Even If i Walk Alone

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

Ephesians

Faith Demands Obedience

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Faith is only real when there is obedience”. James, the brother of Jesus tells us faith without works is useless (James 2:15-17). What good is it if we see someone in need and wish them well as we walk by (James 2:15-16)? Saving the best for last, Jesus teaches us that God loves those who obey Him; those who obey Christ will live with Him forever (John 14:23).

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Obedience is not optional for followers of Jesus. It is proof of our devotion to Him. Quoting James again. “Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works. (James 2:18).” Our faith isn’t faith at all unless we obey Christ. Obedience is not an add-on. It is the essence of what it means to follow Jesus.

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Deep Faith

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Every day my heart breaks as I read of yet another person who was beaten, tortured, or killed because of their faith in Jesus Christ. It is a rare day when a new report does not hit my inbox. Writing in my warm house in my safe neighborhood, my daily experience could not be more different from theirs. I am free to gather with others to worship any time I choose.

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I can buy Bibles and Christian materials twenty-four hours a day and have them delivered the next afternoon. The dizzying array of churches and resources available to me almost borders on being overwhelming. And yet the faith of so many in the West remains weak compared to the deep faith of those who have no access to such a bounty of instruction and encouragement.

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Can You Be a Christian Without Being a Disciple?

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I heard a caller on a radio show ask, “Can you be a Christian without being a disciple?” I have been wrestling with this same thought of late. Before diving in, we should define the terms, so we are all on the same page. The term “Christian” now means many things in our world, but for this discussion, I mean someone who has trusted Jesus is who He says He was and has surrendered their lives to His Lordship.

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A disciple, again for our discussion, is someone who is constantly and consistently pursuing Jesus, desperate to live their lives as He lived His. My inclination is to say you cannot be a Christian if you are not a disciple. I could be wrong but let me give you some reasons for my belief, and then I’ll say a few words about why I might be wrong.

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A New Creation

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When you give your life to Jesus, everything changes. It’s not only your eternal destiny that changes, but your life right now is transformed. God gives you a new identity. Everything you’ve thought about yourself is no longer true. You are no longer what anyone else has labeled you. You are no longer limited by your own beliefs or those of others. When you make Jesus Lord of your life, you become a child of the King.

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From that moment on you are not a failure, you are more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37). You are not an aimless wanderer, you are a person of purpose, created with unique gifts and talents to accomplish things for the Kingdom of God only you can do (Ephesians 2:10). Your old limitations and fears no longer apply. You are a new creation in every way (2 Corinthians 5:17).

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Friendly Fire

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It seems to be in vogue for Christians to attack other Christians publicly, decrying their stances on issues with which we may disagree. I am 100% about standing on Biblical truth. If we’re going to do that, we need to stand on all the truths of Scripture, not just the ones we choose. I recently was forwarded an email originally from a prominent person in Christendom. In the email, the individual called out many professing Christians for their stance (or lack thereof) regarding a particular sin.

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The list included corporations, athletes, and entertainers. There’s something wrong with us if the best use of our time is attacking fellow believers in Christ. Each of us has sin in their lives. We also must recognize not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a true follower of Jesus. As many before me have pointed out, it is far better to be declaring Who we are for rather calling out those things we are against.

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