Spiritual Maturity

Following Jesus isn't just learning about Him - it’s becoming like Him. It means allowing the Holy Spirit to reshape the deepest parts of who you are, surrendering your pride, desires, fears, and ambitions to the authority of Christ.

When you first place your faith in Jesus, you're justified - declared righteous in His sight. But that's only the beginning. Next comes sanctification: the lifelong process of being transformed into His image. It touches every single corner of your life:

- How you respond when you're wronged.

- How you handle temptation when nobody's watching.

- How you view money, status, suffering, and even your enemies.

Jesus didn't come simply to improve your old nature - He came to recreate you entirely. The more you walk with Him, the more His character replaces your own: love displaces hatred, humility breaks pride, and forgiveness cures bitterness. What once controlled you loses its grip.

This process is slow and often painful, requiring deep conviction, repentance, and daily surrender. But take heart - transformation isn't a burden you carry alone, it's a supernatural work the Spirit performs within you.

The Christian life isn't about trying harder to "act like Jesus." It’s about abiding in Him so deeply that His life naturally begins to flow through yours. True spiritual maturity isn't measured by how much you know about Christ, but by how much you resemble Him.

"And we all... are being transformed into the same image

from one degree of glory to another."

2 Corinthians 3:18

- David Delfeld

Provided by "I Am With You Always"

Growing in Christ

Growing In Christ - Appetite

Growing in Christ is a life-long journey where every experience along the way offers to enrich us. We are given opportunities to grow, to develop a Christ-like nature that coincides with that of our Heavenly Father. God created our innermost being in a fearful and wonderful fashion. As God shaped us, we were given the deposit of divine life (Psalm 139:13-16). Either we try to make ourselves grow in holiness and fail miserably, or we must yield and cooperate with the glorious intentions of God. “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).

Growing In Christ
When we first acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Savior, we become reborn. As with all newborns, our desire for nourishment becomes fervent and frequent. An infant’s piercing cries display a hunger that must be immediately satisfied. As Christians, we also should desire God’s Word so that we may grow up. “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk so that you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2).

The goodness of God cannot be tasted in a cursory manner. We must see, hear, and touch; to truly taste the graciousness of Christ. The prophet Jeremiah understood the importance of making God’s Word part of his life by digesting and assimilating every morsel. “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight...” (Jeremiah 15:16). In growing, we learn that nothing is more agreeable to our soul and spirit than Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life. As we profess Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, we take Him into every relationship and in every capacity in which we act, including our appetite for Him.

David took great pleasure in the Word of God. Having a spiritual taste to read the Bible daily reflects an inner savor and relish of divine things. “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103). Often people associate “diet” with reducing their entire intake of food. Diet is not simply about eating less; it is about conscientiously ingesting more of the right things - less artificial, superficial; more authentic, i.e. the Truth.

It is in the Word of Truth that we grow and are nourished by the Lord. The spiritual food that we receive is then at home in us and remains as He is in us (John 15:7). Soon, we discover that God’s promises are there for us, ready to give energy to our entire being.

God Sees The Heart

The Pharisees knew Scripture. They prayed publicly. They followed traditions carefully. They appeared moral, disciplined, and holy in front of other people. But Jesus exposed the deeper issue: outward religion without inward surrender: “These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.” - Matthew 15:8

It’s possible to say the right things about God while keeping your heart distant from Him. A person can attend church, quote verses, post Christian content, sing worship songs, and still secretly love pride, lust, approval, money, status, or sin more than God Himself. External performance can hide internal emptiness for a long time.

That’s what made Jesus’ words so piercing. He wasn’t attacking sincere obedience. He was confronting hypocrisy - the kind of religion that looks alive externally, while the heart is away from God internally.

God isn't simply looking for religious activity. He desires truth in the inner person. Real repentance. Real surrender. Real love. Real intimacy with Him.

One of the most dangerous spiritual conditions is becoming skilled at appearing “close” to God, while quietly growing far from Him. That’s why this passage should humble every believer. Our question shouldn’t be: “How religious do I appear?” But: “Does my heart actually belong to Him?”

God sees beyond words, appearances, and reputation. He sees the heart.

- David Delfeld

Provided by "I Am With You Always"

God Can Save Anybody

Christians aren’t perfect people pretending we have life figured out.

We’re people who know what it feels like to be empty.

To make mistakes we regret.

To carry shame quietly.

To search for peace in places that could never give it.

To smile on the outside while hurting on the inside.

We know what it’s like to need grace.

To need mercy.

To need a fresh start we couldn’t earn for ourselves.

So no, we’re not standing here saying we’re better than anyone.

We’re standing here saying we were rescued.

We’re not pointing to our goodness.

We’re pointing to God’s goodness.

We’re not talking about perfection.

We’re talking about forgiveness.

We’re not saying we never fell.

We’re saying He picked us back up.

Christianity was never about a bunch of flawless people judging the broken.

It’s a bunch of broken people telling other broken people where healing can be found.

Because if He could save us…

He can save anybody.

- Cheyenne Traficante

Real Spiritual Maturity...

"Real spiritual maturity is when you stop asking God to change your situation and start asking Him to change you."

Most of our prayers are really just complaints with "Amen" at the end. We tell God how bad the job is and how annoying the people are and we beg Him to fix it. We treat God like a personal assistant whose job is to clear the obstacles out of our path so we can be comfortable.

But comfort is not the goal of the Christian life. Conformity to Christ is the goal. And usually, we become like Christ not when things are easy, but when things are hard.

Real maturity happens when you stop trying to control the wind and you start adjusting your sails. You realize that the storm isn't actually the problem; your fear is the problem. The difficult person isn't the problem; your impatience is the problem. The waiting isn't the problem; your lack of trust is the problem.

When you switch your prayer from "God change it" to "God change me," the panic disappears. Because the situation might stay exactly the same, but you become different. You become stable. You become peaceful. You become unshakeable. And that is a greater miracle than the storm stopping.

...we also glory in our sufferings,

because we know that suffering produces perseverance...

Romans 5:3 Provided by "Divine Insight"

Spiritual Maturity

A Definition

Spiritual maturity is a process that begins when a person accepts Jesus Christ as Savior. He or she is born again of the Holy Spirit and then chooses to live "in Christ." The Apostle Paul said that spiritual growth is an ongoing process. "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14). Even the Apostle Paul had not arrived, yet he continually pressed toward the prize.

Therefore, in order for Christian maturity to develop in your life, you must make a choice to learn God's Word, allow God to renew your mind, and then be obedient to what you learn. Romans 12:1-2 says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Accomplishing Growth

What are the marks of spiritual maturity? Spiritual maturity is learning how to walk in obedience to God. It is making the choice to live by God's viewpoint rather than your human viewpoint. Galatians 5:16 and 25 give the key, "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature…Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." The word "walk" in verse 16 is from the Greek word peripateo, which means "to walk with a purpose in view." The word "walk" in verse 25 is translated from another Greek word stoicheo and it means "step by step, one step at a time." It is learning to walk under the instruction of another. That person is the Holy Spirit. Since believers are indwelt by the Spirit, they should also walk under His control.

How can you learn to walk in the Holy Spirit's control? You study God's Word! 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17 instructs us, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth…All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." This is good practical instruction on how you become spiritually mature. It is not done by osmosis, but it is done by choosing to apply God's Word in everyday circumstances. As you walk step-by-step, applying God's Word to your life, you will grow spiritually.

Spiritual maturity should be a priority for you. "Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil" (Hebrews 5:13-14). As a believer, you are not to be milk-fed. Instead, you are called to chew on the "meat" of God's Word. Discover God's truth by in-depth Bible study and feed yourself spiritually. Then apply that sustenance to your life as you walk in the Holy Spirit.

How Can I Experience Joy In My Christian Life?

Joy is something we all long for but that often seems difficult to grab hold of. Experiencing joy should be a part of every Christian’s life. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, produced by God’s work in us, and it is part of God’s will for us.

We know that even the most mature of God’s people experience periods of joylessness. For instance, Job wished he had never been born (Job 3:11). David prayed to be taken away to a place where he would not have to deal with reality (Psalm 55:6-8). Elijah, even after defeating 450 prophets of Baal with fire called down from heaven (1 Kings 18:16-46), fled into the desert and asked God to take his life (1 Kings 19:3-5). If these men struggled, how can we experience consistent joy in the Christian life?

The first thing is to realize that joy is a gift from God. The root word for joy in the Greek is chara, which is closely related with the Greek charis for “grace.” Joy is both a gift of God as well as a response to the gifts of God. Joy comes when we are aware of God’s grace and relish His favor.

With this in mind, it’s evident that one way to experience joy is to focus on God. Rather than dwelling on our difficulties or those things robbing our contentment, we can dwell on God. This is not to say we should deny our discontent or stuff negative emotions. Following the example of many of the psalmists, we can pour out our hearts to God. We can tell Him bluntly all the things that ail us. But then we submit those things to Him, remember who He is, and are happy in Him. Psalms 3, 13, 18, 43, and 103 are good examples.

The Race

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

2 Timothy 4:7 (NKJV)

There is much satisfaction in finishing something you have begun! The success of a race is determined not only by how well you begin but also by how well you end. Many athletes can begin a race impressively, but if they stumble or are injured or lack the stamina to finish, their good start is useless. Paul rejoiced that he had not only begun the race; but he had also finished it. His prize was a robust faith in God and a life filled with God's powerful presence.

The Christian life is not easy. Some mistakenly assume that once they become children of God, their struggles are over. Many Christians begin their walk with Christ enthusiastically; but as the pressures mount, they lose heart and abandon their pilgrimage.

Paul described his Christian life as a battle. There were times when he struggled, and only through perseverance could he continue. It may surprise us to know that the great apostle had to struggle at times to be faithful to God. Paul faced persecution, misunderstanding, betrayal, and death threats. His Christian life was anything but easy, yet he persevered.

Your faith in God is not proven by beginning the race but by enduring to the finish. Publicly announcing your commitment to Christ in your church does not compare with a lifetime of devotion to His cause. Use Paul as your model. Live your life in such a way that you can one day conclude, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith!”

Excerpt from “Experiencing God Day-By-Day” by Henry and Richard Blackaby

Scripture: Romans 12:9-21

Behave Like a Christian

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

How To Maintain The Peace Of God In Difficult Times

Whenever we go through difficult times, peace often gives way to anxiety, stress and fear. It happens to the best of us. But the apostle Paul was able to sleep through a shipwreck. What is the secret to maintaining the peace of God regardless of what we are going through?

𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗲

In 1993, Tropical Storm Brett was threatening my country Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad is located just below the hurricane belt, so we are not accustomed to hurricanes. Many of us were afraid, worried whether the storm would hit and whether we were even prepared to deal with the aftermath. Some of us barely slept that night.

But there were other Trinidadians who left their homes to party in the streets of Port-of-Spain (our capital city). They were not in the least bit worried about any hurricane, “God is a Trini”. Brett veered north at the last minute and missed Trinidad.

Were these unsaved, ungodly people privy to some secret to peace that the rest of us Christians didn’t have? How could they be so calm knowing that a hurricane might hit and destroy everything they worked so hard for all their lives?

As I thought about it, I realized the answer is no, they do not have some secret to peace. What they have is not peace at all, it is denial. Their assurance was based on the assumption that no hurricane was coming. Based on history, every time a hurricane threatened to come near to Trinidad, it would eventually veer north and miss us. Their comfort was based on their belief that no hurricane was going to hit.

𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀
BUT, if instead of a hurricane, they had received a phone call stating that a hitman was coming to wipe out their families, I can guarantee you that they would not be partying in the street. They would be in a mad panic, scrambling to get the next flight out of the country. They would be terrified.

What they had is the kind of peace that the world gives. Jesus gave us real peace – the kind of peace that could sleep through a storm and not in the least be worried or anxious. What is the secret to that kind of peace? In a world of global terrorism, economic recession, job layoffs, divorce, troubled and troublesome kids; how do you not go insane with worry and depression? What is the secret to having peace when everything is falling apart?

𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. – John 14:27

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-9

The Way to Live with the Mind of Christ

[The Power of Purposeful Thinking According to God's Word]

One of the greatest revelations of my life is: I can choose my thoughts and think things on purpose. In other words, I don’t have to just think about whatever falls into my mind. This was a life-changing revelation for me because as Proverbs 23:7 says, "As he [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he." I like to say it like this: Where the mind goes, the man follows.

Now God is concerned about the hidden man of the heart, which is our inner life. Our inner life is what we think about. And like the scripture above says, the way we think determines how we live and who we are. That’s why we need to think about what we’re thinking about.

It’s so important for us to understand this because if we don’t learn how to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 10:4-5), we won’t live the life Jesus died to give us – a life of peace with God, peace with ourselves, great relationships, real joy and the ability to become all God has created us to be. It comes down to choosing to believe what God says (the truth) more than we believe our feelings, what other people say or our circumstances.

The Bible specifically talks about three things we must do to develop a mind that agrees with God. I want to share the benefits of each of them.

Set your minds and keep them set on what is above… (Colossians 3:2 AMP).
This is the key to resisting temptation. See, when we make up our mind ahead of time what we will and won’t do, then when temptation comes, we have laid a foundation to make right choices and are more likely to successfully overcome the temptation. For example, before you get into social situations, decide “I am not going to gossip. I’m not going to ruin someone’s reputation and offend the Holy Spirit.” Other temptations may require you to decide things like “I’m not going to eat four candy bars today.” Or “I am not going to look at pornography on the Internet.” Or “I am not going to hang out with people who are bad influences.” My point here is, we don’t want to wait until the temptation comes and then react based on how we feel about it.

Do not be conformed to this world…but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind… (Romans 12:2 AMP).
Renewing the mind is an ongoing process. Every day we need to take time to study the Word so we can purposely think according to what it says. And we can’t keep one or two “junky” areas in our thought life because it just keeps us from the best God has for us. I’m not saying we have to be perfect with this, but we need to make progress each day so we can keep our mind renewed and grow in our relationship with God.

Gird up the loins of your mind… (1 Peter 1:13 NKJV).
You are probably thinking, What does that mean? It’s basically saying we need to get all the junk in our mind out of our way so we can keep running our race in Christ Jesus and have the victory God wants us to have. Then we are ready for action to follow God’s plan for our lives.

One practical way we can accomplish these three directions from God is to have a think session every day. Just sit down and say, “I’m going to think about some things on purpose.” Then spend some time thinking about scriptures that renew your mind with the truth about what God says – about His love for you, His plan for you, how He wants you to live and behave... Use a concordance to find verses that cover areas you are struggling with or need to know more about. I want to encourage you to write some of them down and put them places where you will see them every day, like the bathroom mirror or refrigerator.

If you will commit to set your mind on God’s Word, renewing your mind with truth and getting stinkin’ thinkin’ out of your way, then you will experience the fullness of new life that we can all have in Christ. All it takes is a little more progress one day at a time.

- Joyce Meyer

How to Walk in the Spirit and Not the Flesh

Learning how to walk in the spirit and not the flesh reminds me of a sarcophagus. On many of these coffins, the exterior shell has a carved image of the deceased person. The real person is inside.

Until a Christian walks in the spirit, everyone sees your old self. That’s because you lock away your spirit (dare I say in a sarcophagus) when you don’t subdue your flesh.

The flesh and spirit are significantly different. Your body drops to the floor upon death but your spirit lives on.

2 Corinthians 5:1-2, 4-7
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  For in this tent we groan and long for our heavenly dwelling. While we are in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who prepares us for this very thing is God, who gives us the Spirit as a guarantee.

So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord - for we walk by faith, not by sight. 

Controlling this earthly tent is a constant battle! I’m miserable when I let my flesh control everything ALL DAY LONG. For example, hunger leads me to the kitchen. On the way there, I peek in the mirror to see what my face needs. Then, my flesh convinces me a day off from God is a good idea. Before I know it, God isn’t important. Instead, I’m knee-deep in emails, social media accounts or to-do lists.

Our flesh demands attention and wants instant gratification. It loves independence, power, and pleasures offered by the world. In contrast, the Spirit of God who lives inside waits for us to respond to Him.  So, what do you do? How do you make a habit of living and walking in the holy spirit?

10 Ways on How to Walk in the Spirit

1. Decide what hinders you. What’s your biggest fleshly battle? Sin entangles a person quickly (see Hebrews 12:1-2); therefore, know your hindrances and look to Jesus for help. Is it sexual impurity, anger, profanity, hatred, alcohol, or something else? Be aware of what your flesh likes - that’s what keeps you from walking in the spirit.
   
   
2. Reap life. Devote your time to what everyone else does in the world and reap death. You sow to the spirit every time you read scripture, meditate, or pray. By doing so, God gets larger inside you and what the world does no longer matters.
   
   
3. Obey God quickly.  Like anything else, it takes practice to do what God says. Deciding to train your flesh or your spirit takes considerable time, either way.
   
   
4. Be selective. The wrong friends, TV shows, and activities pull you away from God. Your spirit knows when that happens. You have a feeling that God isn’t pleased and He has a better plan.
   
   
5. Pray in the Spirit. The strongest desire usually wins out. If a besetting sin tries to overcome you, pray in God’s heavenly language to resist. You may even sense the Holy Spirit cleansing your heart while filling you with new desires.
   
   
6. Listen for the Holy Spirit. He may prompt you to stop smoking or abandon entertainment shows that feed your flesh. Remember, the benefits of walking in the spirit outweigh the temporary inconvenience of changing a mindset or lifestyle. Everything God tells you is important especially when you don’t want to hear what He says. People tune out God throughout the day and then wonder why they can’t hear Him in a crisis. He knows things you can never come up with on your own.
   
   
7. Decide daily to walk in the Spirit. You choose whether you walk in the spirit or not. Christians don’t stumble upon God. They make up their minds that He’s the only priority worth chasing.
   
   
8. See yourself dead to sin. How you see yourself in Christ becomes your reality. You can be led by the spirit because you are a son or daughter of God.
   
   Romans 8:12-14
   So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh -  for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
   
   
9. Allow fruit to grow. As you walk in the spirit, spiritual fruit starts to develop. You become more patient, loving, peaceful, or kind. This doesn’t happen overnight but the more you walk in the spirit spiritual changes become evident to you and others.
   
   
10. Thank God often. Without God at the helm, a Christian does nothing in the spirit. Every time you allow the Holy Spirit to work through you be thankful because you’re making progress.
    
    

More Ideas About How to Walk in the Spirit

Supernatural living occurs every day when Christians walk in the spirit. That’s because you don’t follow your natural inclinations when living your life. You follow God. Your flesh isn’t your governing authority that routinely opposes God.

Nope. God’s laws are written on your heart, not on tablets of stone like the Ten Commandments. When you allow Him, the Holy Spirit works inside you to keep your heart pliable (soft) and teachable. Christians with hardened hearts allow their flesh to rule non-stop. They’re unable to hear God thereby exalting themselves.

If you aren’t walking in the power of the holy spirit and seeing results, review this scripture to find out why.

Romans 8:5-9
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law - indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

I’ve found that choosing between the flesh and the spirit is the difference between bondage and freedom. My spirit can soar or stagnate. It’s up to me whether my Christian life is full of self or the things of the Spirit.

- Betsy Wise
(Provided by “Writing For JESUS”)

Q&A: Am I "Religious" or "Spiritual"?

Question:
I'm a born again Christian, however, I do not believe in organized (man made) religion. Am I considered to be "religious", "spiritual" or something else?

Answer:
Great question! While "religious" and "spiritual" are often used interchangeably, they describe two different ways of relating to the world and the divine.

Being Religious

• Organized Beliefs and Practices: Typically involves regular worship and rituals in a community setting, often according to the doctrines of a particular faith. Examples include attending church, mosque, synagogue, or temple.

• Sacred Texts: Religions usually have holy books or scriptures, such as the Bible, Quran, Torah, or Vedas.

• Authority Structure: There are often defined leaders, such as priests, imams, rabbis, or monks, who guide the community and interpret sacred texts.

• Cultural and Social Identity: Religion can also be a big part of cultural and family identity, influencing social customs and holidays.

Being Spiritual

• Individual Experience: Emphasizes personal and individual connection with the divine or the transcendent. This can include meditation, personal reflection, and experiencing nature.

• Flexible and Inclusive Beliefs: A spiritual person may draw from multiple religious traditions or none at all, creating a personal belief system.

• Less Formal Structure: There may be no set rituals or community worship; instead, spirituality is often more fluid and open-ended.

• Focus on Inner Life: Often involves seeking personal growth, inner peace, and a deeper understanding of oneself and one's place in the universe.

Some people see themselves as both religious and spiritual, finding that the two aspects complement each other. Others might identify more strongly with one or the other. 

Spiritual Christian

• Personal Faith: You maintain a strong, personal connection with Christian teachings and Jesus Christ, focusing on your relationship with God rather than following formal practices or church structures.

• Flexible Practice: Instead of adhering strictly to church rituals, you might choose to express your faith through prayer, meditation, reading the Bible, and living according to Christian values in your daily life.

• Individual Beliefs: Your faith is shaped by your personal experiences, reflection, and interpretations of Christian teachings, independent of institutional doctrines.

You might be considered part of a growing group of people who identify as "spiritual but not religious" (SBNR), where the emphasis is on personal spirituality rather than organized religion. It's all about what feels authentic and meaningful to you!

(Answer obtained via Microsoft Copilot)

Who I Am In Christ

 

How Can I Know How To Properly Worship God?

Worship can be defined as the act of honoring and loving a deity, idol or person in a “selfless” manner. The act of worship involves the total self in giving praise, thanksgiving and reverence to that deity, person or material object. It is not a half-hearted affair, and it is only after we distinguish between that which is and isn’t worship, with regards to the divine objective, that we can begin to answer the above question more fully. True, biblical worship, as defined by the scholar A. W. Pink (1886 – 1952) in his exposition of the gospel of John, says this: “It is a redeemed heart, occupied with God, expressing itself in adoration and thanksgiving.” Likewise, A. W. Tozer said, “True worship is to be so personally and hopelessly in love with God, that the idea of a transfer of affection never even remotely exists.”

So, the true worship of God is distinguished by the following criteria: first, it comes from the redeemed heart of a man or woman who has been justified before God by faith and who is trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness of sins. How can one worship the God of heaven if his sin has not been dealt with? Never can that worship be acceptable that proceeds from an unregenerate heart where Satan, self and the world hold sway (2 Timothy 2:26; 1 John 2:15). Any worship, other than that from a “washed” heart, is vain.

Second, true worship of God comes from a heart that desires Him alone. This was precisely where the Samaritan people erred; they sought to worship both God and idols (2 Kings 17:28-41), and this is reaffirmed by the Lord Jesus Christ when He discourses on the subject of true worship with the Samaritan woman who came to fetch water from the well. “You Samaritans worship what you do not know” (John 4:22). These people worshiped God “half-heartedly” because their total affection was not set on God. It is possible for even true believers to fall into this second error. We might not assent to having physical idols, like the Samaritans did, but what absorbs our will, our time, our resources most of all? Is it careers, material possessions, money, health, even our families? Let us cry out, like King David in Psalm 63:5, “My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips, my mouth will praise you.” Nothing less than God should satisfy the heart of the regenerate man, and his response to that divine satisfaction, comparable to the best food ever, is the fruit of lips that sing God’s praise (Hebrews 13:15).

Third, true worship of God is the desire to continue to build up our knowledge of God. How we have lost that desire in these days! Apart from the Bible, which we should be reading daily, we need to supplement our knowledge by reading other good books, too. We need to fill our minds constantly with the things of God; God should always be on our mind, and everything we do should be done with reference to Him (Colossians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 10:31). It is interesting that the Greek word for “worship” in Romans 12:1 can also mean “service.” So, our daily lives should also be considered as worship. Every day we are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. The church is supposed to be impacting the world by its worship of God. Far too often, it’s the other way around.

Let us purify our hearts if we really want to worship the triune God in spirit and in truth. Our God is holy; He is altogether “Other,” a God who cannot share us with other objects of our affection. Indeed, a God who WILL not share us, for the sake of His holiness. We were made to be creatures who worship, but the Fall has crippled and ruined us. Worship is the most natural thing for man, but until we are restored to God through the sacrifice of His dear Son, then all our worship is but a vain thing. It is as “strange fire” before the altar (Leviticus 10:1).

- Provided by "Got Questions Ministries"

Knowing Who I Am In Christ

Have you discovered how amazing your life in Christ is meant to be? This list reveals the truth about who God created you to be and how He wants you to live! 

▪️ I am complete in Him Who is the head over all rule and authority - of every angelic and earthly power. 

Colossians 2:10

𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐻𝑖𝑚, 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟. 

▪️ I am alive with Christ.

Ephesians 2:5

𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑤𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑠, 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑢𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡

(𝑏𝑦 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑑), 

▪️ I am free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:2

𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑤 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝐽𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒

𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑤 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ. 

▪️ I am far from oppression, and will not live in fear.

Isaiah 54:14

𝐼𝑛 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑑; 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑟 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛,

𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑓𝑒𝑎𝑟; 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟, 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑡 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢. 

▪️ I am born of God, and the evil one does not touch me.

1 John 5:18

𝑊𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑖𝑛; 𝑏𝑢𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝐺𝑜𝑑

𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑚𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ ℎ𝑖𝑚. 

Christians and Politics: What is our role?

I have lived a long time, and I cannot remember any time in my life when politics was as divisive or as scary. Our gradual cultural change from a standard of absolute right and wrong to moral relativism has left us without any rudder. Ethics and morals have been surrendered to whatever one can get away with. Both liberal and conservative politicians now seem to have transformed what should be well-meaning disagreements about what is best for the country and how best to fix it, into seeing the opposition as genuine enemies of the country. Following this lead, paranoia runs rampant among voters. I don’t understand the inability of people to realize that reasoning together requires, at the least, an honest attempt at objectivity - opening our minds to actually listening and trying to find mutual goals and possible mutual strategies to solving problems.

I have come to question the underlying understanding of Christians whose politics have become as imperative as their faith. How deeply should we be involved? Ultimately, is politics really where Christians should be putting their intensity?

How does an attitude of hatred from a certain segment of the Church reflect a Jesus whose message was one which taught us that if someone hits us on one cheek, we should offer him the other as well. He told us to forgive our enemies and pray for them - to do good to those who would treat us badly. Is this what we are doing? The current actions and attitudes on the part of many calling themselves Christian may be one of the reasons Christians are not taken seriously by the rest of the world, and offers a valid reason for them to cry, “Hypocrites!”. If the unbelievers of the world have lost their objectivity, surely it is important that we Christians retain ours. Do our words and actions reflect the kindness and humility of a genuine follower of Christ? Have we become so paranoid (on either political side) that we have also lost our spiritual focus? If there has been a true regeneration of the soul, people would be growing more Christ-like, not more like the world. A lot of bad stuff is being done in the name of Christ which has no connection with Christ at all, and the reputation of the Church is suffering.

Yet, even true believers are not always judicious about their politics. I truly don’t understand why Christians are so deeply involved in politics of either stripe. Scripture clearly teaches us that we are to be IN this world, but not OF it. I believe this implies a careful making of choices and a degree of moderation regarding secular systems. Of course I believe we should vote, and try to vote intelligently. We are to render to Caesar, etc., and there are certainly activities in which our faith and our politics may meet. We are to have a servant mentality, and this may call for compassionate involvement in social issues. We are to be salt and light in the world, and this means working for the things we believe, like feeding the hungry, education, preserving life, and so on. I get that. We are saved by grace, but toward good works. (Read the book of James) However, our good works and our consciences should be fueled by the depth of our faith, designed to reflect God’s love. Law merely reflects the current political thinking of a nation, which may or may not represent good. While we are to obey secular law, our primary allegiance should be to serve God.

The troubling thing to me is the intensity many Christians put into our politics; the anger and demonization we direct at our political opponents, just like the world. If we speak of spiritual things, the conversation remains calm and cerebral. If we talk about politics, everyone becomes intensely emotional. What does this say about the reality of our true priorities? It seems to me that the passion should be on the side of our faith. There is a fine line, and we need to be sure we have not crossed it.

Am I Really Saved?

𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗱?
First let us understand what salvation is.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?
Firstly, we need to talk about salvation. If we do not have a scriptural understanding of salvation, how can we know whether we truly have it? Salvation is simply the deliverance from sin through faith in Jesus Christ. A person is truly saved when He accepts that he is a sinner, repents for his sins, and by faith, accepts the free gift of salvation made possible by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as revealed in the Bible.

𝗘𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
To know whether you are saved, you need to look at yourself in the light of the Scriptures. If you are sure that you have repented of your sins, and believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, you will doubtless see the following evidence in your life.

𝟭. 𝗔 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 – 𝗔 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁
Once saved, the Bible says we are new creations in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are no longer slaves of sin. Jesus has set us free not only from the condemnation and effects of sin, but also from the power of sin over us.

Romans 8:1-2

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑛𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝐽𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑠, 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑘 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑠ℎ, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡. 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑤 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝐽𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑤 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ. 

𝗪𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗻
Freedom from sin does not mean that we should continue to sin:

Romans 6:1-5
𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛? 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑖𝑛, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑? 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑑. 𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑒, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑖𝑛, 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑛? 𝐾𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑦𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑠𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑢𝑠 𝑎𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝐽𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑠 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ? 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑏𝑦 𝑏𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑚 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ: 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑎𝑠 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑝 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟, 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑜 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑛𝑒𝑤𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒. 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑓 𝑤𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ, 𝑤𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.

Note that the Bible says we are dead to sin. How can a believer who is now freed from the power of sin and who is now free to serve God fully, choose to remain in a life of sin?

Romans 6:6-23
𝐾𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ ℎ𝑖𝑚, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑏𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑦𝑒𝑑, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ 𝑤𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑛. 𝐹𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑠𝑖𝑛. 𝑁𝑜𝑤 𝑖𝑓 𝑤𝑒 𝑏𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡, 𝑤𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ ℎ𝑖𝑚: 𝐾𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑡ℎ 𝑛𝑜 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒; 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ ℎ𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑛𝑜 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑖𝑚. 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑, ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒: 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑡ℎ, ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑡ℎ 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝐺𝑜𝑑. 𝐿𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑘𝑜𝑛 𝑦𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑖𝑛, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝐽𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑠 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑. 𝐿𝑒𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑜𝑏𝑒𝑦 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑜𝑓. 𝑁𝑒𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑦𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 𝑦𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑢𝑛𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑖𝑛: 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝐺𝑜𝑑, 𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝐺𝑜𝑑. 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑜𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢: 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑤, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒. 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛? 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑛, 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑤, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒? 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑑. 𝐾𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑦𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑚 𝑦𝑒 𝑦𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑜𝑏𝑒𝑦, ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑦𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑚 𝑦𝑒 𝑜𝑏𝑒𝑦; 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ, 𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑏𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠? 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑒𝑑, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑖𝑛, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑏𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑜𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢. 𝐵𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑠𝑖𝑛, 𝑦𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠. 𝐼 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑒𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑠ℎ: 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑠 𝑦𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑦; 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑦𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠. 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑖𝑛, 𝑦𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠. 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑦𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑑? 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ. 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑠𝑖𝑛, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝐺𝑜𝑑, 𝑦𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒. 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ; 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑖𝑓𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝐽𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑠 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑.

This chapter says very clearly that as Christians, we have freedom from sin and that we should not continue to live in sin.

How Do I Become A Christian?

 if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:9

𝗘𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

Realizing how to become a Christian is the most important discovery of your life! Becoming a Christian is more than joining a church or saying a prayer. It is a personal relationship that will last for eternity. Do you know what will happen to you the moment you die? Where will you find yourself? Where is your destination?

There are only two destinations - and both are eternal: You will either find yourself living for eternity in heaven or existing for eternity in hell. Where will you be?

𝗘𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻 - This destination is reserved for those who receive Jesus Christ's gift of eternal salvation. Contrary to popular belief, heaven is not for the church-goers, the devout, or the "good people." The only stipulation is receiving God's gift of salvation.

𝗘𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹 is reserved for those who reject Jesus Christ and His Gospel. The Bible sums up the Gospel like this: : "...That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Hell is described in the Bible as a fiery lake of burning sulfur.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 - 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀

The Bible explains how to become a Christian in very simple terms:

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱 and can not live up to God's standard of holiness. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵. Romans 6:23 states: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗚𝗼𝗱'𝘀 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place, so we could be spared from hell. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." According to the Bible, we aren't required to subscribe to a religious formula or do more good things than bad ones. God gives His gift freely to all who ask. "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13).

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 - 𝟭𝟬𝟬% 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

Once you discover how to become a Christian and then accept God's gift, the Bible says that you can be 100 percent assured of your eternal designation.

1 John 5:11-13 says, "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲."

Do you know for sure that you will spend eternal life with God in heaven? If not, this is a decision you don't want to put off.

𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗳 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

𝗧𝗵𝗲 "𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻" 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗼𝗱

The "prayer of salvation" is the most important prayer we'll ever pray.

When we're ready to become a Christian, we're ready to have our first real conversation with God, and these are its components:

We acknowledge that Jesus Christ is God; that He came to earth as a man in order to live the sinless life that we cannot live; that He died in our place, so that we would not have to pay the penalty we deserve.

We confess our past life of sin - living for ourselves and not obeying God.

We admit we are ready to trust Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.

We ask Jesus to come into our heart, take up residence there, and begin living through us.