Believers know there will be a cost to their faith. It's promised in Scripture.
It's like a daily mystery discerning the current cost of following a life bent toward righteousness.
Friends, family, jobs, moods, time, joy, pain, even life itself---all can be costs that can have spiritual implications.
If someone is being a jerk there is a cost, but that hasn't a thing to do with faith.
The costs of a person for faith matters are far more nuanced. Satan does attack, and he can attack with finesse, hitting his target pretty accurately.
So how do we manage the costs? How do we buffer the attacks? How do we survive the wounds?
Examine our hearts. Is there sin in the heart? Idolatry? Winking at wrong-doing?
Fornication? Homosexuality? Bestiality? Adultery? Drunkenness? Dishonesty? Gossip? Gluttony? Envy? Pride? Anger? Lust? Sloth? Greed? Disobedience to parents? The Romans 1 list is a great check for the heart.
A pure heart seeks God, so these things cannot stay. Repentance is in order.
One must turn away from sin to face the wily attacks of the evil one.
It's the only way.
The mark of a believer is that he or she is saved by grace alone, but sin should have no place in daily life. Sinful habits will be painfully obvious to the true believer. Conviction of sin will be forthcoming.
So, turn. Repent. Get a clean heart before God and ask Him for the ability to fight the fiery darts of the devil. God answers prayer, and there are always reasons for His actions.
He may say no. He may use the trial to further His kingdom. He may instantly and boisterously answer!
That's happened a few times in my life. It seems nothing short of a miracle when God brings an immediate answer to prayer. I love reading about these types of answers. The costs of faith seem well reimbursed for these.
But sometimes the costs are like overhanging debts. No may be an answer, but it's hard to discern when you are waiting for someone to come to Christ and you've prayed for them for years. The answer may simply be no, but how do you know?
Patience, trust, and hope are our modus operandi in this counting of the cost. What else can we do?
The Lord will bring about His plan and His desires without regard to our feelings and desires.
But He can and will bring our desires around to His desires and fulfill them as He wills. That is giving us the desires of the heart. God's heart is the main thing.
So, we wait. We hope. We trust.
We pay the price of following a holy and righteous Creator. It's a cost that is manageable and pays great dividends.
It's not optional.
It's inevitable.
It's doable, but only by the power of the Holy Spirit.
It's like a daily mystery discerning the current cost of following a life bent toward righteousness.
Friends, family, jobs, moods, time, joy, pain, even life itself---all can be costs that can have spiritual implications.
If someone is being a jerk there is a cost, but that hasn't a thing to do with faith.
The costs of a person for faith matters are far more nuanced. Satan does attack, and he can attack with finesse, hitting his target pretty accurately.
So how do we manage the costs? How do we buffer the attacks? How do we survive the wounds?
Examine our hearts. Is there sin in the heart? Idolatry? Winking at wrong-doing?
Fornication? Homosexuality? Bestiality? Adultery? Drunkenness? Dishonesty? Gossip? Gluttony? Envy? Pride? Anger? Lust? Sloth? Greed? Disobedience to parents? The Romans 1 list is a great check for the heart.
A pure heart seeks God, so these things cannot stay. Repentance is in order.
One must turn away from sin to face the wily attacks of the evil one.
It's the only way.
The mark of a believer is that he or she is saved by grace alone, but sin should have no place in daily life. Sinful habits will be painfully obvious to the true believer. Conviction of sin will be forthcoming.
So, turn. Repent. Get a clean heart before God and ask Him for the ability to fight the fiery darts of the devil. God answers prayer, and there are always reasons for His actions.
He may say no. He may use the trial to further His kingdom. He may instantly and boisterously answer!
That's happened a few times in my life. It seems nothing short of a miracle when God brings an immediate answer to prayer. I love reading about these types of answers. The costs of faith seem well reimbursed for these.
But sometimes the costs are like overhanging debts. No may be an answer, but it's hard to discern when you are waiting for someone to come to Christ and you've prayed for them for years. The answer may simply be no, but how do you know?
Patience, trust, and hope are our modus operandi in this counting of the cost. What else can we do?
The Lord will bring about His plan and His desires without regard to our feelings and desires.
But He can and will bring our desires around to His desires and fulfill them as He wills. That is giving us the desires of the heart. God's heart is the main thing.
So, we wait. We hope. We trust.
We pay the price of following a holy and righteous Creator. It's a cost that is manageable and pays great dividends.
It's not optional.
It's inevitable.
It's doable, but only by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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