We've just finished praying with good friends who were visiting with us. We prayed for them that they would lean hard on God; that they would remember that ultimately it is God who works in us and through us; that He is the One who empowers and uses us.
What we didn't pray or say is what our friends and we know is also hard clear biblical truth. It takes effort, real effort to live a godly life; to serve Jesus well. It involves more than simple faith and resting in the power of God. I am reminded of this truth whenever I read through the book of I Timothy. Consider these phrases or verbs used to describe the Christians life.
"train (discipline) yourself to be godly" 4:7; "Be diligent in these matters --- Watch your life and practice closely. Persevere in them ---." 4:15, 16; "Keep yourself pure." 5:22; "But you man of God, flee from all this and pursue ---. Fight the good fight of faith ---." 6:11, 12
Notice the verbs of effort and energy. We don't just ooze into Christian purity or maturity. To live a godly life demands discipline: the discipline of saying "no" to some attractive things and saying "yes" to some things that at first may not attract us at all. It requires diligence and perseverance.
We must take Christian discipleship seriously. We must share with young believers the reality that it will take all that they can give to live godly lives in an ungodly world. Yet, and it is a large, biblical "yet", they must pray and trust God for the strength to live this way. They must pray expecting that He will change their desires and give them the strength to persevere.
Strong faith in our God who supplies all we need, coupled with strong commitment to do all we can in living like Christ. It takes effort.
What we didn't pray or say is what our friends and we know is also hard clear biblical truth. It takes effort, real effort to live a godly life; to serve Jesus well. It involves more than simple faith and resting in the power of God. I am reminded of this truth whenever I read through the book of I Timothy. Consider these phrases or verbs used to describe the Christians life.
"train (discipline) yourself to be godly" 4:7; "Be diligent in these matters --- Watch your life and practice closely. Persevere in them ---." 4:15, 16; "Keep yourself pure." 5:22; "But you man of God, flee from all this and pursue ---. Fight the good fight of faith ---." 6:11, 12
Notice the verbs of effort and energy. We don't just ooze into Christian purity or maturity. To live a godly life demands discipline: the discipline of saying "no" to some attractive things and saying "yes" to some things that at first may not attract us at all. It requires diligence and perseverance.
We must take Christian discipleship seriously. We must share with young believers the reality that it will take all that they can give to live godly lives in an ungodly world. Yet, and it is a large, biblical "yet", they must pray and trust God for the strength to live this way. They must pray expecting that He will change their desires and give them the strength to persevere.
Strong faith in our God who supplies all we need, coupled with strong commitment to do all we can in living like Christ. It takes effort.
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