Imagine a guy (we'll call him Fred) puts on a shirt. Across the chest, in huge letters, it says, "Jesus is Lord!" Fred has just labeled himself a Christian.
Yet when it comes to the way Fred acts, Jesus is definitely not in charge. When Fred misses a shot in tennis, he goes ballistic. And he just can't remember to take out the garbage—even though he's been told a dozen times. When he's with his girlfriend, he's always pushing the physical limits.
Who's in control? Certainly not Jesus. For Fred, his feelings rule. He's pretty much out of control.
Fred's shirt is just that: a shirt. The statement is empty. He's labeled himself a "Christian," but he sure doesn't act like one.
Fred's way of looking at faith would have been unimaginable to believers in the early church. To them, faith was not just something a person believed; it was something that had to be lived.
It meant a radically different way of life. They had to put their feelings in second place and put Jesus first—right where a person called "Lord" belongs.
These early believers worked so hard at following Jesus' example that someone began calling them "Christians." And it wasn't a compliment, either. You can almost hear it said with a sneer and a laugh: "You people are just a bunch of little 'Christs.' A bunch of Christians." But what could be better than being named after the person you most want to be like?
With the name, however, comes the responsibility to live in a way Jesus would be proud of. And that means living a life of self-control. It's not easy, because sometimes your desires will fight his will. But you don't have to struggle alone.
God is at work in and through your life. Even in the middle of temptation, he opens a door to give you a way out. You do not have to fall. You can have self-control.
Think back to the last time you gave in to temptation. Walk through the experience step-by-step. Do you see where God has provided a way out? It's there. Keep looking until you see it, then watch for it next time—before you fall.
These early believers worked so hard at following Jesus' example that someone began calling them "Christians." And it wasn't a compliment, either. You can almost hear it said with a sneer and a laugh: "You people are just a bunch of little 'Christs.' A bunch of Christians." But what could be better than being named after the person you most want to be like?
With the name, however, comes the responsibility to live in a way Jesus would be proud of. And that means living a life of self-control. It's not easy, because sometimes your desires will fight his will. But you don't have to struggle alone.
God is at work in and through your life. Even in the middle of temptation, he opens a door to give you a way out. You do not have to fall. You can have self-control.
Think back to the last time you gave in to temptation. Walk through the experience step-by-step. Do you see where God has provided a way out? It's there. Keep looking until you see it, then watch for it next time—before you fall.
From the Word:
"Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."
Philippians 2:12-13
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