The Destructiveness of Pride in a Christian

It's awfully hard to watch someone you know is saved that keeps trying to live the Christian life in their own power. They set themselves up for failure repeatedly and can't grasp the reason why they continually fail. It's personally sad, for no matter what you do to help, they don't see the problem is themselves.

No matter how many sermons they hear, or Bible studies they attend, they just won't let God be God. They won't get off the throne and trust Jesus to rule over them.... They won't let God have their lives beyond their salvation.

They haven't grown beyond the warm-fuzzy of their initial salvation.

It all comes down to the original sin of pride.

Pride destroys everyone and everything.

"For you (Lucifer) have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the most high" Isaiah 14:12-14.

No one can sit on the throne of God except GOD. If a Christian keeps attempting to crawl up there, seeking to rule themselves, their sins will create more troubles for them and for all those around them.

"You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD. nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives" Hebrews 12:5,6.

There is something wrong when a Christian can keep sinning without some kind of remorse for theuir actions.

For to know Jesus went to the cross to take the punishment for your sins, and then as a Christian stand at the foot of the cross, looking up at Him, how can you shake your fist and say,

"You are the Almighty Savior, and I thank you for saving me."...but...
"No, you shall not rule over me."
"I know better than you how to run my life"
"I don't care about Your suffering so I can have abundant life."
"I am not going to submit beyond faith that Your forgave my sins."
"I am not going to obey."
"I will not trust You to command me."
"I will not pray."
"I will not read my Bible." 

"Thus also faith by itself, it if does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' 'Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." James 2:17,18.

"Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves"

James 1:22.

The term 'backsliding' is the picture of a cow with her feet firmly planted, pulling back on the lead rope, refusing to be led into a stall.

Only Christians can be backsliders, since they are the only ones who are led by God into His 'stalls' to be fed and nurtured. They can 'backslide' by willfully refusing to obey the commands of God.
A non-Christian has no personal interactions with God, so they, as wild cattle, have no room in God's 'stalls'.

Prayer for fellow Christians is vitally important. Sometimes your personally steadfast walk of faith is the only thing that can help both you in your sorrow for your friend, and your friend as they watch your interaction with our Holy God.

Pray and Pray and Pray

##

If not commenting here, for your convenience, please use this link to visit SusanEstesRecommends/Facebook
and place your comments.

Thank you.

Salvation Through The Word Of God

The awesomeness of God's Holy Bible is that if anyone wants to know God and finds a Bible, they can read it and come to know God and His free salvation. They don't need to study any other books along side the Bible to lead them to God.

Sometimes too many study helps can get us off track from the simplicity of the Bible. And that can be very, very dangerous. We can get into the most ridiculous arguments over which version is right, but it is the Word of God, not our interpreta...tions of it that save people.

Paul warns, through Timothy, "Remind them of these things charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers" 2 Tim 2:14
and to Titus Paul wrote,"But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless" 3:9.

I've read and heard testimonies of people who have found only a page, or a scrap of the Bible, even a Bible tract, that have been saved through the power and love of God.

If you are a born-again Christian, saved by the grace of God, don't ever, ever, ever say anything about the Holy Bible other than what it says in 2 Timothy 3:16, 

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work"

"For faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" Romans 10:17.

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piecing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" Hebrews 4:12.

"My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgement" James 3:1.(Jesus prayed to God the Father) "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth" John 17:17.

Don't ever say any part of whatever version of the Holy Bible you prefer is not able to save, for it is the power of God to save. Your thoughts for or against which Scripture is used by God don't have the smallest iota one way or the other. If the words are between the cover of the Holy Bible, God can use it for His glory! And God preserves His word for that very purpose.

##

If not commenting here, for your convenience, please use this link to visit SusanEstesRecommends/Facebook
and place your comments.

Thank you.

A Partaker of Christ: Guest Post by Larry Linton

This is post is used by permission.

“For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;“ Hebrews 3:14

It says we are made the partakers of Christ. We are made, denotes that it is nothing we do, or have done but entirely of God’s grace.

I am baking bread today and not one loaf can say that it made itself. I measured the flour, sugar, salt, water and oil and I pounded it until I was satisfied. The end product passed through the fire but not of it’s own choice and now I have nice brown loaves cooling on racks with no effort of their own at all.

I as someone outside of themselves did all the work and I’ll admit I might have been hard on them a few times but the end product is worth the toil and the pain inflicted upon each and every loaf of bread. There will be no halleluiah dance tomorrow when I put them in the van to sell, and not one will lift up it’s head if pride because of all that they had done to make that oven so hot.

As Christians we have a far too high opinion of ourselves and the things that we have done to make things happen down here on earth.

The passage says for we were made partakers of Christ. The Christ was the name for the long awaited one or the redeemer of Israel, or the man upon the throne from the very beginning. He is the one that picked out the ingredients for His Church and He is the one who designs our trials to fit each one of us.

But then some preachers talk of all the things that they have done, as if God had been nowhere in sight. We are nothing of ourselves but we have been made partakers of the Christ the redeemer, and it is only in him that we live and move and have our being.

This being a partaker of Christ is only possible when we remember who we are and where we came from.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:8, 9 & 10

We plainly see here that we are saved by God’s grace and not by our own works, and it gives us a reason for this in verse 10. We are His workmanship and we are created in Christ Jesus for the express purpose of good works, and not works of our own choosing, but, after our salvation by grace, whereby God purchases us, for His own glory. He has chosen works for each one of us to do based upon our “God given” talents.

Both Ephesians and Hebrews tell us the same thing. Hebrews says that we are to hold the beginning of our faith steadfast unto the end and Ephesians says we were chosen to perform good works, which God hath beforehand ordained that we should walk in them.

It is very necessary to remember where God found us,----- on the road to Hell, and He chose us and saved us by His grace, never think more highly than we ought to think, we are nothing without God and God performed everything, all of the way.

Praise His Holy Name.

God Bless!

Larry Linton is a retired widower, a former Pastor and Church planter, who studied Bible Exposition at New Brunswick Bible Institute. He is an avid blogger on Facebook, posting almost daily going through the Bible book by book, verse by verse.

Larry also is a baker, who's fresh breads help a mission in Mistassini, Quebec.

##

If not commenting here, for your convenience, please use this link to visit SusanEstesRecommends/Facebook
and place your comments.

Thank you.