Word for Today, Wed, 07 Ju1 2004: It Is Worth It
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,
Today's message is about the difficulty and worth of the
Christian life. Some people lead you to believe that if you say
this or that, or do this or that, your life will become what
you've always dreamed of. Well, there is an eternal hope that
Christians have, that is for sure, but in this life, living by
faith for Christ requires not only belief, but acting upon what
we believe, and that means effort. This is not to be confused
with the gift of salvation, that is a gift of God, and cannot be
earned in any way. When we are saved, however, we are freed from
the bondage and guilt of our misdeeds and we are expected to live
as followers of Christ, imitating Him in every possible way. Our
salvation marks us as belonging to Christ and secures an eternal
home with Him. It does not make our present life easier, except
that we are freed from the burden of our sin.
Oswald Chambers presents all of this very clearly in his regular
messages, which can be found in several online locations and also
in Christian bookstores.
Yours in Christ,
Brian
____________________________________________________________
http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/utmost-devo/print.php?month=07&day=07
July 7
All Efforts of Worth and Excellence Are Difficult
Enter by the narrow gate... Because narrow is the gate
and difficult is the way which leads to life... Matthew
7:13-14
If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, we have to
remember that all efforts of worth and excellence are difficult.
The Christian life is gloriously difficult, but its difficulty
does not make us faint and cave in -- it stirs us up to overcome.
Do we appreciate the miraculous salvation of Jesus Christ enough
to be our utmost for His highest -- our best for His glory?
God saves people by His sovereign grace through the atonement of
Jesus, and "it is God who works in you both to will and to do for
His good pleasure" ( Philippians 2:13 ). But we have to "work
out" that salvation in our everyday, practical living
(Philippians 2:12). If we will only start on the basis of His
redemption to do what He commands, then we will find that we can
do it. If we fail, it is because we have not yet put into
practice what God has placed within us. But a crisis will reveal
whether or not we have been putting it into practice. If we will
obey the Spirit of God and practice in our physical life what God
has placed within us by His Spirit, then when a crisis does come
we will find that our own nature, as well as the grace of God,
will stand by us.
Thank God that He does give us difficult things to do! His
salvation is a joyous thing, but it is also something that
requires bravery, courage, and holiness. It tests us for all we
are worth. Jesus is "bringing many sons to glory" (Hebrews
2:10), and God will not shield us from the requirements of
sonship. God's grace produces men and women with a strong family
likeness to Jesus Christ, not pampered, spoiled weaklings. It
takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the worthy and
excellent life of a disciple of Jesus in the realities of life.
And it is always necessary for us to make an effort to live a
life of worth and excellence.
C 2003 RBC Ministries-Grand Rapids MI, 49555-0001
=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail is new and improved - Check it out!
promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail