4 Aspects of Christian Growth

When we're saved, we're forgiven and redeemed, but we're still sinners, and we need to be drawing closer to the Lord each day.

1. Christian growth is a PROCESS: It's called sanctification, and it's the "working out of our salvation" (Philippians 2:12-13).

It doesn't happen overnight, and it doesn't happen unless we're committed to the process. 

2. It's PRODUCTIVE: There should be outward signs of inward changes (Galatians 5:24).

It changes our hearts, minds, and behavior in noticeable ways.

3. It's PURPOSEFUL: It improves our witness, making us salt and light in our world (Matthew 5:13-16).

God has wonderful purposes for us (Ephesians 2:10)! 

4. It's PERSONAL: It involves dealing with personal sins and being humbled personally. 1 John 1:8-10; James 4:8-10

One obvious sign that we're seeking to draw closer to God is conviction of sin. God's conviction is constructive, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have an "ouch factor." 

If you haven't felt God's conviction about sins in your life for a while, I encourage you to take time this week to evaluate your Christian growth and seek the Lord in prayer and Bible study. 

For more insights, see 3 Important Aspects of Growing in Our Faith in Christ and 3 Steps to Greater Maturity in Christ. 

Free Subscription to 1-Minute Bible Love Notes. Have a one-minute devotion like this one delivered to your email each weekday.

10 Reasons You'll Love the book Wisdom for Life. A collection of 100 one-minute devotions from Psalms and Proverbs and a great gift for people who love God's Word.

Full description of the book Lies in Disguise. A much needed book to uncover half-truths that misuse Scripture and weaken Christian faith.

How A Centimeter Can Affect Our Walk with the Lord

A centimeter is less than ½ inch. Seems insignificant, doesn’t it?

But sometimes, something very little can cause a big problem. I’ll explain why this is significant to me, but first let me apply it to something more important: God’s Word.

When it comes to the teaching/presentation of God’s Word, if we overlook small errors, we'll end up overlooking large errors (Luke 16:10). In fact, most false teachings are based on small errors mixed with truth.

Millions are excited by popular books, movies, and teachings that make the gospel look attractive. And they are ready to defend small errors as being unimportant, as long as some of the Word is getting out to a wide audience in an attractive way. 

But why would we want to change God's perfect, pure, firm, and righteous gospel even a tiny bit (Psalm 19:7-11)? 

I had a hip replacement last year, and one of my legs is now 1 centimeter longer than the other. No big deal, right? Wrong. Every step I take is slightly crooked, and I need shoe inserts to adjust that slight difference, or every muscle and joint in my body feels miserable.

My problems are insignificant compared to the way our walk with the Lord is damaged by accepting small errors in presentations of God's Word. We may not feel the pain, but it affects our entire relationship with the Lord.

I will deal with my crooked leg length the rest of my life, but all we need to do regarding our walk with the Lord is respect His Word enough to defend it against "small" all errors. 

✞✞✞ 

 For more insights on this subject, see Attention to Details and For the Want of a Nail.

Lies in Disguise is designed to help Christians recognize and address tiny and large half-truth errors that many Christians believe. Why? To help us avoid false teachings and keep our walk with the Lord straight and steady. Click the image to find out more: chapter titles, reviews, and where to purchase it.

BLN

When God Says Your Worship Is Meaningless

God says seeking reconciliation with others takes priority over worship: 

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24 

When Christ gave this command, before the New Covenant was put in place by His death, making offerings was a form of worship. Christ was saying that genuine worship requires a heart seeking His truth and obeying His commands. And refusing to seek peace with others makes our worship simply external.

We can sing beautiful songs of praise, lift our hands, or bow in worship, but if we refuse to make genuine attempts to reconcile with others, our worship is meaningless.

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:24

True faith forgives and loves even when it's difficult (1 John 3:14; John 13:35; Romans 12:10).

Romans 12:14-21 tells us to bless those who persecute us, do our best to seek peace, seeking to “overcome evil with good.”

If someone has something against you and refuses to discuss it, you can do nothing but pray and treat them kindly. But if anyone is seeking to work through relationship problems and you refuse, your disobedience makes your worship of God meaningless (1 John 3:14).

Don't let this happen, dear Christians. True faith does the hard things out of love for Christ.

✞✞✞ 

See Weak Faith and Broken Families and Biblical Problem Solving.

And please check out Lies in Disguise. Among other half-truths, it offers insights into some of the half-truths that have encouraged relationship problems.  

 

 

BLN

3 Lies That Take Our Focus Off God

Many devotions focus on knowing how special we are to God. But I think our real problem is realizing how special God is to us.

These lies encourage a focus on ourselves:

1. I can't love others until I first love myself.
This comes from a false interpretation of Mark 12:30-31. 
See Do We Really Need to Love Ourselves before We Can Love Others?

2. I can't serve others until I feel whole and confident.
Serving others is often the best way to gain confidence and joy (Philippians 2:3-4). 
See Beatin' the Blues.  

3. God wants me happy.
God wants us sanctified and mature, which brings joy, but not always happiness (Hebrews 12:1-3).
See Should Happiness Be Our Goal?

Here are three solutions to these three lies:

1. Focus first and foremost on loving God (Matthew 22:36-40).

2. Treat others as we want to be treated (Matthew 7:12).

3. Quit thinking so much about ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4).
 

Our spiritual health is dependent on our understanding of our Creator, so let's seek to develop an increasing awe and love for Him. 

 

💙💙💙

 

Free subscription to 1-Minute Bible Love Notes

10 Reasons You'll Love the Book Wisdom for Life

Full description of the book Lies in Disguise 

BLN

Why We Cannot Understand Everything About God

A reader responded to Answering a Rude Question About God by asking: “Why would a God who doesn't need anyone or anything, create a universe knowing we will rebel, and yet choose to do so, fully planning to kill his son. Why would our Lord, who is all holy choose to become sin?”

As with all questions about God, we must remember that faith is based on trust in God’s goodness even when we can’t see or understand something He does (Hebrews 11:1; 1 Corinthians 13:12).  

We’re given everything we need to trust God and live for Him while on earth (2 Peter 1:3). And it makes perfect sense that finite human beings can't understand every detail about our infinite God. My analytical mind wants to understand every detail, but I'm glad God is perfectly wise, perfectly holy, and perfectly loving because I'm none of those things.

God doesn't need anyone or anything, but He finds pleasure in us (Psalm 149:4). So instead of destroying the universe after mankind's sin, He chose to test and teach and save those who would have faith in what they don’t “see” (Hebrews 11:13).

He loves mankind in general (John 3:16), offering Jesus as atonement for anyone who believes. And He loves His followers in a special, specific, and eternal way (John 15).

But perhaps the ultimate question is why He chose to die for us—our human minds cannot fathom that kind of love!

✞✞✞ 

In Chapter 8 Lies in Disguise addresses four common questions about God: 1. Why would a loving God send people to Hell? 2. Why did God put the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden? 3. Why did God create Adam and Eve with the ability to sin? 4. Why are we punished for Adam's sins? 

Lies in Disguise is designed to help Christians discern half-truths, but it also offers help in answering these questions you might encounter when sharing Christ. Click the title link to find out more about it and where you can purchase it.

 BLN