Even If i Walk Alone

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

Philippians

Unstained by the World

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Much has been written around James 1:27, but the focus always seems to be on the first half of the verse, with little attention paid to the second half. It seems every Christian can get behind “looking after orphans and widows”, but things get a little dicey when it comes to keeping oneself “unstained by the world”. In theory, we’re good with it, but when we break it down into practicalities, things get a little uncomfortable.

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It’s amazing how quickly we can go from being willing to surrender everything to Jesus to being hesitant to let go of our favorite form of entertainment or vice. The truth is, we’re all allowing the world to stain us more and more each day.
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Training in Godliness

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We’ve spent several days discussing how to prepare for persecution (see the “Persecution” page under the “Resources” menu to catch up on what you may have missed). The primary way you can prepare for persecution is to be constantly training in godliness (1 Timothy 4:7-8). Every believer in Christ should endeavor to do this, whether we are facing persecution or not.

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As followers of Jesus, we must always be building the spiritual muscles we require to keep us spiritually fit and healthy. We know if we don’t eat right and neglect exercise, we will become fat, sick, and miserable. If it is true for our physical bodies, it’s even more true for our spiritual souls.

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Honoring God

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I woke up at 3:30 in the morning recently. That’s not an hour where I normally have a great deal of clarity. But on that morning, I was immediately hit with the thought that the only important thing is to honor God with all my life. I must make every decision with the aim of honoring God. Every activity I endeavor to engage in, every plan I make, every thought I think, and every word I speak means nothing if they are not honoring to God.

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Who or what else is worthy of my honor? Me? Certainly not! Only the Lord is worthy of honor and praise (Psalm 96:4; Deuteronomy 10:21; Revelation 5:12; Revelation 4:11; Psalm 29:2). In the dark and stillness of the night, it was a clear and simple course of action. Whatever else I would do that day, it would mean nothing if it weren’t for the glory of God.

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The Cost of Following Jesus

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Many Christians seem to be confused about the cost of following Jesus. I blame the watered-down preaching that has invaded our pulpits over the last century. Particularly in the age of the celebrity pastor, the truth of the gospel and all it implies has been distorted, perverted, and sometimes outright ignored. Know that following Christ will cost you everything. It won’t require you to give up a few things but to abandon everything (Matthew 16:24-26).

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You cannot follow Jesus without cost. If living for Christ does not result in a radically different life, you aren’t following Jesus. If serving Him costs you nothing, you aren’t serving Him. You are fooling yourself for any number of selfish reasons because the cost of following Jesus is noticeable, and it is significant.

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The Truth

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That Jesus bodily rose from the dead is not in doubt. Sure, some reject this truth, but there will always be those who deny the truth because the truth infringes on their ability to live in any way they please. In his first epistle, the apostle John writes about Jesus, “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed and have touched with our hands, concerning the Word of life. . .” (1 John1:1).

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John knew Jesus before and after His death. He referred to himself as “the one Jesus loved” (John 13:23), not a title one would reward oneself with for being a passing acquaintance. After Christ had risen from the tomb, John declares he and others saw Him, watched Him move around, and physically touched Him. There was no denying it, Jesus was alive again.

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