Christian Living

THE BELIEVER

by paul hoffmaster
08/11/19
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Being a Believer is more than making a Sunday appearance.  A believer is a walking, talking, action figure that exemplifies Jesus on a daily basis.  His behavior is not defined by emotional or circumstantial responses to the daily challenges of life.  He does not spend time dwelling on the secular initiatives of the worldly.  He is not fazed by negativity, for what comes out of his mouth is verbalized Scriptures.  He holds up the Word of God as he faces the obstacles of life, knowing that God’s Word will not return void. (Isaiah 55:11)  He looks beyond the storms and sees the rainbow.  He stands on the foundation of the Word knowing that the challenges of life will never unsettle the spiritual footing upon which he has built his faith. (Matthew 7:25)  His ongoing conversation with God is evidenced by his displayed vocabulary around others.  The Believer’s life is so hidden in Christ that people have a hard time distinguishing his life from the life Jesus displayed when He walked the earth.  He doesn’t wear a label, for his life identifies his faith.  His prayer life centers on the needs of others.  He is so full of compassion that he overflows with a passion to reach out to “whosoever.”  There is no timidity in his life, for he knows his calling and is not ashamed of the Gospel.  He does not complain but proclaims the sovereignty of God.  He does not cause or add division but pursues unity.  Unforgiveness is a word that has no place in his thesaurus of words, for he has learned the seventy-times-seven principle. (Matthew 18:22)  The Believer loves the Lord with all his triune being (body, soul, and spirit).  He stands before the world proclaiming as the Apostle Paul did, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…” (Galatians 2:20)

The question must present itself as to who is truly a representative of Jesus Christ.  I am sure there are people that exemplify the nature and substance of Jesus, but it is becoming more and more difficult to identify them.  When I evaluate my daily activities, I find that many times my spiritual scale is severely out of kilter.  I know the Scriptures, but how to consistently translate them into God glorying actions has proven to be a very challenging undertaking.  The Apostle Paul wrote about that same struggle in Romans chapter 7.  We must get to the point where we stop trying to fit God around our lives and start centering our lives around Christ.  We must stop majoring only on the Scriptures that contain blessings, and start recognizing the verses that train us for spiritual warfare.  I love the Word, and not just the “feel good” verses, but even the chastening chapters that deal with my inconsistencies.  It is hard being chastised, but the alternative of leading an inconsistent life should cause every Believer to accept His correction with a thankful heart.  We all make mistakes, but no error is fatal if we learn to fall on our knees in repentance. (I John 1:9)  Sometimes I feel I spend more times on my knees than I do walking in the footsteps of our Lord.  Being a Believer is not a spiritual game, it is a way of life!  We can go to church every Sunday and have a spiritual pep rally, but God would rather have our obedience than a ninety-minute sacrifice once a week.  He sees us lift up holy hands in worship, but He would rather we hold out holy hands to those who need Him.

Many Christians go through their spiritual routines with little or no conviction.  Believers must make every day a renewed commitment of being a blessing, rather than seeking a blessing.  Let every day be a day of spiritual growth.  Let us bring our mind and body under submission to His will and not our own!  AMEN?