As we continue to talk about this identity crisis that the church, and christians for that matter are experiencing, I want to show you something from Proverbs 7. This portion of scripture speaks of a woman that has dressed herself up as a harlot in order to attract interest from a young man that, as the scripture says, was void of understanding. The modern church in America, and to an extent around the world are doing just this, dressing ourselves up in a way that would appeal to the flesh of those that are void of understanding. The church is augmenting with flesh to attract the world. We have come to a place where we are more concerned about pleasing men and filling our churches than preaching the truth of God's Word!!!
Just as the woman in Proverbs 7, the church has forgotten who we are, we have lost the power of the Holy Spirit and as a result we have deferred to trying to please the people than to do what the Word of God has commanded us to do, and here is what the Bible says, John 12:32 - And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. I always thought when reading this scripture that meant if I praised God that all men would be drawn unto Him, and I do believe when we praise Him that people will be drawn to Him. I also believe that the scripture is saying when you lift me up, Jesus. Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life then as a result of presenting that truth without dilution and without concern of pleasing men, then I will draw them unto me through the conviction of my Holy Spirit!!
We will go over the reason for churches/christians losing their identity and the power of the Holy Spirit in the next blog.
God Bless,
Nathan
Friday, May 15, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Identity Crisis
Many parents, youth pastors, and pastors would all agree that "Christian" young people and "Christian people as a whole have lost their identity in this world...they no longer look different than their unsaved peers, they no longer act different, talk different, or even have different "worldviews" than their unsaved peers.
Ever wonder why that is? There is a very simple answer to this very complex question, the Word of God says very simply in Romans 8:15 - For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba Father."
Think about that scripture for a moment, it says very plainly that we are adopted into the family of God!!! What better family could there be? Is there anyone else that you would rather have as your Father than the one that hung the sun, the moon, and the stars in the sky?? Is there anyone else that you would rather have as your Father than the one that spoke and whole galaxies came into existence, who breathed the very breath of life into you? NO WAY, that is so AWESOME!! The God of all the universe picked me?? Yes, that is the very defintion of adoption, it means that out of all of the other kids that were better looking, more talented, or had better hair than you, God CHOSE you!! That is awesome, right?!?!?!!
So, what does it mean if all of the "Christians" are the same as the sinners? What this simply means is that instead of Christians receiving the Spirit of adoption that we are to receive at Salvation which begins the process of becoming totally different then our peers, we have received that spirit of bondage, that spirit of fear.
The scripture says in 2 Timothy 1:7 - For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. For the enemy to get a Christian into bondage he must first place a fear inside of them. The easiest fear for a person to yield to is the fear that they are not loved, therefore the enemy will lie to them in a spiritual desert and tell them that God does not love them and the people around them don't love them. This will eventually lead them into the bondage of trying to feel loved and trying to feel accepted. Therefore they forget who they are(A child of the King, whose salvation was paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ), and succumb to this identity crisis.
I have so much more that I want to say about this, but it is so much that it would be way too much for one blog...I will try to get another blog continuing on this topic posted next week...stay posted.
God Bless,
Nathan
Ever wonder why that is? There is a very simple answer to this very complex question, the Word of God says very simply in Romans 8:15 - For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba Father."
Think about that scripture for a moment, it says very plainly that we are adopted into the family of God!!! What better family could there be? Is there anyone else that you would rather have as your Father than the one that hung the sun, the moon, and the stars in the sky?? Is there anyone else that you would rather have as your Father than the one that spoke and whole galaxies came into existence, who breathed the very breath of life into you? NO WAY, that is so AWESOME!! The God of all the universe picked me?? Yes, that is the very defintion of adoption, it means that out of all of the other kids that were better looking, more talented, or had better hair than you, God CHOSE you!! That is awesome, right?!?!?!!
So, what does it mean if all of the "Christians" are the same as the sinners? What this simply means is that instead of Christians receiving the Spirit of adoption that we are to receive at Salvation which begins the process of becoming totally different then our peers, we have received that spirit of bondage, that spirit of fear.
The scripture says in 2 Timothy 1:7 - For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. For the enemy to get a Christian into bondage he must first place a fear inside of them. The easiest fear for a person to yield to is the fear that they are not loved, therefore the enemy will lie to them in a spiritual desert and tell them that God does not love them and the people around them don't love them. This will eventually lead them into the bondage of trying to feel loved and trying to feel accepted. Therefore they forget who they are(A child of the King, whose salvation was paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ), and succumb to this identity crisis.
I have so much more that I want to say about this, but it is so much that it would be way too much for one blog...I will try to get another blog continuing on this topic posted next week...stay posted.
God Bless,
Nathan
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