Friday, October 7, 2016

I Did It My Way May Be A Good Song Title, But It's A Bad Way To Live

My Utmost For His Highest
 
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. —2 Corinthians 5:21
 
“Sin is a fundamental relationship— it is not wrong doing, but wrong being— it is deliberate and determined independence from God. The Christian faith bases everything on the extreme, self-confident nature of sin. Other faiths deal with sins— the Bible alone deals with sin. The first thing Jesus Christ confronted in people was the heredity of sin, and it is because we have ignored this in our presentation of the gospel that the message of the gospel has lost its sting and its explosive power.[…] Jesus Christ reconciled the human race, putting it back to where God designed it to be. […] A man cannot redeem himself— redemption is the work of God, and is absolutely finished and complete. And its application to individual people is a matter of their own individual action or response to it.”  CHAMBERS
 
I am teaching a Sunday School class. I call it “applied Christianity”.  A friend said he was going to refer someone to my class who needed to a beginning Christianity class.  Unfortunately, in my observation, almost all of the Christians I know need to be reminded of the fundamentals of the faith.  But more, they need to apply them to daily living.  It does us no good to store up knowledge, week after week, if all we do is store up knowledge.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 starts by telling us what the Word does and ends by telling us why “so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  And that can only happen if we live a surrendered life.  Surrendered to God, not living in a state of self-trust.  On the back of our currency are the words, “In God We Trust”.  Now you know that is no longer true for our country.  Most of our country lives in defiance of God and for their own pleasure.  Even Christians.  We need to apply our faith to our lives, every day, every moment.  (James 1:22) “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”  God did not intend for you to live independently from Him.  Jesus defeated sin so you could walk and live rightly with God as your source, the Spirit as your guide and the Word as the lamp to your feet.  If only you will stop trying to do it your own way and listen to God. ELGIN
 
On a separate note, my heart is heavy for the people of Haiti.  Our friends in Anes du Clerc and the surrounding mountain villages are struggling with aftermath of Hurricane Matthew.  If you would like to help in some way, please email me at charley@pathfindermission.org and I can share some ideas about how you can help.  Bondye Beni Nou (God Bless You All)

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