Radical Christianity

There is no such thing as radical Christianity!

The body of Christ in this contemporary generation is so far below the Biblical Standard of what true Christianity should be that if we ever became what we should be we would look radical by comparison!This is not an uncharitable assessment. Truth is not always pleasant, and anyone who loves truth will not be offended by these words, but challenged to go up higher as they're always seeking to love and honor their Savior above anyone and anything else in their lives. When a Christian becomes content and is satisfied where they are, they are backsliding! Contentment is always the enemy of progress! Self-satisfaction is fine for the moment, but never welcome to anyone more than a moment, who knows that

self-improvement is a never-ending progression. We can all improve in the vitally important things of the Christian life such as prayer and Bible study at the very least! None of us walks so close to God that we have no need to get closer.

IS JESUS REALLY LORD OF OUR LIFE?

Is there anyone or anything that we wouldn't give up if Jesus asked us to do so right now? It's one thing to sing "I Surrender All" and quite another thing to count the cost before we sing and then sing it with all our heart! I've always believed and said that we can sing a lie as well as speak one.

Perhaps a few examples from scripture would clarify what is meant by surrendering all that we are and all that we have. The book of Acts holds some sterling examples of followers of Christ such as the disciples and Saul who was to become Paul. Every single disciple except John was martyred for their faith and history bears this out. Do some homework in scripture and history and you will find that the cost for being a disciple of Christ was often the life of the disciple.

Questions of Character We Should Answer

Can we receive instruction from anyone regardless of their stature?
Do we really have the attitude and heart of a servant? (Mark 10:45)
Are we willing to admit that we are wrong (without glossing it over)?
Do we cultivate and encourage others or do we tear them down?
Do we find it easy to make and keep friends? If not, why not?
Do we depend on praise or are we content that God alone is glorified?
Do we nurse resentment and hold grudges or are we always forgiving?
Do we welcome responsibility or do we run and/or hide from it?
Are we willing to admit to others that we are weak and need their help?
Do we truly understand the importance of putting Christ above all?
Do we handle opposition to our views without taking it personally?
Is Jesus first in our hearts, minds, marriages, and all our life?

Are we truly free from religion?

Religion is a parasite to the soul, emptying the soul of all that is holy and substituting in its place ritual, performance, systematic deterioration of reality, and in the end emptiness that never satisfies the deep longing of the soul for a personal and intimate relationship with God. It is only in repentance and faith in a wonderful work done on Calvary that we can find what we seek! Turn to Jesus and be free of religion forever!

WE ARE IN A WAR!

WHAT ARE THE WEAPONS FOR SPIRITUAL WAR?

Ephesians 6:10-18 holds the answer

God has not left us defenseless, but has given us all we need for the battle before us. Would any general send his soldiers out to battle without weapons? How foolish would that be? What could that soldier do but die in a hopeless cause!

The problem is not with God's provision but in the willingness of his people to take up the cause Christ endured such humiliation and pain for. We say "greater is he that is within us," but act like Satan and his minions are to be feared or believe we must not offend anyone by speaking the truth without compromising the Word of God, and we become offensive to God instead.

While multitudes today are living in deception in and out of the body of Christ, the Word of God exhorts us to live in and speak truth. We are not

to follow "cunningly devised fables" or the doctrines of men. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is quick and powerful like a two-edged

sword! What a glorious weapon! It has an answer for every lie the devil can conjure, and it will never go out and return without accomplishing what it was sent for. It will live when all other books have been burned or crumble into dust and we must consume it to be victorious in this life.

God speaking to us - we must listen! When the word of God is living in us, it will pour forth from us like springs of living water giving life

to dry and parched souls and leading them to the Savior. That word will bring healing and mercy and love and grace and rebuke and

correction and exhortation when needed also.

It is in living and walking in truth that we shall be able to convince lost mankind of their need of Christ. We are to speak truth at all times with uncompromising faith and with fearlessness, and let no corrupt communication proceed out of our mouths.

The righteousness we are wearing is not self-righteousness but the righteousness of Christ given to us. Apart from Christ all righteousness is

"self-righteousness" and only imagined by those who think they possess it. There isn't one righteousness person on earth because the Bible says "all our righteousness is as filthy rags." We need his righteousness and no other!

Faith is essential to the Christian experience. Salvation is obtained through faith in what Christ did for us. Faith continues to grow stronger as we study God's Word in a committed fashion "daily" and apply it to our lives with honest examination and obedience to what God speaks to our hearts though it. The Bible fortifies this need when it states, "Without faith it is impossible to please God; for he that comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who DILIGENTLY seek him."

Our salvation is an ongoing experience. We are saved from sin through the cleansing Christ provided with his blood. We are being saved day after day from the draw of sin on us, and we will finally be saved completely as we leave this mortal body in death or rapture to enter into the presence of the Lord in glorious peace and rest. The full assurance of salvation is a mighty weapon in our arsenal because it gives us confidence that will lead to victory over ourselves, our flesh and the enemy of our souls.

Prayer is the final piece of armor and the most important - see the prayer page here...

Picture a battle where the general is sitting astride his horse high above the battle watching everything so he can plan all the troop movement that will win the war. Then watch in horror as everyone begins the battle without going to him for instruction. See them fall in humiliation and defeat because they decided they could be wise enough to do it on their own without his help. Imagine how grieved the general would be as he watched his army go down to defeat when he knew he could have helped them and saved them from their own foolishness. I see so many Christians bothered by such little things that cripple them and leave them defeated, and I know it is because they are fighting the battle without consulting their captain and king. It is declared in scripture that we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS through him that loves us, but I believe that assurance only comes in the presence of God!

Do we really pray, or is prayer an inconvenience to us or worse yet something we do only when we need God to rescue us? We must be honest with God and with ourselves if we ever expect to win the battles of our lives.

C R Lord © 2/22/2012

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