Being a Christian is Not Hard

Being a Christian not hard, but if you think it is, you are blessed.

 

You’re blessed because the Holy Spirit has revealed to you that you’re operating in your self-centered, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, self-serving, and self-concerned flesh. You’re also blessed because there is a solution, Jesus put it this way: “Deny (yourself), and take up (your) cross and follow Me.”

 

Stop listening to those who are preaching that being a Christian is hard. They are enablers. Unless they offer a carnal explanation, they’re errantly providing you an excuse to remain stuck in your flesh. They’re also calling Jesus a liar, for He said that His yoke (teaching) was easy and His burden (those things that come with being a follower of Jesus Christ) is light.

 

Remember, Christ’s teachings are easy and carrying the Christian load is light. If this isn’t the case for you, you’re not doing it right. Most likely you’re selfishly looking back to the fleshly desires of your heart, just like Lot’s wife did.

 

Disclaimer

No Christian is exempt from struggling in their flesh, no one. Some just do it more than others and have come to believe it’s the norm. However, when we falsely proclaim that the Christian life is hard, we’re ignoring the root of the problem and justifying Spirit-less behavior, but when we submit ourselves to the sanctification process, we are essentially allowing Jesus to make these ‘flesh-to-Spirit’ changes in us on a daily basis. Fighting the change; wrestling with God to remain in our flesh, is what’s hard.

For Study: 

“Walk in the Spirit” (Rom. 8:4)

 

“Set your minds on the things of the Spirit” (Rom. 8:5-8)

 

“Put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit” (Rom. 8:13)

 

“Be led by the Spirit” (Rom. 8:14)

 

“Know the Fatherhood of God by the Spirit” (Rom. 8:15-17)

 

“Hope in the Spirit” (Rom 8:22-25)

 

“Pray in the Spirit” (Rom. 8:26-28)

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Crass vs Crook

Crass or crook: those are our options come election day, 2016 unless of course you choose to opt out of the process this year.

I understand.

You and I wish the choices were rather between ‘class and crook‘ so we could sleep better after the election, but that is not our reality. Lets face it folks, collectively as a nation this is our fault and we have gotten what we deserve.

What should we have expected after decades of moral decline? Are we really surprised that crass shows up on the scene when we have been approvingly inviting adultery, fornication, and lewdness into our living rooms via cable TV for the last however many decades? I am not surprised, but I am guilty.

Let’s Look at Porn

Porn is just the tip of this filthy iceberg, but did you know that according to one source, “While few people openly admit to watching porn, 66 percent of all men and 41 percent of American women view pornography at least once a month.”

I’ve watched porn, have you? (that’s a rhetorical question and you are not obliged to answer). Frankly, I am the one who is ashamed and embarrassed of my past behavior and how it has led to our present condition. How can I possibly judge the words that come out of a man’s mouth in a private conversation when my words and deeds over five decades have contributed greatly to the moral decline of this country. I am an accessory to this perversion, having participated in the creation of an environment where illicit behavior is both condoned and encouraged. Sure, I’ve repented and turned away from these heinous activities and turned to Jesus, but that in no way negates the fact that I have been complicit.

Having said that…

I know plenty of crass people (don’t worry, I’m not going to name names). I also know plenty of crooked people, having been in law enforcement for so many years. The thing with criminals is that their former conduct often disqualifies them from holding public office as well as many other jobs. Like it or not, that is the law of our land.

This is not the situation with one of our presidential candidates. Technically speaking, she is not a criminal; she has not been formally charged with any criminal activity, nor has she ever been found guilty of any charge. Having said that, we as a nation cannot help but notice the huge cloud of criminality that hangs over her head. Many of us notice it and talk about it daily, and many others notice and work to sweep it under the rug. Of course the situation is only exasperated when our Attorney General and Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation seem to be working with and for the suspect, rather than the good of our country.

It all just smells oh so foul.

As I said before, I know plenty of crass folks. And so do you. The truth be told most of the people we deal with are or have been crass. This list includes, but is not limited to doctors, lawyers, teachers, policemen, mechanics, and the list goes on and on. I could tell you stories and you could tell me stories. And they could likely tell stories about us. However, there is one thing that many (if not most) of these people have in common: they know their job and they do it well.

So it is with the crass fellow who happens to be running for President of these United States: he knows his job, he does it well, and there is not a raging storm of criminality hovering above his head. He’s crassy, not classy, but he is forgiven.

So there we have it. I’m voting for crass over crooked. I’m not excited about it, but I believe crass has better credentials when it comes to getting this nation economically, Constitutionally, and securely  stabilized.

The Bigger Picture 

I’d be remiss if I left out these pertinent Bible passages:

Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 6:23, “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 10:9, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:13 “for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

 

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