Even If i Walk Alone

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

Luke

Have You Died?

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You claim Jesus is the Lord of your life, but have you died to sin? Both cannot be true in one’s life. We cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). If we are a slave to sin, we cannot be a servant of God (John 8:34; Romans 6:16). In the same manner, if we are a slave of Christ, sin no longer has any claim on our lives (Romans 6:17-18). There is tremendous freedom in that realization. The chains of sin will drag us to an eternal death, but the blood of Christ penetrates those shackles and causes them to fall away (Colossians 2:13-14).

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We no longer have to carry the weight of our sins (Psalm 103:12; 1 Peter 2:24). As free men and women, why would we ever choose to hunt down those chains, reassemble them and clamp them back on? We need not do that, and if our commitment to Christ is genuine, we never will.

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Violating God’s Will

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A couple of different thoughts have been fighting for attention in my mind for the past several days. One was sparked by reading Job 28:28, where God said, “The fear of the Lord is this: wisdom. And to turn from evil is understanding.” We’ve talked about what it means to fear the Lord before (see “The Fear of The Lord”), but this verse is so clear.

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We could take it to mean that it is wise to fear God, which is true, and we can also understand it to be a succinct definition of what fear of God looks like: to be wise. Wisdom will keep us from violating God’s will. Which brings me to the other topic that’s been on my mind: finding God’s will for your life. I’ve also written on that topic before, and if you want a deeper dive, see, “Explaining God’s Will for Your Life.” I submit you will never understand God’s will until you develop a proper fear of His holiness.

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Getting More

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In all my years, I have never gone a day without food unless it was by choice. I have seen lean days and days of plenty, but not once have I wondered if I would have something to eat. There are still areas of our world where this is not the case. Throughout history, this has not been the norm. Food security has always been an issue, but it has never been an issue for me, and I doubt it has been for most of those reading this.

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My point is, when all else is going against us, we have so much for which to be thankful. Never let your present circumstances blind you from the realities of the abundant blessings you receive every day (Psalm 103:2). Contrary to how we might think or feel, every day we are getting more than we ever deserve (Romans 6:23; Lamentations 3:22-23).

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Not Ashamed

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Do your neighbors, co-workers, and friends know you are a Christian? Is your family aware that Jesus Christ is the most important thing in your life? Everywhere Paul traveled, the people knew he was a follower of Jesus. He wasn’t afraid to be bold in proclaiming the gospel of Christ. Against all odds, he stood firm in the faith (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

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He made the underlying reason for his boldness known when he wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it God’s righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith” (Romans 1:16-17). You know the question that’s coming… Are you ashamed to proclaim the gospel?

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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.

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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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