Enter by the narrow gate….Because narrow is the gate
and difficult is the way which leads to life…. —Matthew 7:13-14
After I was born again, I can remember my stepdad telling me, “Your struggles are not over, they have just begun.” He was talking about the struggle between the old and new nature. Before, there was no struggle because I only had one nature – the old one.
Our new life in Christ requires that we put God first and that we pursue the disciplines of the faith to become mature in our faith. It doesn’t just happen. It requires work .. determination … consistency … accountability. You will not be successful on your own. “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” – Ecclesiastes 4:12. Dr. Howard Hendricks, a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, said every Christian needs a Paul, a Barnabus, and a Timothy in their lives. A Paul to teach us, to build to our lives, a Barnabus to encourage us and hold us accountable, and a Timothy into whose life we can build. You don’t need a seminary degree to do those things … but you do need to be spiritually disciplined.
You will face difficult times … but you can endure them … you will face temptations to yield to your flesh … but you can resist them … God has given you everything you need. You only have to put it into practice. (2 Corinthians 4:8-10) “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”
The apostle Paul put it this way (Philippians 4:8-10) “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
That doesn’t happen without determined effort, but when it does your light will shine before all men.
After I was born again, I can remember my stepdad telling me, “Your struggles are not over, they have just begun.” He was talking about the struggle between the old and new nature. Before, there was no struggle because I only had one nature – the old one.
Our new life in Christ requires that we put God first and that we pursue the disciplines of the faith to become mature in our faith. It doesn’t just happen. It requires work .. determination … consistency … accountability. You will not be successful on your own. “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” – Ecclesiastes 4:12. Dr. Howard Hendricks, a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, said every Christian needs a Paul, a Barnabus, and a Timothy in their lives. A Paul to teach us, to build to our lives, a Barnabus to encourage us and hold us accountable, and a Timothy into whose life we can build. You don’t need a seminary degree to do those things … but you do need to be spiritually disciplined.
You will face difficult times … but you can endure them … you will face temptations to yield to your flesh … but you can resist them … God has given you everything you need. You only have to put it into practice. (2 Corinthians 4:8-10) “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”
The apostle Paul put it this way (Philippians 4:8-10) “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
That doesn’t happen without determined effort, but when it does your light will shine before all men.
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