Christian Living

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Dear Pastor,

I wanted to share my thoughts with you on your series on Living the Christian Life not just merely to let you know I was paying attention but more because it was truly a life transforming message for me. I say this for two reasons, first, because of Holy Spirit driven power of the message itself and secondly, because of the transformation in my receptiveness which has been occurring since I became a member of The Life Christian Church.

Christians live out of the hope of sharing in the undying life of God himself based on the promise of Christ. Other Christians expect the truth in love from us as well as expressions of our faith, hope and charity. Non Christians expect behavior that is consistent with our Christian beliefs and God expects us to us to say no to our sinful nature and yes to His divine nature because He has given us both the desire and the power to do so. My thoughts turned to a quote from Thomas Merton when I reflected upon this part of your message:

“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I know my self, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”

The example of “How would Jesus drive” was both a precious, a powerful, and a practical application of this principal as was the notion that it is a decision, a choice, an act of will that allows us to accept the grace and the power to live as God intended us to live when He created us. For me personally, this desire has delightfully displaced a life long battle with depression and self medicating addiction with a joyous mission of fulfillment and mercy.

The real Christian challenge is to become more like Christ. This seemingly impossible task becomes doable by the trust and faith in Christ now living in us and us now living in Him. By believing in our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ, we are given access to the power of; His Word, His Holy Spirit, His people, our prayer and meditation and everyday circumstances. In Short, our sinful nature is overcome by His divine nature.

Our mission as Christians is to overcome the gap between our spirit and our body and soul and do help others to do the same by sharing Christ with them. It calls for a radical commitment to his righteousness and His kingdom and this was made possible by the radical commitment of the Cross. Our greatest support network in doing so is within our local church and the body of Christ. The gap is completely closed when we are reunited with Christ in eternity. In the meantime, the fruit of the Holy Spirit; our love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, and self control ripens in the sunshine of His love for us and our love for one another.

The Abundant life promised to believers by Christ, like eternal life, does not start someplace in the distant future or after death, it begins now! It is marked by the unsurpassable guiltless pleasure which can only be had through the fulfillment of the purpose we were created for, to give glory to our Creator. He is the greatest passion, the deepest pleasure … If it were not so, if we could not live by this, then Heaven will bore us to hell! If being Christian does not mean living like Christ lived, then it means nothing at all. He gives us by His grace our faith and a sincere heart, our faith is not is ourselves –that’s religion, it is in Him, that’s relationship, that’s Christian living . True Christianity replaces a set of rules with a relationship with our creator. The most delightful, fulfilling, pleasureable and significant experience for human beings to have is to love and be loved. This occurs abundantly and eternally like nowhere else in our relationship with our Lover Lord, Jesus Christ. For in Him is;

The power of our powerlessness,
The delight of our dependence,
The magnificence of His mercy,
The joy of His justice,
The perfume of His presence,
The serenity of our salvation,
The happiness of His hope,
The refreshment of His rest
The complete compassion of the Cross
And the wonderment of the way, the truth and the life.

When you speak, Pastor, the voice of god can be heard. It humbles all … especially you. Praise God!

Your Servant in Christ,
Bob Drury

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