Getting married changes everything. The hope is that it changes your life for the better, but the guarantee is that marriage will change you no matter what.
7 Ways To Use Your Christian Singleness
Month: August 2016
My Identity in Christ
“Who are you—Esau or Jacob?”- Genesis 27:18 (NLT)
What is my identity in Christ? Every Christian has asked it. It seems basic, like we all should know what our identity in Christ is.
But when answering the question, “What’s my identity in Christ?” we have to first start with what we were so we can better understand what we are now through putting
our faith in Jesus.
Before My Identity Was in Christ, My Identity Was Found in the Family of Liars (Sinful Man)
Abraham pretended to be Sarah’s brother (Genesis 12, 20), Isaac did the same thing to his wife Rebekah, Jacob pretended to be Esau (Genesis 27), and on Jacob’s wedding night Leah pretended to be Rachel.
Out of this family of lies, to highlight God’s amazing grace, came the whole nation of Israel, and out of the nation of Israel came the Savior, thus fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3).
Abraham and his family was such a fitting choice for God to bring about redemption through because the whole human race sins just like them. We all lie about ourselves. We try to survive on this planet by adapting our identities to the present situation around us.
If it is more fitting to be a womanizer at work so we will fit it with the guys, we adapt into that. If a man you desire to date likes women who dress provocatively, your wardrobe changes. If the woman you desire to date wants a well mannered man, you put on a different face than you have when with the guys at the gym.
All sin is a marring of God’s original image for you. God made man in his likeness, with a godly, holy, and pure identity. Sin occurs when we change who we are to protect ourselves from earthly threats rather than obeying and trusting God.
So before my identity was in Christ, my identity was rooted in lies.
Christ’s Identity Never Changed Like Mine
Why Is the Trinity So Confusing?
Why is the Trinity so confusing?
It is perhaps the most important doctrine in all of Christianity. And the Trinity is probably the most confusing doctrine as well. God is one, and God is three. It sounds like a really hard math problem. But God is not an equation to be figured out, but rather our Lord to be loved, enjoyed, and obeyed.
How to Submit to Authority Without Feeling Devalued
Taking orders is difficult. Like players yelling at the officials in a sports competition, our natural reaction is to rebel against anyone who may exercise their authority over us. When a professor gives us poor marks on a paper we thought was top quality, we instantly feel the need to attack them verbally behind their backs not because we disagree so much but because we despise the idea of the professor being able to do what she likes to our paper.
Platitudes, Rituals, and Defining What Real Prayer Is
plat•i•tude, [plat-i-tood], noun
1. a plane, dry, or trite remark, especially one uttered as if it were fresh or profound. Synonym: cliché. Examples: “Everything happens for a reason.” “Be a team player.” “God works in mysterious ways.”
The Danger of “Lukewarm Christianity”
Perhaps the most dangerous type of sin is the kind which we think does not need to be atoned for. The worst place to be is the place where we think things are “not that bad.”
The Danger of “I Wish” Statements
“I wish it wasn’t raining.” “I wish I had a better job.” “I wish I didn’t sin in that way.” “I wish God would just listen to me on this one.”
The “I wish” statements that flow out of our mouths seem so innocent, but out of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45).
Christian Singleness, Loneliness, and 5 Healthy Ways to Respond
Christian singleness can be lonely. You may not feel lonely every moment, every day, or even every week, but most Christian singles really struggle with loneliness.
Honesty Is Not the Cure to Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy: the behavior of people who do things that they tell other people not to do: behavior that does not agree with what someone claims to believe or feel.
It’s not news to state that those who despise the Christian church the most typically do so because of the hypocrisy they feel is present within her. Christians themselves, especially those of us from the millennial generation, despise how hypocritical the church can feel at times.
We all know hypocrisy is a problem, but what’s the solution? What’s the cure for hypocrisy?
Christianity Is a Pursuit, Not an Abstention
Put simply, we will never find God and live free by just avoiding evil but rather through pursuing Christ.