Battle Not With A Broken Sword

To often in our Christian lives, we accept defeat before we have even seen or smelt the battle. What a sad and sorrowful thing, that is running rampant in our churches these days. Instead of Pastors teaching their sheep for the battle, rather they spend all of their time telling them it is ok if they loose. The failure comes from a lack of understanding in the scriptures, that refer to the fact that Christians will always be victorious no matter the outcome of battle, wether they come away scarred or even death finds them, they should know that it will be well with them. Why is it Christians do not legislate morality in their own lives, but are more likely to raise their voices to ensist that the government legislate it. Tis a sad thing that Christians live their lives as such, relying on the government to set the bouderies for them to live their lives, rather than aligning the conscience to scripture and obeying the conviction of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is also turned into a crystal ball, to decide what they should or shouldn't do. Forget sound reason, judgement and the multitude of godly cousel, rather we should move ourselves into the realm of mystecism, looking for a sign or listening for a voice. What a sad thing we have come to in Christianity when we can not even look into scripture and find the answers to lives questions, but would rather walk in the cousel of the ungodly, or follow the leading of a decietful heart. Woe to our Christian churches when they forsake the counsils of the scriptures, so that their itching ears can be soothed with what feed their growing fancies and keeps them aligned with the world so that no one gets their feelings hurt.

The question is what victory can there be found in the bible a Christian can lay hold of to encourage and strengthen them? and what are the stipulations that accompany this so great a salvation. Most Christians though are not concerned in the least with the answers, that I shall give because that will require to much of them. Something which may require that they cary Christ cross, bearing the shame and reproach of Christianity, being perfected through that which they suffer. The bible says that a thorn tree cannot bear fruit, so when Christians turn aways from such salvation and vacate the churches when such is taught it is no wander,

I John 2:19 (NIV) They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

You see what hath light to do with darkness? Nothing it flees from it, rejects that it must live right, and joys in evil deeds, which are reproved by the light. The Lord will make known those that are children by the light, and that light shall scatter every evil deed from their lives. Charles Wesley says it plainly and clearly in his poem, "I Know that My Redeemer Lives,"

He wills that I should holy be,
What can withstand His will?
The counsel of His grace in me
He surely shall fulfill.

And you may ask how much it is that we should apply ourselves to this holiness, well I tell you with everything we have even unto death. Again I find that Charles Wesley hits the nail on the head, in "O Love Divine How Sweet Thou Art,"

O love divine, how sweet thou art!
When shall I find my willing heart
All taken up by thee?
I thirst, I faint, I die to prove
The greatness of redeeming love,
The love of Christ to me.

Our view of sanctification, doesn't come from a sour heart, and a sadness for the world. It is driven from a love and willing heart to prove redeeming love, and that is exactly the outcome that will result is the proof of grace or redeeming love. The proof is that redeeming love does not stop at salvation, but rather has tremendous efficacy in accomplishing what it has set out to do and that is to make you holy by drawing you to the strength found in Christ alone. When we recognize the victory in Christ then the battle will pale in comparison, because will see the power of God used to raise Christ from the dead at work in our mortal bodies, to bring us to an eternity of rest from sin in the arms and presence of a holy God.

My next post will get into the scripture of spiritual power and thing most needed in our Christian Churches and lives today. A new, refreshing and powerful look at the victory in the Christian life. No more cowering in the ditches afraid of the battle, but rather a new look at the Christian in all of his power through Christ. The ability to take the fight to the enemy and find rest on the other side of the river under the tree of life.

Until next time God bless.