Letters from the Beloved – Internalize and Run
Before I even opened my Bible app this morning to begin to write, I was thinking about the fact that if I am not changing because I am in church every week, read the Bible every day, go to devotional, Bible study, women’s group study, listen to Christian podcasts, etc., then I am doing Christianity wrong.
Perhaps God wanted me to really get the point that John, the beloved was making when he wrote this: 1John 2:24-25 [NKJV] 24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that He has promised us--eternal life.
Being a Christian is about becoming more Christ-like. It’s about God the Father and Jesus our Savior abiding in us through the Holy Spirit. Being Christian is about abiding in them as well – in the words of the Bible and in the center of their will for my life.
Hebrews 12:1 [NKJV] Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares [us], and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
This abiding should change me.
If I am the same person that I was when I was baptized decades ago, then I may have a problem. To be clear, I may still struggle with certain sins, but I ought to have overcome some of them and also be winning more battles with the ones that still have the power to trip me up. There must be some trials or daily stresses that I handle better than I used to. Or what is the point of my commitment to a life lived in obedience?
Sisters, let me be clear, I know I will not become sinless in this life. In fact, my experience has been that our merciful Father waits to reveal some things I must overcome until I have made progress on other things. In other words, He did not/does not lay all my sins on me all at once. That would be overwhelming. But He reveals them as we walk together and I make progress in my journey toward greater obedience.
The process is similar to any goal we go for in this life. For example, if I want to run a marathon, I cannot just read about running and hang out with people who run. I need to actually lace up my tennis shoes and hit the trail or track. I will build up my stamina by pushing myself to do better. I may work with a trainer or training program for months before undertaking my first 26.2 miles.
And, make no mistake about it, this Christian walk is not really a walk. It is a race. Hebrews 12:1 [NKJV] Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares [us], and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
Our Christian race comes with a prize = eternal life, as John said, 1 John 2:25.
1Corinthians 9:24 [NKJV] also uses the race analogy: 24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain [it].
We must practice abiding or living in the Word and having the Word live in us. We must internalize it and walk the walk as well as talk the talk.
The Word of God is active, as we are told in Hebrews 4:12. It is a living, moving thing – not a moving changing target but a think that moves us forward toward that goal, that prize of eternal life.
So, run, sister, run!
I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me in the comments section or at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org