When
it pleased God…to reveal His Son in me… — Galatians 1:15-16
Sin entered in through the first Adam. Redemption entered in through the second
Adam, Jesus Christ. — 1 Corinthians
15:45 The need for and the reality of
redemption through Jesus is pretty simple to understand. So why is it so hard to live in that
redemption? The truth is that it is not, so long as you are willing to lay your
life down and live by the faith and the power of the Spirit.
You — cannot live your new life in Christ through
determination and effort. You can only
live that new life through submission and sacrifice.
We, first, must stop trying to “be good” and, then, allow
Him who IS good to live through us. The
word Father means Source. God is the
source of all that is good. When Jesus was
referred to as “good teacher”, Jesus replied, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” —
Mark 10:18
It is by His grace that we are saved through our
faith. — Ephesians 2:8-9 Do not be content with a mediocre Christian
existence. Merely attending church will
not make you a better Christian. You can
sit in a pew with a hard heart just as easily as you can sit on your sofa at
home. Another conference is not the
answer.
Yielding your heart to God is the answer. Picking up your cross daily and following
Jesus is the answer. Offering yourself
as a living sacrifice is the answer.
Living by faith. Walking by the
power of the Spirit. Not leaning on your
own understanding but trusting God is the answer.
Do you need other Christians to help you to encourage
you, most certainly. A cord of three
strands is not quickly broken! But you
can hang out with Billy Graham with your hard heart to no avail. And this culture, this fallen world will
certainly harden your heart toward the things of God. Don’t kid yourself. Don’t pretend. We all struggle with the same issues.
Friend, we all need more Jesus. He is the way, truth, and life. — John 14:6
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