There
is nothing "philosophical" about Christianity. It is not even theological unless your
theology results in Godly living. Jesus
did not command us to "think" about what He said but to do what He
said. The chief criticism of
Christianity, and there is validity to it, is that its advocates don't look
very much like the picture the Bible presents of a Christian. The only way we can actually live out
Christianity on a daily basis is if we have the Holy Spirit working in us and
out of us. There are certain people that
are impossible for us to love, certain lusts we cannot control and decisions to
make that we are unable to adequately process.
The Christian, who does not walk in the Spirit, will make a mess of her Christianity. It will be a continual headache; trying to do
what one does not have the capacity nor real determination to do. The reach of the Christian always falls far
short of his intention if the Holy Spirit is not fully active in Him. We must invite the Holy Spirit to take
authority over our lives and let Him decide for us what we will do or not
do. This demands an act of the
will. We consciously tell our Lord that
He is in charge of us and that we want Him to have rule over our lives. When that happens, God will begin to test
your resolve. You will face a difficult
decision, Satan will tempt you to ease up on your determination to follow the Lord,
and you will have to "get into the water". It could be that the Holy Spirit will demand
you back down from an argument or act kindly toward someone who has betrayed
you or go visit someone who is prickly but needs a friend. It may be that the Holy Spirit will call for
you to talk about Jesus with someone you just met or give far more than you
ever have as an offering. It will be out
there for you, this call of God to obey and you will either grieve the Holy
Spirit and push Him out of your consciousness for a time or you will bless God
and gain greater access to His work in you.
The joyful Christian is not the one who has all the irksome difficulties
plucked out of her schedule; the joyful Christian is the one who truly walks in
the Holy Spirit and can with great hope and patience face whatever Satan throws
at her without turning aside from how God is leading at the moment.
Be
very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most
of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand
what the Lord's will is. Do not get
drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:15-18 NIV
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