How to Live the Christian Life…

The Christian Life is simple, really. It’s getting to know God and his plan for your life. As we do this we take steps in faith to fulfill that plan –Your Ultimate Destiny! Some call this the “Christian Walk”… taking steps with Christ.

His plan, however, is on a much higher plane than what we would envision for ourselves. The bible states that: God “knows the plans He has for you. Plans to prosper you and to give you a hope and a future and to bring you to an expected end!” It also states that “eye has not seen nor ear heard nor has entered into the heart of man the things that God has in planned for those who love Him.” Great Future!

How to live The Christian Life:

Every part of the Christian experience is appropriated by faith, that is trust in (taking action upon) God’s Word, the Bible, and His leading by the Holy Spirit’s voice within our conscience. The Holy Spirit will never disagree with the Word of God.. The “Faith Walk” is a learning and growing experience that we will always be involved in. We never arrive, we just keep growing getting wiser and stronger and experience an ever increasing abundant and full life. That is the fun part! It’s not always easy though, change can sometimes be very painful.

1. Prayer:    (Communication with God)

Through The Holy Spirit in our conscience ( a still quiet voice)

Revelation (the ah hah!) (Godly Revelation always lines up with Bible truth)

Wisdom (Illumination or understanding that we did not learn)

Other people’s words and actions

Our own words and actions

Circumstances in our lives

The Creation

2. The Word of God:

Most of the important doctrines of the Bible are redundantly exposed so that there is no need for “interpretation.” Takes steps with the knowledge you already have and more will be given to you. The Message of the Bible can be summed up in this statement: “Jesus died to save sinners” He uses people to proclaim this truth. This is where we have a part and an obligation in His plan.

This Bible is the Word of God and is the foundation of the Christian life.

3. Worship and Praise:

When we obey what is already written we are partaking of His nature and plan. God created us to have fellowship with Him. He seeks our praise. He wants our adulation, in words, in music and song, in getting along with others, in being peacemakers, in being obedient, in loving others, in doing right, and in loving mercy.

He is not a severe taskmaster. Everything he commands us is ultimately for our and others good. He is also very merciful and forgives endlessly. He is not selfish with praise and honor He gives it to us too. For instance, if you do something right according to the Word, you will be honored by others.

Obvious example: Martin Luther King

4. Obedience:

God fulfills His will through us. He does it through our obedience, our willful choosing to do what He already established in His Word and by following Jesus example. His will is primarily twofold. To seek and save those who don’t know him and to create abundant living for those who will become disciples (learner followers) to restore His original intentions for us both individually and as a race.

5. Restoration:

The Bible is the final authority on all issues. When we make this decision we enter into a supernatural (not spectacular) dimension of living. When we obey God’s Commandments and the instructions of the Bible, we live at a higher plane or quality of life than we would naturally. God’s word is so infiltrated in our daily living that all of us do some of it anyway. But we can learn to apply it more effectively thought study and application. This is how we experience God’s best for us on an individual basis.Prayer is simply talking with God. As we talk to God he gives response to us:
God wants the absolute best for us in every area of life. God is very interested in having you succeed in every arena in your life. In your health, your career, socially, spiritually, educationally, recreationally. He wants you to enjoy living to the fullest extent. He also wants it connected to His purposes, which will become your purpose and give your life true and everlasting meaning. This is where true fulfillment will come from.

A big part of that is overcoming difficulties. Just because God wants those things doesn’t mean they are automatic. We are required to learn and grow and begin to take steps to see these things manifest in our lives. This often requires great efforts. To enter “The Promised Land” We often have to overcome great obstacles. With God all things are possible.

6. Fellowship:

Fellowship is sharing with and learning from other believers:
None of us is and island unto ourselves. We need each other, for support and for fulfilling our need to contribute. Sharing our faith our experiences and listening to and gaining the experience of others is vital to our spiritual life. Without it, we will sink back and just go along with the lower life. Ultimately, we will not fulfill our destiny. God will judge us on what we have done here. Fellowship keeps you going. It creates responsibly and accountability, which are motivators we all need. Go to a Bible believing church or study group.

7. Witnessing (our Testimonials):

Witnessing is telling others about what God has done for us. Living an openly God respecting life. Contrary to some people’s opinion, Bible Faith is not something we keep to ourselves. It is not the “My faith is a private thing” mentality.

We are commanded to go into all the world and preach this gospel. You are not required to be a Billy Graham, but you can tell others what God has done for you and you can share the massage of salvation with people. There are many innovative ways to do this. If you don’t, you are not fulfilling the destiny and are created for. The greatest experience in your life will be the people who come to salvation as a result of your life and words. Great worldly success pales in comparison.

8. Love:

Live a life that exemplifies the Love of Jesus. Jesus was our example of self sacrifice and the personification of love. By learning and following His example we will most effectively fulfill our destiny. The unselfish, God like, love of the Bible is not always easy to follow, but it’s rewards are great. We learn and grow in this “love walk.” When we take steps of love we honor God and make our world more like heaven on earth.

9. Spiritual Warfare:

Our struggle is not against people, but demonic forces of darkness.

We are spirit beings, that have minds and live in physical bodies. When we are born again our spirit’s are recreated in the image of God. The spirit is the deepest part of us. In our spirits, we know and want to do what is right and good. Our minds and bodies need to be brought into subjection to our spirit and the Holy Spirit.

This takes place over time by our choosing to seek and obey God and win spiritual battles. If we don’t learn and grow and learn how to win the battle in the thought and image realm, we will live with a discord and incongruence. That is one reason why God offers us forgiveness when we confess our sins. We need our conscience to be cleared to live effectively for God. We all sin often. While it is our responsibility, we are not always able to win every battle, We will win the war if we continue on.

When we get saved (Born Again), our minds and our bodies are not in line with God’ will. We learn what God’s will is and begin to learn how to do battle to transform our minds and bodies into the behavior that God desires. This takes awareness or our enemies…

The World System

– Anything that is against God’s (The Bible’s) way of doing things, particularly what we have and what we do.

Our Flesh

– Our body and our mind’s unrighteous desires (unbiblical habits)

The Devil

– Spiritual personages without physical bodies that are arrayed to deceive us and keep us in darkness (unaware of the transforming knowledge of God)

According to the Bible you were held captive by the Devil and his army before you were born again. You overcame the Devil when you were “born again” (commited your life to Christ). Your body and mind now need to be renewed or changed to the image of God. We do this by studying, mediating, and acting on the Word of God, by growing our relationship to Jesus. We are commanded to do this, but that doesn’t mean that we always do. We have to learn about the battle and how to win. So we have many battles.

God deals with us where we are at and in ways we can manage. The devil lies to us and tells us we are vile and tries to overwhelm us with guilt, fear and many other temptations that might get us to give up and get on the shelf and not be involved in the advancement of the kingdom of God. Being involved with the advancement of the Kingdom of God is what God’s will is and is what God wants for us. He wants our whole life to revolve around this.

We can still enjoy the many wonderful things He provides.

The devil tempts us with sins of the flesh, strife, a myriad of unholy methods all aimed at our flesh (body, mind, emotions) and are designed and strategized by an intelligently arrayed force of personages without bodies. However, the only power they have is to get people to fall for their suggestions and act or speak in line with their desires.

This is all designed to stop our Testimony, stop our destiny, and put a halt to the advancement of the Kingdom of God. The devil has been stripped of any power over you. But if you don’t learn how to win the battles you will live in defeat. He and his host of imps have been doing this for a long time. They know alot more than us. That is why we need to study the Word of God to learn how to win the battles.

This is a large part of what the Christian life is all about. When we compromise, we stop our growth. Our growth is stopped out of lack of knowledge. The Bible says that “God’s people are destroyed because of a lack of knowledge.” Getting victory in some things does take longer than others.

The battle is in our minds with words and images.  That is how both God and the devil access this world, thorough our minds with words, thoughts and images. Those words, thoughts, and images become alive when we take action upon them and either Godly or ungodly results are manifested. The thoughts themselves only have power when they effect our actions.

It is up to us to learn to choose the right words, thought and images and begin to change our actions to become more Godly. Our spoken words and our actions have a cumulative effect and mostly make up who you are, all the good and the bad and where you are at in life.

It is not what happens to us, its what we make of it. We do have a choice in most things. If you are experiencing destruction (breakdown) in any arena of your life, learn the battle tactics and begin to take hold of your rights to increase and blessing by winning the battles.

God allows us to go through difficult times as tests and learning situations, but He only uses evil (Bad stuff) to help you grow. He doesn’t author it. He has set us free from that curse. It is our responsibility to take the steps of faith and walk into our promised land of abundance (the good, full and meaningful lives we wer created for). Most of our difficulties are born out of our own ignorance and disobedience. But, God is so awesome that he even uses our mistakes to help us grow. In the 6th chapter of Ephesians the battle plan is laid out. Look it up.

Joyce Meyer’ series and book is a great tool in understanding on how to win.