This is a bittersweet post. Just about 14 weeks ago, we started our adventure of reading the Bible together in 90 days. It's hard to think that it's nearly over now.
As I look back at what we've read this past week, the theme of Christian growth continued to come to mind. The Old Testament is full of reminders of God's desire for holiness, His disdain for sin and His will to be in a relationship with His people. The New Testament starts out by clearly offering a means to holiness (sanctification) and redemption of our sins through Christ's death. These two things (sanctification and redemption) offer us a relationship with God. But it doesn't stop there.
Most of the remainder of the New Testament talks about Christian growth and maturity. The process for us doesn't (and shouldn't) stop at the time that we confess our sins and accept Christ's salvation. Our life as a Christian only starts there. The journey from that point is to know Christ, study His Word, live in faith, live a life of works because of our faith and yearn to grow each day to become more like Christ. The Christian life has to be about growth - growth naturally springs forth from redemption.
I'm sure we all know Christians who are stunted in their Christian life. They are not growing. There faith almost seems dead. There are also a lot of Christians who are all-too content to continue to be fed "soft food". They don't want to dig into the Word. They don't want to deal with the ongoing sin in their lives. Maybe they're intimidated by what we call theology. They are content to just be.
But that is not at all what Christ wants for us. And that's not what I want my life to be.
"Put on them, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father through him. - Colossians 3:12-17
Tomorrow's reading schedule:
Day 90, Monday, August 8th
Revelations 18:1 - Revelations 22:21
1 comment:
Congratulations on all of your reading! This is an amazing feat. :)
I host a 90-day read through on my site twice a year with accountability groups. If you'd ever like to join us, I'd love to have you... or if you want to help our mentor team, you are welcome to that, too. :)
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