, jealousy, or bitterness. Or he’ll attack us spiritually by seeking to fill us with doubts, convincing us that God doesn’t care, filling us with fear, anxiety, or despair. One of his greatest attacks is very subtle – he just keeps us busy, so busy that we’re distracted from the real world. Temporal things become huge; the eternal becomes increasingly insignificant.
When Satan attacks you, it’s his ploy to turn you away from God. To win over him you must combat his lies with the truth of God’s Word, with prayer, and the help of other believers. The Bible says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
How do you keep your Christian life fresh? It’s the same thing that you do to keep a marriage fresh – you keep dating! Any couple having marital problems will share that a core issue is a lack of communication.
Regularly attend church services and get involved with your church family. Technology is a blessing and a curse. Watching a worship service isn’t the same as being there. It’s a substitute for real relationships.
I haven’t been with my son, Aaron, who’s in Taiwan for six years though we talk via the Internet. It’s not the same and limits our relationship.
To keep your Christian life fresh, you must physically connect with fellow believers and build meaningful relationships by participating in worship together regularly. As with a healthy family, it’s vital to both serve and be served. It’s hard for that to happen without presence. Serving helps us grow and lets others have a godly impact on us. Being part of a community of believers provides a sense of belonging. It helps hold each of us accountable in our faith. It can include checking in on each other, praying for each other, and encouraging each other in spiritual growth.
Your faith will stagnate unless you share it. The most miserable Christians are those who don’t share their faith. God saved us and enlisted each one of us to be His missionary where He’s placed us. It is easy to get focused on social activities or the church building or even more Bible study but neglect sharing the gospel.
There’s nothing more exciting for a whole family than a new baby. There’s nothing more exciting for a church family than seeing individuals come to Christ. When you meet Jesus, it’s natural to want to introduce others to Him. It’s weird to not to share what He’s done for you. Telling the good news of the gospel is as simple as sharing what you’ve personally experienced and inviting someone else to consider Him.
So, if your walk with Christ has grown cold, turn to Him and let His Spirit set you on fire again. Then, live for something that eternally matters!
Can
we help you spiritually? Please check out more resources on our church's web
page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more
about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus
changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org
to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.
No comments:
Post a Comment