Many people today live for the approval of peers, or for a experiencial-feeling.
Many allow a spouse, or celebrity, man-made philosophy, or a legalistic worldly religion with some traditions, regulations, and mortal religious leader, or a thing like a fast car, or a girlfriend, or a dude, or a BFF to take the first place in their hearts and are let down by that flawed person or thing. They discover that the idol in place of Christ can't save or bring em true fulfillment inside.
No human teacher can take the place of Christ; no book can take the place of the Bible. Men can give us information, but only the Spirit can give us illumination and help us understand spiritual truths.
Too many believers have an intellectual religion that satisfies the mind but never changes the life. They can discuss the Bible and even argue about it; but when it comes to living it, they fail.
The Apostle Paul warns his friends the Colossians in chapter two of his book...
Allow no one to deceive you (v.4).
Allow no one to cheat you (v.8).
Allow no one to judge you (v.16).
Allow no one to defraud you (v.18).
“The greatest philosophy ever produced does not come within a thousand leagues of the fathomless profundity of our Lord’s statements, i.e., ‘Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.’” ~ Oswald Chambers
Some churches totally embrace the culture of this world. They are now worldly.
Some fully accept it, (some baptist churches in this city along with other some ones here.. perform gay marriages now. Biblically that would be wrong. Duh.).
Some churches only condemn the the people of this culture. Did Jesus going around doing that? The Bible says, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:17
Healthy churches, including healthy mature Christians.. just shine out with joy for the glory of God. They are balanced and live the life with God's grace, with His love and with the kind of respect that is called for. Instead of condemning, they simply confront this culture. They do so for those clinging to it ..or for those clinging to some other flawed substitute.
Let that sink in a minute. This culture says that you can gain God's favor, His right-standing, and His blessings by clinging to religion, or by doing good works, or by refraining from some bad works. Hey, I like moral people, party people, and religious people, but sometimes the culture says it's all gained from God by being moral.
Salvation is God's work in God's way. And His way is the way of faith. Without faith in Christ alone it is impossible to please God. Whatever is not of faith is sin.
I say walk in faith, in the Word, in His Spirit with good works that God before ordained for you. Live red-hot, instead of all distracted and lukewarm, or ice cold spiritually. See Ephesians 8-9.
Christianty is counter culture.
John 15:19 — “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."
1 John 2:15 — "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
1 John 3:1 — "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him."
Salvation isn't really spelled "do!" per se.. or "don't!" Nope, it's spelled "done!" On the Cross Jesus said "It is finished" and He really meant it.
There in my place (cuz I've sinned gobs..) He paid it all. Sure, the cross was a divine assignment from the Father, not a human accident; it was a God-given obligation for the Son of God, not a human option.
What's important what you or I think, or what God says? The later is.
My opinions are only as good as the next guy's -- probably worth about a nickle or dime. The word is more important.
The will of God comes from the heart of God that we see in the word of God (Ps. 33:11), and He delights to make it known to His children when He knows they are humble and willing to obey. We don’t seek God’s will like customers who look at options but like servants who listen for orders.
1 John 4:9 — In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
1 John 4:17 — Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
The Bible says, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving." Colossians 2:6-7
Have you yet.. by faith? You can turn trust and receive Christ inside you right now. Does the sinner respond to God’s grace against his own will? Nope, he or she responds because God’s grace makes them..when they are open to this.. willing to respond to God.
What God wills for us is really best for us.. and firstly that will is full forgiveness and fellowship with the Father for us. Why? It's because God knows far more about us than we do and is there wanting to meet our needs.
It’s very important, this salvation. Where does it start? It starts with Jesus. He initiates and we respond to Him. We are not saved by merely by professing His promises or by making promises to God the Father, but by simply believing the promises of God. That's when He regenerates each of us.
Here are ten more ideas from Warren Wiersbe to go along with this...
1. “The Christian life is not a playground where you play around and get taken off course; it is a battleground, and we must be on our guard at all times.”—from The Bumps Are What You Climb On
2. “This modern emphasis only on personal salvation makes us lose sight of the grandeur and glory of God’s church. I am not minimizing our personal experience with Christ, but I am affirming that it is not the primary goal that God has in mind. He is building His church. He is building up the Body of Christ. The glory and greatness of our personal salvation is but a reflection of what God is doing corporately in and through His church.”—from Prayer: Basic Training
3. “You don’t have to read very far in your Bible to discover that God forgives His servants and restores them to ministry.”—from Be Amazed
4. “The immediate purpose of prayer is the accomplishing of God’s will on earth; the ultimate purpose of prayer is the eternal glory of God.”—from On Earth as It Is in Heaven: How the Lord’s Prayer Teaches Us to Pray More Effectively
5. “For the most part, the people we serve in our congregations don’t look like Josephs, Esthers, or Davids, nor do we; but the same God who glorified himself in the lives of ‘ordinary people’ in ancient days will glorify himself in our lives today if we will trust him.”—from 10 Power Principles for Christian Service
6. “God’s people don’t live on explanations; they live on promises.”—from Be Heroic
7. “We may be statistics and numbers as far as the world’s computers are concerned, but we are precious individuals as far as our Shepherd is concerned. He knows his sheep personally.”—from Be What You Are
8. “Satan wants us to think that our ‘disobedience detours’ must become the permanent road for the rest of our lives, but this is a lie.”—from Be Obedient
9. “The most important meeting we as leaders attend is that daily personal meeting with the Lord, before the day begins, when worship and meditation increase our faith as we receive the orders for the day.”—from On Being a Leader for God
10. “If you serve only to earn a salary, you will never do your best as long as you think you’re underpaid. If you minister to get recognition, you will start doing less when people don’t show their appreciation. The only motivation that will take you through the storms and keep you on the job is, ‘I’m serving Jesus Christ.’ “—from On Being a Servant of God
If you devote your life only to the pursuit of happiness, you will be miserable; however, if you devote your life to doing God’s will, you will find happiness as well. Praise Him because He is the God of all comfort! The words comfort or consolation (same root word in the Greek) are repeated ten times in 2 Corinthians 1:1–11. We must not think of comfort in terms of “sympathy,” because sympathy can weaken us instead of strengthen us. God does not pat us on the head and give us a piece of candy or a toy to distract our attention from our troubles. No, He puts strength into our hearts so we can face our trials and triumph over them. Our English word comfort comes from two Latin words meaning “with strength.” The Greek word means “to come alongside and help.” It is the same word used for the Holy Spirit (“the Comforter”) in John 14—16.
