towards
Abundant Life
If this is your first day here you may want to read here first
Day 5 - Then How?
Yesterday, I briefly shared about how being a rule keeper or a rule breaker will not lead to experiencing the abundant life. Why? Rule keepers desiring to do what's right work so hard at knowing and keeping the rules that they end up making themselves miserable while imposing their misery onto others. Rule breakers thinking that they don't need to change focus solely on the grace of God thereby grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30) and making a mockery of what it means to be a Christian. Somehow both have gotten it wrong and to the degree that they have gotten it wrong they are just as miserable.
So then if neither extremes are correct then how do we live in such a way as to experience the abundant life that is for us here and now! I know in my own faith walk I got off to a good start by trusting Christ for my salvation. I knew that I was saved by grace through faith and not works (Ephesians 2:8) and I was grateful for that grace. However, somehow I got the message that now that I am a Christian I have all these do's and don'ts I need to work on. So I went to Bible Studies and diligently studied my Bible in order to know and do them. I tried hard to produce the fruit of the Spirit in me (Galatians 5:22-23). Which is funny looking back now, after all it's His fruit not mine. Not only was I busy trying to do all that, I was also busy reading every Christian "how to" book I could get my hands on. Such as how to live the Christian life; how to parent as a Christian; how to be a godly wife; how to be organized etc... I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one here who has fallen into this trap. What I didn't realize was that while I was busy trying so hard to change, my love for Christ was growing cold. The Christian life was becoming hard work and my view of Christ was becoming one of a harsh task master. I was in danger of becoming like the pharisees who had head knowledge and looked good on the outside, but inside their hearts were hard towards God. Thankfully His Holy Spirit didn't leave me there! He used others in my life particularly my mentor at the time to bring to light my error.
Here my heart! I'm not saying any of the above is wrong! They aren't wrong! What was wrong was that I was trying to do it in my own strength (see all the I's above). Not only was I trying to do it in my own strength I was trying to do it without love. Love was not my motivation. My motivation was a sense of duty.
What I learned is that sometimes for awhile you have to put away all the how to books and rehearse the gospel message to yourself again. That...
"You are more sinful and flawed then you could ever have possibly imagined, and you are more welcomed and loved then you could ever dared to hope." ( Elyse Fitzpatrick )
Now, that your heart is full of thankfulness and amazement at a holy God who loves you in Christ despite you...
"now go love your neighbor!" (Matthew 22:35-41) ( Elyse Fitzpatrick )
The key to living and walking in the abundant life is love. The greatest love you'll ever know is found in the gospel! Therefore the one thing that ought to be driving every decision that we make is our love for Christ and all that He has done for us! So take some time today and reflect on how much Christ loves you, then listen to His Holy Spirit's leading in your life and do whatever it is that He is asking you to do! It's that simple and there is no greater joy even when it is hard!
For those of you who think you can still go on living life your way and you were not convinced by the verse I shared yesterday, then I pray that the ones below will awaken you to the truth that when you love Christ your actions will reflect it. Not that you will be perfect, but that you desire to do the things that please Him, hate the sin He hates, and are sinning less and less over time. Here are the verses:
"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. And some will say, you have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds."
James 2:17-18
And
"You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did." James 2:22
Dear Beloveds, I am praying that you might know the breadth, length, height, and depth of Christ's love which surpasses knowledge. That you would know and walk in greater joy today. And that the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth!
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