Remain Faithfull
By Russ Kujawski
4/13/18
Followers remain
faithful to the Lord whether doing so is easy or hard. On my blog
{russ-biblethoughts.blogspot.com} there is a picture of Jesus holding a baby on
it, it say’s ”I never said it would be easy I only Said it would be worth it.
Don’t lose faith” It’s been dangerous for people to be Christians in most of
the world many have died because of their Christianity. Yet Christianity spread
throughout the world mostly in locations where Christianity isn’t allowed. In
the USA it’s been easy being a Christian at least in it’s first 200 years of
existence. The USA was founded on Biblical morals and principles. In 1962
something happened “On June 25, 1962, the United States Supreme Court decided
in Engel v. Vitale that a prayer approved by the New York Board of Regents for
use in schools violated the First Amendment because it represented
establishment of religion.” Then in 1963 “June 17, 1963 – the Supreme Court
declared school-sponsored prayer and Bible readings unconstitutional.” The 10
Commandments have been removed from schools and court houses plus other public
displays. And like any great nation that removes God from them, that nation
will fall. As the USA has been driving more and more to becoming a woe nation
allowing immoral behaviors to become OK to allowing unethical acts to be OK.
Society is changing rapidly and even some of the mainline (Supposedly biblical
churches) are bending to the desires of society. They are now a Christian
church by words but their actions show the evil one has infiltrated the church.
Isa
5:20Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light
and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
The tile of this writing “Remain Faithfull” in todays
society its of utmost importance to remain biblical and not bending to delete
parts of scripture that make you feel uncomfortable or that shows your sin. And
goes against society’s practices.
Remain faithful: Seek
How do we remain faithful? Mat 6:33 I think most church
goers know this verse.
Mat 6:33
But seek first the
kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to
you.
I’m preaching to myself here. Start your day seeking God and
his will for you his righteousness. Starting your day off in the word of God is
a great way to start. I know that when I do my days are better handled than
when I don’t start of in the word. The problems of the job will still be there
dealing with un-rully customers will still be there but how I handle it will
sure be different. So seek first GOD!
Here is something some say :I put on the armor of God daily”
{ Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against
the schemes of the devil.}
This verse tells us the armor of God will help against the
schemes of the devil, that means it will help us remain faithful.
Side note: my issue with saying I put on the armor of God
daily is nowhere does it say in this section of scripture about taking off the
armor of God. If reading that section of scripture daily as a reminder that
your protected then that’s all good.
So far here are two helps to remain faithful, seek God first
and put on and leave on the armor of God. Now let’s continue.
Here is a question is it easier to remain faithful during
time’s when things are going well or when things are falling apart? I think
when things aren’t going quit right and seem to be falling apart is when people
draw closer to God, why because their hope is taken off themselves and redirected
to the LORD. In him is were we are renewed and strengthened.
Isaiah 40: 31 but
those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar
on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not
be faint.
During our weakness we may say something like “Why is this
happening Lord?, strengthen me” In our weakness we cry out to the Lord we seek
answers, that truly only the Lord can give. In our calling upon the Lord during
our weakness, during trials that seem to expose our weakness, we will be made
strong we will perceiver.
Romans 5:1-6 5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained
access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of
the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but
we rejoice in our sufferings,
knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character,
and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's
love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given
to us.
Remaining faithful in our suffering produces endurance,
character, and hope because we have the Holy Spirit in us. When we are not in
trials or suffering we need to remain faithful even more so. We can possibly
become self-reliant, or say look what I’ve done, self-centered. Not giving God
the glory for your success, for your peace. This isn’t a blanket statement
there are some who give God the glory for their success and their trials, They
have remained in him they have abided.
Remain faithful ( Abide)
John 15:1-11
1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the
vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and
every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3
Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in
me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides
in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are
the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much
fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me
he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered,
thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in
you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is
glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the
Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my
commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's
commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that
my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
There is a lot in this section of scripture I will be just
touching on some of it.
For starters Jesus is the true vine he is the center of the
Christian faith, we as biblical Christians are the branches, Branches produce
more fruit when pruned. God the Father is the pruner, He will cause trials in
your life so that you will produce more fruit. Just want to be clear I’m
speaking of trials not temptations God does not tempt us.{James1:13} During the
pruning if we abide in Christ that is remain faithful we will produce more
fruit, apart from Christ we don’t bear useful fruit. By not abiding or
remaining faithful you will be thrown out like a dead branch and burned
Here are some thoughts on verse 6 { If anyone does not abide
in me he is thrown away like a dead branch and withers; and the branches are
gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.}
- This could be speaking of
those who never abided in Christ, never accepted his redemption for them.
They will be thrown into the fire of hell.
- This could be speaking of
those who once abided but when trials came along they fell away and God
allows them to go their own way of destruction.
- This could be speaking of
Those who where abiding but during trials started falling away and God
brought them home and they went through judgement their works are burned
up. Yet they enter Heaven thru the fire.
Your opinion on this will depend on your thoughts on salvation,
if you can lose it or not.
I myself Only God can truly Judge the heart,
By abiding in Christ ,remaining faithful we will prove
ourselves his disciples. We will bear much fruit thru the works that have been
set before us to do. Thru abiding in Christ we can have complete Joy. In
Christ.
The things of this world, our life situations will always be
there will come in harsh at times and leave, will seem to smooth out and get
congested. No matter the situation you’re in remain faithful. Your just one
breath ,one heartbeat away from eternity.
Remain faithful: Prayer
When we talk to God that’s prayer. Its how we communicate to
God our thankfulness, our praise, seek guidance, needs , and desirers. Prayer
can take on various forms. You may be in your car just talking to God. As
scripture tells us in Matthew 6:6 go into a room and close the door when you
pray. You might pray with many or you might pray with one. The point is take it
to God and listen and watch for the answers. Just a little warning you need to
be willing to accept the answer you get from God even if it’s not the answer
you want. Remember pray His will be done not my will. There are I think 3 basic
answers to Prayer, No, Not now, and Yes. God knows what’s coming down the road.
Remain faithful: Study The Word of God
To remain faithful you need to know what it is that Gods
word say’s so that you can rightly discern what it is God is saying . 2Ti 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as
one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the
word of truth.
From the movie A Few
Good Men came an iconic phrase “ you can’t handle the truth”
Studying the Word helps you to understand to rightly handle
the truths of God’s Word. It will let you know how to remain faithful. It will
tell you what is true and what is not. You need to study God’s Word for
yourself, so you are capable to counter those who teach a misleading teaching
or doctrine that leads to more ungodliness. 2Ti 2:16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more
and more ungodliness,
Just to give one example of a false teaching. It has been
said by some “ you’re not healed due to your lack of faith” really! Yes faith
can and at times does play a part in our healing. There are many verses that
speak of healings that happen with out faith being displayed or belief in
Christ as the savior. Matt 4: 23 And he
went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the
gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among
the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought
him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those
oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them.
What does this verse say? The gospel was proclaimed, and
healings happened, his fame spread, and the ill were brought to him to be
healed. It doesn’t say they believed and then were healed, it doesn’t say they
had faith and were healed. If anything they had hope that he could do for them
what he had done in the past. To say your lack of faith is why your not healed
is not necessarily true. Maybe your sickness is some sort of trial, maybe your
sick because your sick. But how are you to know if I’m right or anyone else is
right, does my understanding of scripture or someone else’s help you to remain
faithful. Unless you study God’s word and get that understanding of his word remaining
faithful will always be a task a hardship at best.
Remain faithful: Practice
James 1: 22 But be
doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if
anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks
intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes
away and at once forgets what he was like.
James 2:22 22 You
see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his
works;
Remaining faithful takes practice. Like anything in life
practice is needed to become proficient in what you do. I’ve been an
electrician for 30 years and I’m still learning. Being a Christian is still
relatively easy in today’s society (in the USA), but being a BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN
takes practice, it takes participation, it takes a willingness to learn, to be
corrected, here is something it takes that most say they don’t have enough of
TIME.
As James say’s” be doers of the word” or as The NASB puts it
“Prove yourself doers of the word” James is telling us to be active in the word
to be participants. Not putting into practice what you have heard then you will
easily be turned away from faith or be miss directed into a false faith.
Remain Faithful: Be a beacon.
Psalms 119: 105 Your
word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
One of the definitions for light in this scripture is “light
of instruction” God’s word give us instructions on how to remain faithful it
lights our journey in Christ. As Christ is the light of the world as he states
in John 8: 12 Again Jesus spoke to them,
saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk
in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Jesus is the light
of this world and if we are true biblical Christians then we have that light
and we need to let that light shine, we need to be a beacon, a light house, a
warning to those who are in darkness. Matthew
5: 14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot
be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a
stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let
your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give
glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Having come to Christ and have put off the old self(old
nature) and put on the new self (new nature) that is in the image of Christ,
then we have the light of Christ. We must not hide it We need to be a
reflection of Christ like the moon reflects the sun so we should also reflect
the Son.
Word play: in Psalms 119:115 it says “your word is a light unto my path,”
John 1:1 say’s “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the
Word is God”. We know that the Word mentioned in John is no other than Christ
himself, and he has always been with God. This is probably a stretch and I
wouldn’t take this to the bank. Christ is the light of the World and the word
gives light unto the path then is Psalms in some way speaking of Christ?
Final thoughts:
Below I have a list of practices that we as biblical
Christians should be and maybe even a stronger term is needed MUST be doing in
order to remain faithful. They are not in any particular order but # 1 is
indeed #1 Seek first God. The rest are futile without GOD.
- Seek first God
- Keep the armor of God on
- Pray
- Study God Word
- Put into practice Gods
word
- Be a beacon unto the world
reflecting the light of Christ.
As I said in the beginning of this study I’m speaking to
myself just as much as I’m speaking to you.
God Bless
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