Even If i Walk Alone

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

Leviticus

Be Holy

by

Never underestimate the wisdom of those who came before us. Today’s messaging is slick, and the messengers are even slicker, but most of what passes for wisdom these days is fluff and void of any scriptural moorings. There is great value to be gleaned from those voices from the past. Consider this from the writings of J. C. Ryle:

be holy,commitment,discipleship,salvation,surrender,fear,holiness,discipline

“Sin never announces itself to us with its full intentions. It never says, ‘I am your deadly enemy and I want to ruin you forever in Hell’. It shows its pleasure but hides its pain; shows its sparkle, but hides its death.” None of us is immune from sin’s deception. To survive, we must heed the Lord’s command to be holy, just as He is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16).

[Read more…] about Be Holy

A Living Sacrifice

by

Are you living your life as a living sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1)? It is what God commands us to do, but how many of us understand what this means, much less are doing it? Jesus gave His life for us, a perfect sinless sacrifice for every sin we have ever or will ever commit. His death was the sacrifice needed to assuage God’s wrath over our sins (Isaiah 53:5-6; 1 John 2:2; Romans 5:8-9).

a Living sacrifice,commitment,discipleship,God's will,mission,repentance,sacrifice,surrender

His sacrifice became the model for how each of us is to conduct their lives (1 Peter 2:21; Ephesians 5:1-2). We aren’t perfect and never will be. At the same time, we are called to be holy, just as He is holy (Leviticus 11:45; 1 Peter 1:15-16). There aren’t some commands of God that we can take seriously and others we can disregard. If we love Him, we will keep all His commands (John 14:15; 1 John 2:3-6).

[Read more…] about A Living Sacrifice

Holy Things

by

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.”

holy things,commitment,discipleship,Bible study,prayer,holiness

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.

[Read more…] about Holy Things

Over the Line

by

It seems many Christians are always looking for that magical line in the sand that separates them from sin. They are careful about not going over the line. Their commitment to Christ means they will go so far, but no further. We put much effort into seeing how close to the line we can get without crossing it. Is that reflective of God’s glory?

over the line,commitment,discipline,fear,focus,priorities

Living in such a manner is nothing but a more palatable way of saying you want to look as much like the world as you can without being part of the world. It’s the opposite of being devoted to Christ. We need to focus on how separate we can be from the world (Romans 12:2) rather than trying to see how much we can look like the world without sinning.

[Read more…] about Over the Line

A Royal Priesthood

by

In Peter’s first epistle, the apostle points out we are a chosen people, set apart to do the work of Christ (1 Peter 2:9). There’s something else tucked into that verse that doesn’t get a lot of attention. Peter states that believers in Christ become part of a royal priesthood. When was the last time you looked in the mirror and reminded yourself that you are a priest?

royal priesthood,discipleship,gifts,service,surrender

If you are like me, the word priest conjures up either a monk from the Middle Ages or a man wearing a black robe in a Catholic church. Neither image is compelling to me. When we look at the role of a Biblical priest, however, and realize we are to carry out similar duties, things get exciting.

[Read more…] about A Royal Priesthood