reading#1 - Living the Christian Life
Life
What does “life” mean to a Christian?
Life comes from the Creator.
The Biblical view is- the "right to live" does not exist by virtue of being born, but by virtue of being created first in the mind of God, and more so, God being the giver of life on everything.
Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Acts 17:25
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Acts 17:25
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
The Bible says that the life of man is sustained by God, and as such, it belongs to Him.
For a Christian, God’s law is the absolute truth, and the final authority.-- "Love your neighbor as yourself; do not kill; do not steal; do not covet;...."
Liberty
Points to Ponder:
Is the Bible our standard of right and wrong, or we have rejected it?
Are we ultimately free to do whatever we want?
Do we control our own destiny?
We are living in a world full of freedom. Somehow, nobody can tell another person what is right or what they should value. And this mindset has had disastrous results.
The Bible is clear: we are not to tell people that all roads lead to Heaven. There is one Way, and His name is Jesus Christ.
The Bible informs Christians that freedom and liberty are good and right. But, it also gives us the context of that freedom: we have freedom as Christ’s followers, because we trust in His righteousness, instead of our own.
We have been slaves to this world, and to sin.
Now we are slaves to Christ – and that is a Christian’s definition of freedom.
The Pursuit of Happiness
In the Bible, happiness is an emotion that is welcomed, but not to be sought after. We seek God, and Joy is a result of closeness to Him. But joy is different from happiness.
Joy is a spiritual contentment and pleasure that comes from the Holy Spirit. A person must be in fellowship with the Spirit to experience it, and it transcends circumstance.
Philippians 4:11
The Bible says that the life of man is sustained by God, and as such, it belongs to Him.
For a Christian, God’s law is the absolute truth, and the final authority.-- "Love your neighbor as yourself; do not kill; do not steal; do not covet;...."
Liberty
Points to Ponder:
Is the Bible our standard of right and wrong, or we have rejected it?
Are we ultimately free to do whatever we want?
Do we control our own destiny?
We are living in a world full of freedom. Somehow, nobody can tell another person what is right or what they should value. And this mindset has had disastrous results.
The Bible is clear: we are not to tell people that all roads lead to Heaven. There is one Way, and His name is Jesus Christ.
The Bible informs Christians that freedom and liberty are good and right. But, it also gives us the context of that freedom: we have freedom as Christ’s followers, because we trust in His righteousness, instead of our own.
We have been slaves to this world, and to sin.
Now we are slaves to Christ – and that is a Christian’s definition of freedom.
The Pursuit of Happiness
In the Bible, happiness is an emotion that is welcomed, but not to be sought after. We seek God, and Joy is a result of closeness to Him. But joy is different from happiness.
Joy is a spiritual contentment and pleasure that comes from the Holy Spirit. A person must be in fellowship with the Spirit to experience it, and it transcends circumstance.
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
The Apostle Paul said that he had “learned to be content whatever the circumstances”, and his circumstances were hardly the sort to produce happiness: beatings, stoning, shipwreck, hunger, thirst and danger. But his joy and peace were from God, not from his circumstances.
Are we pursuing happiness or joy?
Ponder this:
- If it makes you happy to leave your wife and children, do it?
- If it makes you happy to devote your life to stardom at the expense of friends and family members, should you follow your dream?
- If you are a man but you think being a woman will make you happy, have a sex change?
- Play video games 10 hours a day?
- Drink yourself to death?
But consider the following verse:
Mark 8:36: “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”
For the Christian, this thought is central: nothing is gained from pursuing comfort and happiness here on earth.
Christians pursues other things:
“…pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:22)
“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (Romans 14:19).
“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11).
Christians are concerned with the spiritual – because they belong to another country; they are citizens of a spiritual country, the Kingdom of Heaven.
(ref: Got Questions: Bible-answered questions)
The Apostle Paul said that he had “learned to be content whatever the circumstances”, and his circumstances were hardly the sort to produce happiness: beatings, stoning, shipwreck, hunger, thirst and danger. But his joy and peace were from God, not from his circumstances.
Are we pursuing happiness or joy?
Ponder this:
- If it makes you happy to leave your wife and children, do it?
- If it makes you happy to devote your life to stardom at the expense of friends and family members, should you follow your dream?
- If you are a man but you think being a woman will make you happy, have a sex change?
- Play video games 10 hours a day?
- Drink yourself to death?
But consider the following verse:
Mark 8:36: “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”
For the Christian, this thought is central: nothing is gained from pursuing comfort and happiness here on earth.
Christians pursues other things:
“…pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:22)
“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (Romans 14:19).
“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11).
Christians are concerned with the spiritual – because they belong to another country; they are citizens of a spiritual country, the Kingdom of Heaven.
(ref: Got Questions: Bible-answered questions)
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