Last time, I spoke about beginning a relationship with the Lord Jesus. It’s my fervent desire that what I wrote had an impact on you. I’m hopeful that my words inspired you to give your life to Christ (or perhaps you’ve already started your relationship with the Lord, but maybe you realized that you’ve drifted away, and you need to return to Him). I can imagine, instead of a blog, sitting down with you over coffee, swapping stories of what God has done in our lives. If that were the case, at some point, I would share some thoughts on the Christian life that I’ve picked up on over the years.
I would begin with how, many years ago now, I heard a pastor
named Rick Ferguson (who passed away back in 2002) make a statement that is so
important to know. He said, “When you
became a Christian you inherited a new set of enemies.” He was right.
The older I get, the more I see firsthand how the Christian life is a
vigorous fight waged against the world, the flesh, and the devil. Got questions.org has a helpful article on
this topic. I would encourage you to
check out the whole article, the link can be found here. But to give you a sample:
“Being is a Christian is difficult because, once we are
saved, we are suddenly swimming upstream, against the current of the world
around us. Though our appetites change, our sanctification can be a difficult
process. Friends no longer understand us; our families question our new
involvements and associations. Those we love often feel rejected, angry, and
defensive. They don’t see why we no longer continue in our old ways.”
The Christian life is not a life that is free of pain,
heartache, and suffering. For one thing,
as my mother pointed out not long ago, suffering is universal for both the
Christian and the non-Christian alike.
After all, the Bible says, “It rains on the just and the unjust.” But also, in John 15, as Jesus is trying to
get in His final words to His disciples, hours before His crucifixion, He told
them to expect opposition, hatred, and persecution, just as a result of their
affiliation with Him (verses 18-25). In
John 16:33, He promised them, “In this world, you will have trouble. But take
heart! I have overcome the world.”
Now, there’s an ironic twist. In God’s economy, even though what has been
stated to this point is absolutely true, what is also equally true is this:
living life with the Lord is the greatest, most joyous life imaginable –
troubles notwithstanding. Just today, as
I was preparing this blog, I heard a sermon where the pastor quoted Psalm 16:11
(“You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence are pleasures
forevermore”), and he commented that the believer has pleasure in God’s
presence, and we don’t even have to wake up the next day with a hangover!
That previously cited got questions.org article went on to
state these fortifying words: “Yes, being a Christian is difficult in many
ways. But that’s only half the story. The difficulties believers face are not
tackled alone. Every challenge is met
through the through power of Christ who lives within us (Philippians 4:13). The
faithful follower of Christ is never completely overwhelmed (2 Corinthians
4:8-9).
There are definite, eternal rewards for following Christ
(Luke 18:29-30). We learn by experience that God’s ways are better, safer, and
more reliable than the world’s ways. Our trusting obedience to God becomes the
pathway to a transformed and abundant life (John 10:10).” An “amen” belongs
here!
God bless,
Kevin
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