Changing the Face of Christianity
We help you and fellow Christians to authentically love God and others
Do you really know Jesus? Let’s see about that…
1 John 2:3-6 NIV
“We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”
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I’ve noticed that some Christians seem to agonize over past sins. But when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have been cleansed.
I came across the following verses during my reading this morning. I think they make the point better than I can.
2 Peter 1:3-11 NIV
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
So what past sins are you still agonizing over?
It’s about time you left the past in the past and started living an effective and productive life for God going forward.
Editor’s Note: This article is directed toward Men and our lust and fleshly temptations. However women, you can still benefit from this article by thinking of your own lusts and temptations.
In the area of sexual purity, how can I be like Job, whom God called a “blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil?”
Sometimes we get comfortable with our sin and need to draw a line in the sand and determine to stay on the side of purity. I see that Job called out ogling women as sin. It is not ok for me to let my eyes wander, looking for the most shapely woman around and the gazing at her. We need to make a commitment like Job did to not ogle women.
Job 31:1, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin?”
If I am to keep the covenant with my eyes, I need to stay on my own path and not look for “greener” pastures nearby.
Job 31:7, “If my step has turned from the way…”
As much as our flesh and the world tell us that it is ok just to look, Job knows better. Our heart follows our eyes. Job would not give his heart to the woman filling water jugs at his well or the migrant woman seeking shelter. Do you give your heart to the woman jogging along the roadside or the one in front of you in the checkout line? Job dedicated his heart to his own wife and to God. It is easy to make that commitment, but to keep it, we must remember that our heart follows our eyes. To keep your heart pure, lift your eyes to the Lord as soon as you notice a temptation.
Job 31:7, “or my heart followed my eyes…”
James tells us that when we are tempted, we are carried away and enticed by our own lust; lust conceives sin and sin death (see James 1:12-15). One might draw from James that looking at a woman is ok if you do not get carried away and lust after her. Knowing my own sinful flesh, I know how quickly my heart follows my eyes–my look can instantly become a gaze and before I know it, I am carried away and enticed to lust. Again, the best way to keep your heart pure is to lift your eyes to the Lord as soon as you notice a temptation. Do not give the devil an opportunity.
Job 31:9, “If my heart has been enticed by a woman…”
In the Bible we read about men who saw a beautiful woman in another man’s house (the prime example is Bathsheba, taking a bath no less, in 2nd Samuel 11). Without air conditioning, I suspect doors and windows were open and curtains pushed to the side to allow air flow. A man might be able to see a lot by lurking near his neighbor’s doorway in those days. I don’t face that temptation, but how have I lurked? Ican recall some instances in my past where a woman was bent over helping a child or doing something else requiring her to bend over. Not only have I turned my steps from the way I was headed to catch a glimpse down her blouse, I have even stopped in my tracks to admire the view. Lurking. Lusting. I should follow Joseph’s example and run away rather than remain near temptation (Genesis 39). If a tempting view is in my site, I would do well to remove myself from the situation.
Job 31:9, “..or I have lurked at my neighbor’s doorway”
but I would much rather hear “good and faithful servant” regarding my personal purity, then the shame of imagining how many lashes my Lord received so that I could look and lust after women.
Job 31:11, “For that would be a lustful crime…”
When I have tried to keep that covenant based on NOT looking at women and NOT putting myself in a place of temptation, I have always failed. When I have found consistent success, my focus has immediately shifted from the temptation to the Lord who delivers me. Lift your eyes away from temptation and to the Lord. Seek His will in all that you do. Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh (Gal 5:16).
One of the most common statements I hear from fellow Christians is “How do I know what God’s will is for my life?” Knowing God’s will would seem to be some elusive, unachievable Goal that only prophets, pastors, saints, and “other people” can attain. But that’s simply not true.
Anytime we as Christians focus on the things we are “supposed to do” or “not supposed to do”, the topic of salvation by works or salvation by faith gets discussed. I’m a big believer that faith and works are eternally interconnected. In other words, works apart from faith are worthless, but faith apart from works is equally worthless. Here are some relevant bible passages:
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What does it mean to be like Christ, or to become more like Him? Study God’s word and you will find that Jesus did not pursue his own will or pleasures. He was devoted to doing the work of God the father in spite of the consequences from the men of his day.
And so to become more like Jesus Christ, we must do the same. We must seek to understand and do God’s will in this life, in spite of what it might cost us.
This is easy to say, but harder to do. Yet, when we became Christians, that was the commitment we made… to follow and obey God’s will in our life, accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior AND LORD.
In the comments, share what grade would you give yourself on this and what part of your life needs to be conformed to God’s will.
Do you suffer like Jesus did? I don’t mean have you been crucified, but how have you respond to suffering in your life?
1 Peter 4:12-16 says we should expect and rejoice in suffering, “12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation.
14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God.”
When Jesus was about to be crucified, he said in Luke 22:42, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup [of suffering] from me; yet not my will, but yours be done”.
When we encounter suffering in this life, why do we whine and complain? The Bible tells us to rejoice. Jesus modeled how we should respond; ask God to remove the suffering, but ultimately to bend to His will…even if that means the suffering continues.
So what about you? How have you suffered in this life and how have you responded as a Christian?