by Stephen Whitten
It’s all about what I do.What I do has no bearing on my faith, what I do is simply an extension of my faith. My actions will not directly send me to heaven or hell, they are the external visual of my internal state of my heart. James makes it pretty clear that faith without works is dead. There are some that would look at that at face value, but I tend to look at it as a symbol of my faith. If I am not overflowing with love then I must not know the Love of God. However, it’s not about what I do, it’s about my relationship with God, that’s really all that matters.
Happiness shows strong FaithPeople are obviously strong in their faith if they are always so happy, I used to see this as the point of hope. Once I’m strong enough in my faith I’ll be happy. The bible doesn’t say I will be happy, it says we should work for contentment in all things. Paul was clear that it is not about happiness, but contentment in Christ. Philippians 4:13. Christians don’t have to be happy or nice. This truth was shattered when I was old enough to discover that not everyone is nice, Christian or not. I also had to break through, and I still struggle with this thought, but not all Christians are nice, and unfortunately, it’s not a prerequisite.
We give Satan too much creditI remember saying to a small group when I was a freshmen in college that I believe we, as Christians, give Satan too much credit. It’s a slippery slope for us to simply say that Satan is not powerful enough to destroy our plans. I remember thinking this so much that I also claimed that if Satan hadn’t tempted Adam and Eve humanity would still have fallen. “The enemy is like a lion.” Scripture is pretty clear on this and I yes I have retracted my earlier belief and pray to God every day that Satan is held back from tempting me and stealing, killing, and destroying anything in my life.
People will find Christ eventually (without me)People will not find Christ if they are not told about Christ. I’m not talking about the quotes, “you’ll go to hell if you don’t know Jesus.” I actually mean the telling of Christ’s story by way of living it out through Love. How can they know if we do not show them? To think because you aren’t a pastor or leader means you’re not on the hook is very much untrue. We all are called to share the gospel and the good news.
America is a Christian NationThis devastating statement was realized just recently, but is not any less hurtful. I used to believe that America was a nation strong in its resolve and belief in the One True God. Sure we faltered at times, but overall we believed. Unfortunately our nation has shown its true colors and made it really difficult for me to trust in the system much. I still love this country, but now I cling to what it was and not what it is becoming. I hope there is a way to turn back to God and redeem a failing country, but I fear we might be too late.
