|
Sammy_S -> RE: Define Christianity? (4/6/2008 4:28:49 PM)
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: Little_1
quote:
ORIGINAL: Sammy_S
quote:
ORIGINAL: Little_1
Please define Christianity in one short sentence?
I am a wretch before a Holy God,His Holy son chose to die in my place to appease the wrath of his father and through faith in what he has done for me I am saved.
The next question is that how do you know if you have faith in him?
After almost 22 years as a Christian, I have found that 'Surrender' is the key to a Christ-like life. The Holy Spirit cannot work with us if we are full of our own desires and self-will. We may be Christians for years and yet know nothing of the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives beyond salvation. This has been the REALITY of my Christian experience for the past 20 or so years - failure, disillusionment and disappointment with myself.
Last year (July) I came to the point in my life where I was fed up being a mediocre Christian with no power over sin in my life. This is not how God intended it to be and I was convinced of that. I have been a Christian since 1986. Going to church; praying; reading the Bible and trying my very best to be a good Christian but powerless in the face of many sins! I could stand it no longer. Surely God didn't send Jesus to die for my sin and leave me after salvation??? No that wasn't true because I had seen God do many things for me since I trusted Jesus as my Saviour from sin but yet remained powerless to do what the Bible teaches me.
One afternoon, I told God in prayer how I was feeling - warts and all. I was completely honest with Him. He wouldn't be shocked because He knows everything about me anyway I figured.
I told God that I wanted my life to count for something in His Kingdom. I wanted to be more Christ like and yet have never been able to achieve such. I told Him I felt like a massive failure and disappointment to Him.
I cried out to God to change me. To work in my life so that others would see something of the Father's love. I asked God to take complete control of my life and give me His desires in place of my own no matter what that may mean - just so long as my life would become a blessing to others for His glory.
About a week or so after this, there was a terrible accident. My hubby was involved in this accident and although he was not injured, a young person died. This whole sad event has turned our lives upside down. We are now in a situation where we don't know what our future holds and where once my husband's employment seemed secure for life - we are now faced with the possibility of this being terminated.
Suddenly, everything we have worked hard for all our married life and put our trust in to always be there is no longer a reality. We thought money was a safeguard but even that is threatened to disappear.
Our lives have been cruelly crossed in another families lives and we are not allowed to contact them to say how terribly sorry we are because of investigations. The media has been less than kind and reported many untruths and made a sad situation a really bad situation.
Everything we counted as security is in danger of being stripped away. Add to this the terrible burden that a young and precious life has been lost and the weight is a heavy load. However, the Lord has shared our burdens and sustained us during this awful time and I can honestly say that the Lord has been a tower of strength to us. God has led me by His Spirit to realise the power there is in praise, prayer and His Word (and the promises contained therein) - His Word has become more precious than anything I own.
Over the months since the accident, my husband was amazed how I have managed to remain calm in what is the worst thing that has ever happened to us as a couple. A few months ago, my hubby trusted the Lord himself - something that would never have happened had God not worked by His Holy Spirit and brought good out of bad - Hallelujah.
God is faithful - God is totally reliable - God is the best person to surrender your life entirely to because He knows the future. Even in the midst of this storm I can praise Him for His faithfulness and thank Him that He is teaching me wonderful truths and giving us great strength in the middle of this storm.
I may not know what lies in the future but thankfully I know who holds the future and He has allowed this accident to happen in our lives for good reason. God never allows anything in the lives of His children unless it can be used for a greater good and blessing.
The day I realised that God is not just the God of my Salvation but the God of my sanctificatation, I realised that to surrender to God in everything is the only way to bring the Holy Spirit power into every situation I can face or be challenged with - that day was the biggest turning point in my growth as a Christian. It is no longer myself who is trying to work out good in my life but the Holy Spirit at work in me. I have found that this is not a once and for all process but that I need to empty myself daily and ask God to fill me with His Spirit afresh each day to think and do as He would and to meet each day's challenges and whatever else He wants to teach me. When I don't surrender my will to God daily, I find that I end up taking steps backwards and so I know now that surrendering my desires, ambitions, responses to things and situations, (everything) etc daily is what I have to do to please God.
I am proving the Holy Spirit in the face of adversity. I have testified of the faithfulness of God and the deep peace and even joy He gives despite our circumstances. One Christian woman broke down in tears and told me the Lord is challenging her in her relationship with Him because of watching my life and testimony over these past few months (something I was totally oblivious to). That is God's Holy Spirit working through a willing and surrendered channel. I do not boast in myself because that is ugly - but I do believe the Lord took me at my word when I realised that I needed to surrender my life to him in everything all these months ago.
I cannot imagine what it would have been like if God in His great mercy did not lead me to this realization of His Holy Spirit power working through an emptied channel - I just would not have coped. I thank and praise God for keeping our heads held up through all of this and although I don't know what the future holds - I believe the Lord is working out His plan.
To God be the glory and praise His precious Holy name.
Little_1
Wow to God be the Glory!It is indeed true when the bible says that to those who love the Lord all things end up for good..Thank you for sharing that it inpires me to follow my Lord even more so.
But I would like to add that I hope you don't think that I was questioning your salvation,I wasnt sure if you were a person who was thinking about salvation or a person who was already saved and asking the question so i threw out the question so that my answer may not confuse anyone.
|
|
|
|