Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

Archives for December 2024

Abide in Him

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The book of 1 John is replete with passages from the apostle admonishing us to abide in Christ. Some versions translate the word “abide” as “remain”. Both words convey what is at stake here. It’s not enough to believe in the gospel and accept Jesus as your Lord in a single moment in time. Those whose commitment to Christ is genuine will spend their lives seeking to be more like Jesus (1 John 2:6).

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They will desire to abide in Him because they feel out of place anywhere else (Philippians 3:19-20; John 15:4-5). To remain in Him is to avoid being swayed by every false teaching, tossed about by any new so-called revelation (Ephesians 4:14). The Lord doesn’t want us to chase after religious fads or whims, but only to abide in Him (Colossians 2:6-7).

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We Love Sin

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Did you ever wonder why the world hates Christianity, and by extension, Christ so much? The world doesn’t care if you’re a Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu, but a Christian? That’s unacceptable. Years ago, Matthew Henry wrote, “Christ is hated because sin is loved.” Deep down, we all know that’s true. We love sin (John 3:19). Even those of us who follow Christ and reject sin know that our affection for it never goes away (Romans 7:15-20).

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Our natural desire from birth is to sin, to follow the patterns of this world, and to resist anything that would restrict our freedom to pursue sin (Ephesians 2:1-3). I’m uncomfortable with even the thought that I might love sin, and it’s difficult to write it in such a public place. But if we didn’t love sin, we would not struggle to follow the commands of God (Romans 7:21-24).

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Obey His Commands

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It’s easy to read the Bible at such a surface level that we never grasp what it’s saying. Most of us are aware of a verse like John 14:15, which says, “If you love Me, you will keep My commands” (see also 1 John 5:3a). We say we love Him, which means we obey His commands. But what are those commands? Do you know what it is you should do to confirm your love for Him?

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If we read this verse like we’re reading a novel, we’ll never grasp how the Word of God applies to the way we live. We must do the deeper work of studying God’s Word so we understand what it means. What are the commands we must keep so we might show our love for Him?

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Are We Willing?

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We’ve heard countless stories of people praying for someone with cancer, which results in the doctors no longer being able to detect any cancer in the patient. Yet most of us also know firsthand what it’s like to pray that God would heal someone, only to see healing never come. Why does God choose to heal some but not others?

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In some countries, Christians face harassment, beatings, and imprisonment for following Christ, yet in others, they are free to worship the Lord however and whenever they choose. How is any of this fair? Perhaps we asking the wrong questions. Instead of asking, “Why”, I think the better question is, “Are we willing?” Are we willing to suffer both physical and emotional extremes for the sake of knowing Christ (Philippians 3:10-11)?

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The Price of Salvation

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Prices for everything keep going up at a pace that is more than nauseating. In my whole life, I don’t think I ever remember anyone saying, “I can’t believe the price of everything keeps dropping!” Inflation is high and the cost of living is even higher. But one price that has never changed is the price of salvation. It was always free, is free today, and will always be free (Ephesians 2:8-9).

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It’s the greatest bargain in the world and almost no one is talking about it. When you find a good deal on anything, the first thing you want to do is share it. Why isn’t it the same with the incredible gift of salvation through Christ?

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