Category: Spiritual Life

I am Saved…Now what to do?

We are saved by grace.  Not by works.  Does that mean once we are saved we don’t need to do anything?  As Paul would say, “Certainly Not!”  I think there is a reason that God doesn’t just take us up to heaven the moment we are saved.  We are sealed by the Holy Spirit, but we are also guided by Him to do good works.

Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

John 15:1-8

P1090925“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Without Christ, we can do nothing.  With Him, we can endure all things and we can “bear fruit.”  Bearing fruit means living according to God’s will, doing good works according to His purpose, having strength in our weakness, ministering to others, lifting up our brothers and sisters in Christ, letting our light shine so that others can see Christ in us.

We as a church body and members of the body have many responsibilities, I think.  One thing we are lacking is discipling new believers.  I think many new-born Christians ask the question, “now that I am saved, what do I do next?”  Hopefully we don’t stop at just showing people how to be saved, but show them how to grow as a believer.  I have previously written posts about what it means to be saved and what it means to pick up our cross.  I think that is a good place to start.  The last post was about being a part of a church and why go to church?  This is where we can fellowship with others and learn how to grow.  As we read God’s word, pray daily and seek godly advice from others, we can become more mature followers of Christ. Continue reading “I am Saved…Now what to do?”

Why Go to Church?

Why do we go to church?  I saw a post on Facebook about how people don’t need to go to church every Sunday to worship God as long as they believe in God, or something like that.  The statement is partially true.  It is not a sin to miss church, I don’t think, but if you are able, you should be there.  You need the church body and the church body needs you.  It is not a ticket to heaven, either.  We are saved by grace through faith, not going to church.  But, being part of a church is an act of worship and it brings you into a family that will encourage you, teach you, strengthen you, pray for you.  These are things to look for  when finding a home along with sound biblical teaching.  Also, though, we should not go there expecting to be fed all the time.  As we go, we need to look for ways that we can serve the church and do all those things for others.  The church is not a place.  It is a people.  It is you and me.  It is believers.  It is the body of Christ. Continue reading “Why Go to Church?”

The Tongue is a Powerful Tool

Words can be powerful.  They can be used to get important points across.  They can be used to bless.  They are often used to hurt and sometimes they hurt unintentionally.  On one hand people need to know the truth even when it hurts.  But also it must always be in love.  Sometimes we need to think of others’ feeling with what we say.  The devil uses the tactic of twisting words so that we say things we don’t mean or the words are misinterpreted, and both can cause relationship breakdowns.  Continue reading “The Tongue is a Powerful Tool”

The 3 sins of this World

What are ways we can live that reflect we are a child of God? How are we to live our lives? We have talked about “carrying your cross daily” and reading 1 John to know if we are truly saved.  This is one thing 1 John says:

1 John 2:15-17

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

John uses the sins that Adam and Eve were seduced by causing The Fall, separating them from God and cursing all of us.  Thanks God He sent His one and only Son to take our sins upon His shoulders and nail them to the cross to redeem us from our sins.  How blessed we are to have a loving God and savior to do that for us. Continue reading “The 3 sins of this World”

The devil is Real, Resist him!

So, I have just returned from a mission trip to Haiti.  God is doing wonderful things there and I am so honored and blesses to be able to experience some of that in the little time I was able to.  Praise God for all He has done!

The devil is very active in Haiti with more than half the people here practicing voodoo of one form or another. In preparing for this trip, I have encountered obstacles and distractions, opposition and even doubt.  But I needed to stay strong in the Lord and pray often.  I also noticed that during this week, I was often distracted while praying or skipped my morning prayers.  I did make sure to read my Bible every day which encouraged me to pray.  I had to keep my mind on God and pray as often as I can for the mission, for the kids, and for what I am doing while I am here.  James said to resist the devil and I did just that as much as I could.  Seeking God’s word and asking him for protection and guidance always works, even when things get tough.  God wasn’t necessarily visible this trip, but I know He was there and I can see the work He is doing at the mission.

Anyways, we all go through struggles in life and wonder if we are doing the right thing or does God really hear us and things like that at one time or another.  The devil likes to put lies in your head, but remember that his desire is to destroy your faith and keep you from sharing God’s love and grace and prevent others from a saving relationship in Jesus Christ. Continue reading “The devil is Real, Resist him!”