Rising Above Our Sin

Life’s Like This — Someone that has truly stood face to face with God in their heart and their spirit, will find it very hard, very nearly impossible, to turn back from that revelation of Him in their life. They may suffer setbacks; they will fail in certain areas of their life; different things can creep in and dilute life at times, and their may be certain times of wavering. But if you look back over a long span of time, you’ll find them always progressing. Somewhere in their heart and in their life they are growing and they are even learning from their failures. I remember as a child, about the age of eight, that I first came to know about Jesus. I did not have an epiphany, as some people do, but through Sunday School lessons, and my mother’s faith, I came to know Christ and the gift of salvation that He gave, not only to me, but to all of mankind. It was a gift that I had accepted by asking Jesus to come into my heart, to forgive my sins, and to help me live my life for Him. But if truth be told, I did not fully understand and appreciate, at that young age, the magnitude of suffering that Christ paid on the cross for my sins. I did not, at that age, even comprehend the significance of sin in my life and the hold it will have on my behavior and the consequences that would follow me all through my life as a result of living a life riddled with sin.

Sharing Our Faith

Life’s Like This — In an ideal environment, all our relationships would draw us closer to the Lord. However, we live in a fallen world with sinful people. God wants us to influence those who aren’t walking obediently with Him, but unless we’re careful, we could easily end up following them. Being a faithful Christian is a challenge for even the most devoted man or woman of God. But for those of us that are weak in our faith, who lack the spiritual countenance to weather the storms of life, our faith and witness to others can be sorely tested and we can easily find ourselves following the footsteps of those that have not yet come to know Christ. As much as we may want to reflect Christ-like behavior and attitudes toward others, unless we take on the armor of God to shield us from the sinfulness of the world, we will fail in our Christian walk and our ability to influence those that God calls us to lead to Him.

The Christian Family

Life’s Like This — We all need relationships that stimulate and challenge us to become the people God wants us to be. God did not mean for us to go through this journey of life alone. He wants us to have relationships with each other that are loving, supportive, and fulfilling. Finding the right people to enjoy a Godly relationship with is critical for our spiritual growth. For some of us, we like to wing it by ourselves, hoping that our relationship with God can be strengthened without any interaction with our fellow man. But that was not God’s plan — God did not mean for us to be alone; He created us with the intention to have fellowship with each other; to have relationships that will nurture friendship and bring us in closer harmony with God’s will for our lives. Once we recognize the need for Godly people in our lives, we can then continue our christian journey with renewed zeal and hope for happiness that is founded on God’s Word and our relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Gift of Salvation

Life’s Like This — Like a minor cut or abrasion that becomes infected when left untreated, sin grows and soon poisons the whole body. I was at church yesterday, kneeling before the alter and about to receive communion when I realized that sin has a way of creeping back into the forefront of your mind. I was anxious as the pastor approached because I was not yet ready to receive the sacraments. Even though I was granted absolution of my sins earlier in the service, my human tendency to not forgive myself for my sins was an impediment to my receiving the body and blood of Christ — and for the renewal and restoration of my relationship with God. In a fervent prayer, I cried out to God, confessing my sins and praying that he will help me in my walk with HIm as I continue to try to turn from my sinful nature and escape the bondage of my sins. That’s the nature of sin, if we allow it to fester and grow it can take control of our lives and keep us from experiencing a oneness with God that is so important for our spiritual transformation and growth. By confessing my sins, and clinging to His promises, I was able to prepare my heart, mind, and soul so that I might enjoy the blessings of the sacraments. I had to realize that nothing I could do could restore my relationship with God, unless I first came before him claiming the gift of salvation that His Son, Jesus Christ, gave to us all when he paid the price for our sins on the cross so many years ago.

Walking With God

Life’s Like This — One reason that our struggles in life are so difficult is because we think we have to make the journey alone. We fight to maintain an independent spirit, an “I can do it myself” attitude that often makes our walk through life more difficult and perhaps even more lonely. We think that we have all the power and all the inner strength to weather any adversity, any storm and any tragedy that is thrown in our path. But the truth is, we all have a weak link — that part of us that can snap and leave us bewildered and overcome with a flood of emotions and challenges we can’t cope with. And when that day comes, we struggle to find a way out of the dilemma we find ourselves in and often cry out, perhaps silently, for someone or something that can lift us out of our darkness and despair.

Often, when we are caught up in despair, when we cannot see any hope for the future or to get us out of the crisis we are in, we turn to unhealthy behaviors or choices — alcohol, drugs, sex — to find some relief from the pain that has engulfed us; choices that are temporary fixes and do nothing to address the pain and suffering that we are trying to find some kind of relief from so we can heal and move forward with our lives.

Living For Christ

Life’s Like This — With all the temptations in this world, it is often difficult to live your life for Christ. There is probably no greater way to honor God than to live your life as a reflection of His love. If you profess to being a Christian, as I do, you have probably heard in countless sermons how we should repent and turn from our sins. I see Christians all around me, people that seem to be living Godly lives — people who are diligent in studying God’s Word, who by every appearance seem to be walking the walk, who are involved with numerous church ministries, that can quote scriptures as if they have photographic memory, are able to pray the most beautiful prayers, and that have a spiritual demeanor and countenance that reflects a true devotion to following Jesus Christ. To be honest, I find myself envious of these people — as much as I want to live my life for Christ, I find myself plagued with a sinful nature that is relentless in its attempts to seduce me with the temptations of life. As much as I want to break free of the bondage of my sins, the influences of the world and my personal weaknesses prevent me from truly honoring God in all that I do. And when I am caught up in sin, I often wonder if I am truly a Christian.  

Are Christians Hypocrites?

Life’s Like This — It isn’t easy to walk the Christian walk. If you are a Christian, you probably know this all too well. So many people regard Christians as hypocrites because while they talk the Christian talk, they don’t live out their faith by walking the Christian walk. It’s as if they expect Christians to be perfect and not have the same short-comings in life that they have themselves. Christians face an awesome challenge, because while they are sinners, they also carrry with them a responsibility to reflect their faith to the world around them. As the image to the right says, we should “Live in such a way that those who know you but don’t know God will come to know God because they know you”. If we, as Christians, agree with that statement, then it is easy to understand why there are those that perceive Christians as hypocrites. The word hypocrite is defined as someone who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie their stated beliefs.