Just How Do We Walk Out This Christian Life?
” I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him who called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another. (Galatians 1:6,7)
The day we came to the Lord (born again) was the greatest day ever and we were so excited and grateful to the Lord for forgiving our sins and saving us. We wanted to serve Him faithfully all of our days. Not too far down the road though, we failed Him in some way. We were devastated and vowed that this could never happen again. At this point, we had a decision to make. How would we address this failure and assure victory in the future? Having begun our new life by faith in Christ, would we continue in faith, or would we try to prevent any future failures by adding our own efforts to our initial faith in Christ. Choosing the latter, which most of us have done at some point in the past, causes us to leave the way of faith, undoubtedly, not even realizing it. This is the path of the flesh and is not how we are to live our Christian life.
Anything we add to faith in Christ and Him Crucified is another gospel. We have left God’s redemption plan and turned to “another Jesus”. This is what the Galatians were tempted to do. The Galatians were saved and had placed their faith in Jesus and His great work. However, the Judaizers (believed the Law must be added to faith in Christ) came from Jerusalem and told them that along with Faith in Christ they had to keep the Law of Moses and be circumcised. Paul dealt with this problem directly in his Epistle to the Galatians. He said, “But though we, or an Angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you (Christ Crucified), let him be accursed (strong words)”. He also said, ” I do not frustrate the Grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law (any law), then Christ died in vain”. If we could live this Christian life by obeying laws or any other effort on our part, then the Lord’s death on the Cross was not enough. This, of course, is ludicrous. The price was paid in full.
“But if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the Law.” (Galatians 5:18)
We may have received some bad council along the way if we sought help when we were failing the Lord. This bad council can take many forms. We may have been told to “try harder”, or that we were saved by faith in Christ, but now we had to do “our part”, whatever they thought that might be. Often, those seeking victory are told to read the Bible more, pray more, fast and get more serious about all the Christian disciplines. Now these things are all good in their own right, and something we should do, and will do if our faith is right, but if we place our faith in Christian disciplines then they become works and we have left the way of faith. If we add anything to our faith to get victory in our lives then, as Paul told the Galatians, “Christ shall profit you nothing”. Jesus paid a great price to redeem us, and we are to place our faith in his great work and leave it there. This will allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives and bring the victory we seek. The Holy Spirit will lead us in the works the Lord would have us accomplish. Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are His workmanship (the Lord saved us), created in Christ Jesus unto good works (the result of properly placed faith), which God has before ordained that we should walk in them”. Again, the Christian disciplines and works come as a result of proper faith.
Those that believe that we have to do our part, or that something else must be added to what Christ has accomplished, when hearing this message of grace, are quick to say that we are advocating faith alone as the way we should walk out this life. They are most assuredly correct in that observation. Some say that this is to easy and will encourage people to sin. If our faith is in the right object, Christ and Him Crucified, we will be kept by the Holy Spirit from sin ruling in our lives. We come to realize, that walking by faith may be one of the hardest things to accomplish. The flesh wants to be in charge and does not relinquish control easily, nor without repeatedly trying to exert itself. The flesh wants to do it’s part, to be in charge and to get the credit (pride). Paul said this in Roman’s Chapter 7, “For I know in me (in my flesh) dwells no good thing …”. Jesus said in John 6:63, ” It is the Spirit that quickens (victory through Newness of Life); the flesh profits nothing.” Yielding to the Holy Spirit is the only way to conquer the flesh. Again, our faith in Christ allows the Holy Spirit to work on our behalf. Galatians 5:24,25 says “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk (the way we live our lives) in the Spirit (the way of victory and the only way to crucify the flesh)”.
Paul, in encouraging the Galatians said, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage (adding anything to our faith in Christ brings bondage).” We have liberty as Christians. We are not to adhere to laws (any law, including any we make up), or try to accomplish victory by the things we do. The Holy Spirit works in us to bring about the changes that we so desire in our lives. We can look back on things we may have done in the past and wonder how we could have done these things. We would not do these same things today. These changes in us for the better are undoubtedly the result of The Holy Spirit working in us. We may fail the Lord at times, but we have an advocate (Holy Spirit) and His work will not end until we pass on to glory. He is our Helper, and always has our best in mind. We are loved, cared for and watched over. Jesus said, “I will pray the Father and He shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that He may abide with you forever”. John 14:16.
According to His divine power has given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness (He has provided all we need to walk out this life in victory), through the knowledge of Him(Christ crucified) Who has called us to glory and virtue.” (2 Peter 1:3)
See The Victorious Christian Living page on this website. Link below.
https://wordpress.com/page/tqministries.com/211
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