Feeding the Sheep - Christian Living
-Paul writing to the first believers in Philippi, 1st century
Philippians 2:14-16
[This is the 11th message of this series]
This lesson is intended for mature believers (or adulting believers). For a more orderly study, please go through all the previous messages first, if you haven't yet.
Daily Living
So we have touched on how to live a life of a believer countless times throughout the various messages we have shared since the start of this online ministry.
And we can never have enough of these kinds of lessons, if not reminders, on how to live a Christian life.
Sanctification
As Christians we need to be the breath of fresh air in this stinking sinking world, as well as the the light in a dark gloomy world.
If we live the same way as the rest of the world or like the way we used to, then we are still citizens of this world and not of heaven.
Attitude
Before we were spiritually reborn -- justified and reconciled through faith, all of us have our human dark side and the way we know that we have been reborn is that all that past dark attitudes have also died out.
On occasion, those old ghosts of our past do come back and haunt us still. During some of these times, our old human nature may take over and we might do things we know we ought not to do (or not do things that we should).
We then feel a nudge from the inside, ribbing us, condemning us. Don't worry, this is just a reminder that we are human and still have a long way to go in our spiritual walk with God.
As we have pointed out in a previous message, the Apostle Peter and first disciples walked with Jesus in the flesh for over three years, and the Apostle Paul walked with the risen Christ (the Spirit of Jesus) for the same amount of time, we too like them, need some time (years) to mature.
Adulting
In our trials and temptations, as maturing Christians remember we are walking with the Spirit of Christ. The Holy Spirit is our Friend, He will always be there to gently tell us what to do and say or not do and not say.
And when we falter (which on occasion we will), He is still there to lovingly let us know we messed up but then He points us to the right direction without condemning or making us feel guilty.
Our response determines if we are really spiritually reborn or are still ruled by our old fleshy body, still calling the shots, making and running our own gameplans and still up to our old bag of tricks.
The Old is Gone (The New Has Come)
Each new day is a brand new day. We should look forward and not at what is behind. We should be getting better day by day and we will, if we would let the Holy Spirit lead us.
We should do everything without complaining, grumbling, murmuring, bickering or arguing. Our attitude will determine our altitude.
Many people wants nothing more than for us to stoop down to their level and stay there with them. But we aren't like chickens who cannot fly high. We are like eagles and we are meant to soar above all the pettiness of our humanity.
When others are being rude towards us, take time to breathe, pause and remember we were just like them in our former lives. If the Lord can forgive us of all our pettiness and ugliness back then, we can surely let go of the pettiness of this thing that is happening to us at this moment.
Thank the Holy Spirit that you are no longer like them. Let it go. Allow God to take care of this for you. Be wise and move on. There are more important things to do than to wallow in the mud and take pleasure in doing so.
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