From time to time we need to be conscious of, and remember things that we easily forget about as we daily get wrapped up in our functioning in the world and the tendency to get carried away with its strong influence.
We must never forget what we look like in the mirror of the Word – that Word which reflects back to us our true profile. It is a constant requirement and longing of our soul to confirm and know what we have been called out of and translated into as the new creation being that we now are and further developing to its completion of how our heavenly Father already sees us.
In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. 1 Timothy 4:6-9 (NAS)
Being nourished in the words (of our faith) provided for us will not only do us good for this present life’s challenges and fiery darts that come our way daily; these engrafted words will even benefit us for the life that is to come. The Truth we have adopted and are learning to walk in more and more is ingrained into us so that as faithful stewards we can carry it with us into eternity; and we know from Ephesians 5:27 that Jesus wants to receive a glorious church without spot or wrinkle. The only way to not have spot or wrinkle is by having a spiritually bloated and stretched skin.
…and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false. 2Thessalonians 2:10-11 (NAS)
It is critical that we keep ourselves in the love of the Truth – and the point of all this admonition is – that it is becoming more and more noticeable that we live in a world that is rapidly rewriting Christian principles, new interpretations of the bible coming on the scene; all turning God’s Truth into man-made accommodations (profane and impure godless fictions – worldly fables).
We are serving Christ today in an environment that is becoming progressively more hostile to our faith and belief system. We are constantly pressed to tone down, wash out, and dilute what we have been established in. One example is the new definition of marriage that has been put into law just a while ago. Just with this one particular example, in the news, it can be plainly seen that over the last several years, Christians who wish to stand by their values and principles, have been ordered by courts in America to compromise their convictions of faith in one way or another. The alternative was to be fined and/or suffer severe penalty.
This never seems to be the other way around. Judges demand that Christians would respect the values of others, but not as of yet have others been demanded to respect the values and believes of Christians.
Another example that has been over and over in the news is the banning of Christian prayer in many public areas; yet other aggressive religions in North America are allowed and even promoted to hold mass public prayer vigils.
Very recently some churches in Sweden felt convinced to remove their crosses from church buildings and property to show that they have tolerance and sympathy for other religions. Yes, that also brings to mind that we must be sure not to wish anyone a Merry Christmas this year.
In this new environment where Christians are being targeted and pressured to accommodate other belief systems to suit man made fictions; for those who are Christ minded ones, not to fall into adjusting their faith, they (we) need to stay strong and nourished in the Word. We need to stay encouraged by the provisions God made for us in that Word, and hold that mirror constantly before us so we are not inadvertently deceived to make concessions contrary to our conscience. We have been given the capacity not to turn our ears away from the Truth.
In fact John also wrote of this: ‘that those who walk in the Truth are spoken of highly as they live in the sincerity and fidelity of their life, as indeed you do live in the Truth that the whole Gospel presents’. 3 John 3,4 (Amplified Bible)
Let’s give God the Father joy by continuing to live our lives in the Truth.
