Day 175: A New Walk Of Life: Are We Being Genuine?
Read: 2 Corinthians 5:6 - 10
What is up with this Christianity thing, anyway? That was the question I
had for my sisters a long time ago. Our family had been raised in a
different faith (being Jewish) path by our Dad. We started out being
raised in Christianity but by the time we were 6 or 7 years old, we were
converted to Judaism. As my sisters became of age, they converted back
to Christianity but I remained Jewish in deference to my Father and a promise I had made to him never to revert back while he was yet living. Well, in 1996
he passed away and for me I could not find a sufficiently sound enough
reason that I should revert back to Christianity. I had long ago lost my
faith in God. So, what now? My walk was constant stumble.
Many people are still trying to figure out what this “Christian” thing is all about. What should we experience after we have been 'saved.'? We hear about change,
but what should change? Then once I have changed, will it get old? Will
it get boring? What about this concern I had about it being genuine?
What about it all? Another angle on this question, though it may seem
from a long way out, is that of modern spirituality. I am saying that
many people today are claiming spirituality, claiming a relationship
with God, claiming to be 'saved', but are demonstrating nothing of what
God has said is evidence of such. For me, to start a process of 'follow me', I measure things against a
standard: "are you genuine?"
They demonstrate nothing of a
genuine walk with the Lord. They may think they have changed, but all
that’s changed is their 'expected' attendance at church and their own God-talk. Their everyday practices have not been affected. They still
curse, they still lie, cheat and steal, they are still unforgiving,
loveless, and in bondage to fear. They are still bound to their flesh,
and they still practice divisiveness. They act as though their
relationship to God is as though putting on a mask of religiosity should
draw the love of an all-knowing Holy God. And this is where it gets
really tough for me. I know me and I know what I have done and sadly
continue to do. By Christ's own standard, how genuine am I being?
Am I or are we as
Christians holding ourselves up to an impossibly high standard of living
in our new walk of life? Are we our own worst enemies of God's kingdom?
Do we try too hard to claim a standard of genuine faith that rightfully
belongs to Christ and Christ alone? 'for we walk by faith, not by
sight' - faith that we are trying to do just as Jesus probably did. We
did not actually see Him doing these things, but we are trying our best
(trying too hard?) to be imitators of Christ. Why? (Read 9 - 10). His
Word declares He wants a relationship with us, pure and unadulterated.
So what is this Walk of Faith, not of sight all about if it isn’t just
“Looking like we are saved”? What is this 'walk by faith' all about?
Let Us Pray: Father God, this
world sometimes bewilders me and is far beyond my understanding. Many
hearts are bound by ego and fear. Please strengthen my faith in your
higher purpose and open my mind to the truth that everything is
unfolding according to your divine plan. Let compassion and love for my
brothers and sisters flow from me into my neighbors and may we all be
uplifted by your glory. Amen.
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Read: 2 Corinthians 5:6 - 10
What is up with this Christianity thing, anyway? That was the question I had for my sisters a long time ago. Our family had been raised in a different faith (being Jewish) path by our Dad. We started out being raised in Christianity but by the time we were 6 or 7 years old, we were converted to Judaism. As my sisters became of age, they converted back to Christianity but I remained Jewish in deference to my Father and a promise I had made to him never to revert back while he was yet living. Well, in 1996
he passed away and for me I could not find a sufficiently sound enough reason that I should revert back to Christianity. I had long ago lost my faith in God. So, what now? My walk was constant stumble.
Many people are still trying to figure out what this “Christian” thing is all about. What should we experience after we have been 'saved.'? We hear about change, but what should change? Then once I have changed, will it get old? Will it get boring? What about this concern I had about it being genuine? What about it all? Another angle on this question, though it may seem from a long way out, is that of modern spirituality. I am saying that many people today are claiming spirituality, claiming a relationship with God, claiming to be 'saved', but are demonstrating nothing of what God has said is evidence of such. For me, to start a process of 'follow me', I measure things against a standard: "are you genuine?"
They demonstrate nothing of a genuine walk with the Lord. They may think they have changed, but all that’s changed is their 'expected' attendance at church and their own God-talk. Their everyday practices have not been affected. They still curse, they still lie, cheat and steal, they are still unforgiving, loveless, and in bondage to fear. They are still bound to their flesh, and they still practice divisiveness. They act as though their relationship to God is as though putting on a mask of religiosity should draw the love of an all-knowing Holy God. And this is where it gets really tough for me. I know me and I know what I have done and sadly continue to do. By Christ's own standard, how genuine am I being?
Am I or are we as Christians holding ourselves up to an impossibly high standard of living in our new walk of life? Are we our own worst enemies of God's kingdom? Do we try too hard to claim a standard of genuine faith that rightfully belongs to Christ and Christ alone? 'for we walk by faith, not by sight' - faith that we are trying to do just as Jesus probably did. We did not actually see Him doing these things, but we are trying our best (trying too hard?) to be imitators of Christ. Why? (Read 9 - 10). His Word declares He wants a relationship with us, pure and unadulterated. So what is this Walk of Faith, not of sight all about if it isn’t just “Looking like we are saved”? What is this 'walk by faith' all about?
Let Us Pray: Father God, this world sometimes bewilders me and is far beyond my understanding. Many hearts are bound by ego and fear. Please strengthen my faith in your higher purpose and open my mind to the truth that everything is unfolding according to your divine plan. Let compassion and love for my brothers and sisters flow from me into my neighbors and may we all be uplifted by your glory. Amen.
http://www.youtube.com/
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