“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” ~ C.S. Lewis
Once in a while, custody staff are faced with those inmates who are defiant and just do not want to obey in any way. Some would throw feces or urine [called “gassing”] to staff. Spit at them. Throw anything in their cell at them. They just don’t want to come out of their cell. And in rebellion, just would not heed to come to the door so a handcuff can be placed around their wrists, before they come out of their cell. The problem….They don’t want to come out. A little proof shown which means “nobody can touch me.” Here’s an example... [WARNING!!! Some scenes may be offensive to some.]:
Those who don’t believe in God think of Christians as being judgmental. Hypocrite. While it is sad that some Christians do not walk their talk [I might be one of them sometimes, forgetting that I am here to reflect His light], they forget that their actions give an impression of Who they represent. But it is the people who act wrong. Not God. God never changes. He is God of mercy. God of grace. God of compassion. God of love.
When you are in that stage of your life and there’s One Voice calling you, inviting you to come out of your hiding place, asking you to come out of that dark place, don’t rebel. Don’t be defiant. It is the Holy Spirit convicting you of your sins. Not only He convicts us of our sins but He assures us of the truth of the Good News. He is calling you to a life of holiness. To a new life with Christ. Where you are changed from the inside out.
I was once like you. Not wanting to come out of my pit. Waiting for Him to extract me. Except the difference from the video, God does not force us to love Him. He does not force us to believe in Him. He had given us that choice. To hear Him. To believe in Him. To trust Him. To surrender to Him. To follow Him. Christianity is not about hearing facts. It is the power of God to everyone who believes.
Yes, my life is harder physically when I turned to Christ. Because He wanted us to turn away from our sins, from all the idolatries in this world programmed deep inside us. But in return, I got the best reward of being raised up toward heavenly things. Toward those things that are not seen. Toward those things that last eternal. And as us, Christians, are being weaned from the things of this world, we are filled with none but joy. To share with you the things about Christ. This is a sign of sincerity. Not of being hypocrite. We are all changed. Because of the power of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, He extracted us from the pits we’re in. Using His grace, love and mercy.
“because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction…”
- 1 Thessalonians 1:5 [NIV]
“What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!” - 2 Corinthians 5:17
STUFF
1 week ago
