Even If i Walk Alone

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

Psalms

Persevere to the End

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Life is the ultimate dichotomy. It is both short and long, and we feel the tension between the two every day. Our time on this earth is not even a blip on the timeline of eternity. We are but a vapor that is here one moment, and gone the next (James 4:14; Psalm 103:15–16). But the time spent living in that “blip” can seem grueling and never-ending. This is true for our walk with Christ as well. Not that Jesus Himself is taxing in any way; His burden is light and we find our rest in Him (Matthew 11:28–30).

But the world makes living for Jesus one challenge after another. We must choose Christ over our sinful nature every second of every minute of every hour of every day. Sometimes it can feel like a grind. It is why so many fall away (Matthew 13:20–21), and why we are called to persevere to the end (Matthew 24:13).

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The Whole Counsel of God

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The modern Church has a tendency to pick the parts of the Gospel it finds most palatable to talk about. To the contrary, the Apostle Paul preached the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:26–27). The whole counsel means the entire purpose, will, and plan of God. When we leave out part of the Gospel, we keep people from seeing and understanding it in its entirety.

We should never try to hide any part of God’s glory. That our culture finds some of the Gospel abhorrent or difficult to swallow does not overrule our responsibility to proclaim the whole truth of God’s Word. It is not up to humans to decide which parts of God’s Word are true. Only God is truth, so only He gets to say what is true (John 17:17; Isaiah 45:19).

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Strangers and Aliens

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Those who exercise the boldness and courage to proclaim the truth of the Gospel will face many trials in this life (John 16:33). For those who follow Jesus, that is reason enough to reject anyone preaching a message promising health, wealth, and peace. Jesus dispels that belief when He declares He did not come to bring peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34).

We are strangers and aliens on earth, foreigners in every context and location in which we find ourselves (1 Peter 2:11; Hebrews 11:13). This world is not where we belong, and those who do belong here will do everything they can to harm and get rid of us. Life on the narrow path is going to be difficult (Matthew 7:13–14) and we should believe no one who says otherwise (2 Timothy 3:12).

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Beware of False Teachers

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Matthew 7:15-20

Anyone can talk a good game, but what their life produces reveals what is in their hearts. False teachers almost always live lavish lifestyles, consumed with the things of this world, and attempting to keep one foot on earth and the other in Heaven. This, of course, is not possible (Matthew 6:24; 1 John 2:15-17). What a man says is not a good indicator of who he is. It’s what his life produces for the kingdom that is a good indicator.

Beware of false teachers who attempt to drag you into their deception (Colossians 2:8). They are those who think they know Jesus, but He doesn’t know them (Matthew 7:21–23). Their teaching will leave you even worse off than they are (Matthew 23:15), and no closer to eternity in Christ.

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Speak Truth

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Why is it we humans are so good at lying? Okay, maybe we’re not all good at it, but we all do it. Perhaps we don’t think of it as lying, but I don’t think any are innocent of “stretching the truth”, “exaggerating the details”, or “fudging the numbers” at some point in our lives. Lying seems to be a human obsession. My hope is those who choose to recognize Jesus as Lord and accept His gift of new life will not be in the habit of lying.

two men who speak truth to one another shaking hands while exuding honesty and humility

As Christians, we must speak truth whenever we open our mouths. We do it because God commands it (Exodus 20:16) and because being truthful brings Him glory (Proverbs 12:22). God is not a man, and therefore He cannot lie (Numbers 23:19). If we are to be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16), then truth is always the only option for us.

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