All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
Not Living For Jesus?
Why are there so many "Christians" that are not living to please Jesus Christ or fulfill His agenda?
What do you think is lacking in their lives?
How can we help them?
Views: 183
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on
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Greg,
My opinion is three fold.
1) It takes time to be educated in the ways of God. Discipleship is two fold. One must be taught and they must be willing to be taught. Growth is not by osmosis. There needs to be a whole lot more Paul and Timothy relationships in the body of Christ.
2) Rebellion, self-will, gets in the way. Often we want the good things, but are not willing to surrender our lives and sacrifice for Christ. This problem is perpetuated by many preachers, teachers and evangelist, in my opinion, who teach salvation without the idea that we are to take up our cross daily. Ephesians 2:8-9 are often taught separated from verse 10. A person needs to be informed of the commitment required to be a disciple, not just the free gift of salvation, and that it is not only God giving, but that we in return give to God out of love for Him.
3) Sanctification/Filled with the Holy Spirit: Many have differing views on this topic, but mine is that many fail because they are only prepared to fail. Life for Christ is a spiritual battle first and without spiritual power to overcome the war of the mind the flesh will win out more often than not. The teaching regarding sanctification needs to resurface, in a biblical manner, to lead a person to being filled with the Holy Spirit. Without His filling, life is a cycle of attempts and failures that leave people worn-out and frustrated, because their greatest effort has been man empowered instead of Spirit empowered and ends in defeat again and again.
Summary:
1) Be patient, teach and encourage them.
2) Teach them a life of commitment, surrender and sacrifice.
3) Direct them to sanctification where they receive spiritual power for the Christian life.
Lord Bless,
LT
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If I may add to what Watchman said, too often Christians try to live in the strength of the flesh instead of the power of the Spirit.
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Permalink Reply by inibehe on
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The encounter Philip had with the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26- 39 was a total work of the Holy Spirit to give understanding and salvation to a man who had desire to know more about Jesus. When we meet people who have the Acts 8 : 31 question " And he said, how can I, except some man should guide me?" It becomes our responsibility to guide. Many still see salvation as victory over difficulties or ability to attain some level of success. Some see healing from diseases while others see their ability to live above drugs and other vices as salvation.
One cant live for Christ without an assurance of being in a relationship with Him.Jesus in Jn 15 asked his disciples to abide in him. True disciples must abide in Christ to obtain spiritual nurishment for growth and fruit bearing.
Finally we must allow the Holy Spirit to lead and teach us in order to conform to the life of Christ.
Stay blessed,
inibehe.
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Permalink Reply by AAG Netguy on
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Can you elaborate a bit more on this, Mark? Please develop that thought for us.
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Permalink Reply by Pastor Bob B on
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1John 2:12-14
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake.
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.
14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
What is interesting about this section is that John says he is writing because of things that are already true about each of these groups.
He does not say here that he is writing in order to get them to do something new of change the direction of their lives.
I want to take a look at these three groups that John addresses in these verses.
Let's look first at his comments to children.
He says he is writing to the children because "your sins are forgiven for his sake" and "because you know the Father.
Children need to hear these truths in particular. Children struggle with being sure they are truly forgiven when they do something wrong.
Children can find it be difficult for themselves to move forward when they make mistakes. Notice John doesn't stop with their sins being forgiven. He says they are forgiven for His sake not their own. When children (and of course this applies to us as well!) are feeling trapped in the sin they committed and aware of their own inadequacies, John reminds them that the way out is not dependent on them.
Jesus has forgiven them for His own sake, because that is who He is. Jesus is Savior at the very core of His being and we can count on Him to forgive us, not because of who we are or what we have done.
As John does we need to remind new believers that their forgiveness lies not in their own worth or talents but in the very character of God.
Secondly, John says he writes to the children because they know the Father.
I would think they might be tempted to respond, "We do?" John says yes, you know Him.
I don't think he is saying that they already know everything there is to know about their heavenly Father. He is encouraging them to realize they have a knowing relationship with the Father that is established. Now they can grow in it--they do not have to start the relationship themselves.
John seems to be saying that they know Him and they are forgiven because of who God is and that is why they can count on Him.
To the young people;
They are very similar with each other, but the second one expands Johns point. The first time John says he is writing to the young people because "you have overcome the evil one" and the second time because "you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one."
These are great words that John addresses to the youth. There is so much going on in those years, so many pressures. It can be very hard to stay anchored. There are plenty of times when one feels anything but strong.
The pull to "fit in" and all the things that threaten to pull them off center. What great words John says here and how freeing and reassuring they are to those in the midst of youth. John says they have already overcome the evil one. But again, this isn't dependent on them, their own strength. John reminds them that "the word of God abides in you." God has already done a work in you, John is saying, and the battle against the evil one is won.
Don't think when you face these daily pressures that assault you that you are defenseless or that the outcome is still to be determined and dependent on you.
You can resist evil because God is truly in you and He has overcome.
If you look at John's word to both children and youth, He is reminding them of the truth of who they are in Christ. So that they can hold onto that in the midst of a world that sends other messages.
Now let's look at John's words to fathers.
He says the same thing both times to them!
I guess he felt it bears repeating and that the most important thing to remind them of is that they know God and that He is from the beginning.
Why does he emphasize for the adults that the God they know is the One from the beginning?
Well, I think because it is so tempting for those who are more mature to believe that it is all up to us.
But John wants to remind us to keep our perspective in line with the truth.
God is the One from the beginning.
So I see that in dealing with each other we need to remember that we are all at different stages of maturity, and need as John was doing in the above passage address the issues that are facing each group.
We tend to think that new believers should be able to figure it all out on their own. This is where we find them beginning to fake it until you make it, becoming mimics, or as my teen son use to say become posers. We need to be careful that we don't give the impression to new believers that by doing a list of 25 things will make you a Christian. It all comes back to demonstrating to them a vital relationship with the Lord, then encouraging one another to build up that relationship by prayer, fellowship, worship, and the Word of God.
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Permalink Reply by ActualMaureen on
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I don't remember how I responded when I joined this group, but I could have been one of those who said, "I don't think I'm living for Him." Please let me explain why I might have answered that way. I'm not a new believer, I don't consider myself to be immature in the faith. But I've been through a real dry spell, where I felt almost like a robot going through the motions. Although I never let go of my faith, my heart was rather cold, and I put God and the things of faith on the back burner. I didn't expect that to change when I joined this site, but God had other plans. A couple of new friends I met here have come along side me and challenged me to go deeper, and by His grace, I have found a renewed passion.
Having said that, I think we need to challenge each other in love. Maybe when someone says they are not "living for Him" we need to ask the hard question: "Why not?"
I'd also like to suggest that some may answer that they are not "living for Him", not because they aren't, but because they see this as a standard that always needs improving. There is always a challenge before us to do more, to be more like Christ, to live a better life. I haven't met a single person yet who has "arrived" this side of heaven. In light of that I think there may be many sincere believers who would answer this way because to answer any other way could be deemed prideful or less than sincere.
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Permalink Reply by mctechnon on
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The beginning of all is the identity of who you are. if christianity is still a religion to you not a life. they should be more meditation of the word. for all to know - joshua 1v8 is the key to a victorious relationship that bears fruit.
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Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on
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1 Peter 2:2
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
Hebrews 5:12
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
Romans 12
2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
John 8 31To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
:)
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I really appreciate you Grazer cause you speak from your heart.
That is cool brosky.
You said: I don't know if I am living for him. The quickes way to findout if you are or not is to abide in scripture. One of the many reasons why i am soldout that the bible is the word of God is because i have never come across any other book that describes the human condition in the depths of detail that the bible does. Of course how can anyone else know human nature better than the true living God.
The word is a mirror that lets us know if we are living for God or the flesh.
James 1
25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world
The entire epistle of 1 John is full of statements that help us to examine and align our lives to the will of God.
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Permalink Reply by Emeraldrose (Robin) on
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Well for me I have been in church for many years and have lived a very close walk with God . When I first came to God I was as scripture says as a little child. I was in a strict standard of dress church. I came out of this but have a really hard time accepting that unless I do these things uncut hair etc. that I am lost. I also have struggled with headcovering etc.
I'm not sure what anyone could say that would help so please pray for me . I feel really bad and cant seem to deal with things like this rationally. I have studied and prayed and am still not convinced . God is not the author of confusion and I am confused and sometimes it's easier just to not try but that doesn't work either.
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Colossians 2
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh[b] was put off when you were circumcised by[c] Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[d] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.[e]
Freedom From Human Rules
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Robin,
Jesus saves us from the wrath to come, ourselves and many other things, but He saved us so we could live in freedom. It is for freedom as Galatians 5:1 states that Christ saved and set us free for.
1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Some Churches will try to get you back in to slavery, by requiring their members to esteem one day greater than another or by requesting a certain dress code or by by keeping certain dietary rules etc... But Christ has set us free from all those legalistic practices and has given us one command that fulfills the law, that is to walk in the Spirit. To be filled with the Spirit of God insures us a walk that is pleasing to our Father. The Law of Love is our law, which is the law of the Spirit.
Some Churches have fallen into legalistic practices out of good intentions or simply not interpreting scripture correctly. Some try to stress the holiness of God in their members lives and place of worship by rules and regulations. Their intentions seldom are to control the individual, but to help them to reflect the change that being born again has implemented in their inner most. However often those good intentions turn into legalism. The word of God lets us know that God is primarily interested in our motives and heart condition, which will eventually have an outward expression.
The preacher that tells their congregation that woman wearing pants or wearing makeup is wrong, usually does it because he thinks those things are pleasing to God, but he has misinterpret scripture and is placing a yoke of slavery upon his congregation, which God does not require.
God is concerned about every aspect of our lives. every single room in our minds must be yield to him. we should not be slaves to things or actions, but to Christ and Christ alone.
Blessings.
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