Even If i Walk Alone

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

obedience

God’s Presence

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We are always in the presence of God. We may not always be aware of it, but He is there. God’s presence is all around us. We wouldn’t last a moment without Him. While I understand the intent behind the statement, it always irks me when people say things like, “God showed up and was with us in that moment.”

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I’m sure you’ve heard similar things, and odds are better than not you’ve probably even said something similar. I know I have. But there is no “God was with us there”. He is always there, and we are always with Him. Nothing can separate us from the love of the Father (Romans 8:38-39). Nothing can snatch us out of His presence (John 10:28).

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Is It What You Expected?

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How long have you been a Christian? No matter your answer, I have a question for you: “Is it what you expected?” When you came to acknowledge Christ as your Lord and Savior, what did you imagine would be the result? Increasingly, I see Christians encouraging someone down on their luck by pulling random verses out of context and assuring those people that God has big plans for them if they will only trust in Jesus.

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In one sense, those well-wishers are correct. God has big plans for everyone who calls on His name. He plans to give them eternal life and bring them into His presence forever. There couldn’t be a bigger plan. But I know this isn’t what these people have in mind. Too many so-called Christians today have believed the lie that believing in Jesus is the way to success, health, and wealth in this life now.

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The Ten Commandments

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Last week, we discussed what God’s law requires of us (see “God’s Law”). But I would be remiss if we didn’t do a quick review of what God’s law actually says. God gave His law in the ten commandments recorded in the book of Exodus (Exodus 20:1-17). These are not old and irrelevant. The death and resurrection of Jesus did not nullify the law.

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In fact, Jesus explained He didn’t come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). Only Christ has lived a life that perfectly followed the laws of God. By obeying, He set the example of how we all should live. Psalm 1:1-3 tells us those who meditate on the law of the Lord are happy, peaceful, and unshakeable. Don’t you want a life like that?

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Compromise

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Modern Christianity has lost the thread. Once we marveled at the Savior who died for us, but now His death is just a trendy symbol we wear on our clothing and around our necks. We once revered the Bible as the fully sufficient, inerrant, and complete revelation of God, but now we yearn for the teaching of ungodly men who refute even the plainest teachings of God’s Word. What happened?

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For decades, we have compromised the clear and authoritative laws of God to make our churches more palatable for sinners, more comfortable for saints, and more profitable for preachers. Little by little, inch by inch, we let the world slip in between the cracks of our doubt and unbelief. What remains are pathetic and powerless churches ineffective in carrying out the Great Commission.

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Complete Joy

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When we come to Christ, a joy we have never known fills us. We want nothing but more of Him. Over time, that joy may wane. Following Jesus is not an emotional journey, it is a journey of truth. The emotions we experience from knowing Christ are exhilarating, but in the end, it is not the emotion we seek. We seek only Jesus. Still, the emotional highs propel us in His Name to do work for His Kingdom.

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So, how do we continue to find joy when the struggles and trials of day-to-day living weigh us down? How do we find complete joy in a world intent on crushing us? The Bible shows us the way, and it is not about manufacturing emotion or attending events designed to elicit an emotional response from us. No, the way to reignite our joy is by sharing it with someone else (1 John 1:4).

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