Even If i Walk Alone

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

James

Holy Things

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As believers in Jesus, it is our responsibility to steward holy things. We have the written Word of God to preserve and honor (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We must be diligent and zealous in not profaning the Holy Spirit within us because He is holiness personified (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Our greatest stewardship lies in what we do with the gifts God gives to us (1 Peter 4:10-11). In “God Tells the Man Who Cares”, A. W. Tozer wrote, “We should and must learn that we cannot handle holy things carelessly without suffering serious consequences.”

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The consequence of being flippant about our faith, and the exercise of that faith, may very well be a faith that is not real (James 2:17). Without a genuine faith, there is no salvation (Hebrews 11:6). It’s hard to imagine any consequence more dire than that.

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The Direction of Your Life

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One of the wonderful things about human beings is we can change the direction of our lives any time we desire. Sometimes this involves major life changes, like switching jobs, going back to school, or retiring. At other times, the change in direction is based in its entirety on adjusting our attitude or the habits we nurture. While wrapping any of these changes in New Year’s resolutions is a popular practice, no one needs to wait until then to change the trajectory of their lives.

commitment,discipleship,gifts,Gof's Kingdom,discipline,mission,New Year,resolutions,priorities,purpose,Kingdom of God

No matter how near or far away the next New Year is, you can decide to change your life today. There is no greater change you can make than deciding to follow Jesus with everything you have in every area of your life (Luke 9:23-24). No decision will have a greater impact on the direction of your life (2 Corinthians 5:17).

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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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Until My Dying Breath

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While praying this morning, I blurted out, “Lord, let me serve and glorify You until my dying breath.” This is without a doubt the deepest desire of my heart. At the same time, I am only too aware of how often I fail to live this way. There is no higher calling in life than to love and glorify the Lord. Each of us is called to this privilege, yet most of us will live lives far short of this.

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Instead of pursuing the greatest purpose, we settle for a life that is, at best, mediocre. All the treasures and wisdom of Heaven are at our disposal (Colossians 2:3; James 1:5; 2 Peter 1:3; Philippians 4:19), but we live as if we are ignorant paupers. Life with Jesus should be so much more (John 10:10), and it will be so much more if we surrender and commit everything to Him.

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