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Christianity was supposed to be about becoming like Jesus. | |
We went in the wrong direction. |
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Chapter 13 - Getting Back on Track
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. - Colossians 3:16 Much of the advice for getting back on the path the Spirit would have us walk is the same as how we would avoid getting off track in the first place. If negligence is our first mistake, diligence would be a sound remedy as well as preventative precaution. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. - Proverbs 4:23 Peter uses the word 'diligence' to begin the description of an additive process for building a solid Christian life. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. - 2 Peter 1:5-9 If we have let our diligence slip it may be because our flesh is reasserting itself. There really is no 'neutral' gear in the Christian life. We are either growing closer to our Lord or further away. Getting back on track is a little easier than an initial attempt to walk by the Spirit. Once we have had a 'taste' of the joy, love, and peace to be found in a closer walk with the Lord, it can be used to motivate us to renew our seeking after the Lord. The problem with the flesh is that God fades from our perception. We see usually only our own effort and activity and thoughts of God can become so distant as to be non existent. A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. - Psalm 127:1 Getting back on track or even starting to walk by the Spirit initially requires a renewed mind continuously filling a heart with that which is valuable and emptying it of that which is not. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: - Proverbs 3:3 Our heart is a repository of what we value and carries within it the momentum of our life. The flesh often reasserts itself through our heart. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. - Matthew 12:34 The mind can be employed as a gatekeeper of the heart. If foolish, shameful, or even hurtful things come out of our heart, a renewed mind can identify them and tag them for abandonment. Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed. - Psalm 119:80 The mind can also be employed in an active sense to direct the heart to be filled with that which is of value. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. - Philippians 4:8 In addition to the internal things we can do to get back on track, the value of godly friends should not be overlooked. In Alcoholics Anonymous a new member is paired with an older member who acts as their sponsor. AA understands the difficulty of attempting a new walk in life and the difficulty to keeping to that path. The Christian first attempting to walk by the Spirit or return to that walk can likewise benefit from an older wiser Christian who clearly shows the love and light of Jesus in their life. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. - Galatians 6:2 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. - Psalm 17:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. - Proverbs 27:17 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. - Romans 15:14 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. - Ephesians 4:32 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. - Colossians 3:16 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. - 1 Thessalonians 5:11 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. - Hebrews 3:13 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. - Hebrews 10:24-25 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. - 1 John 4:12 |
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Information about Christianity and the Christian life. |
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