Tag: Philippians

Walk The Walk… Not Only Talk The Talk

Surrender is normally seen as defeat… but for a Christian surrender of our lives to the Lord is victory.

Surrender is the price we pay to follow Jesus.

But salvation is a free gift right?

The grace of God is made freely available to us through Christ but it had a great price – the price of His life.

We freely receive the forgiveness of God when we receive His gift of salvation and turn in repentance from our life of sin. The proof of this is to desire to take hold of the life that he offers.

Now that’s where there is a price to pay for us… to walk the walk… not only talk the talk.

It’s not works at all. Surrender is the opposite of works. It requires deep faith and reliance on God’s grace and sets the foundation for actually living Christian life… living as compared to hearing and reading about it.

This is the place the Lord wants us to be. It’s the place where we will be confronted the most but a place where where we will learn to be most satisfied. It’s the place we really get to know the Lord.

It’s costs everything but we loose nothing of real value.

Matthew 13:46
who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Philippians 3:10
that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

  • Mark Saunders

A Christian Walk Will Certainly Bring It’s Sufferings. But Take Heart, He’s Already Reached The End – For The Joy Set Before You – Continue – Don’t Stop!

Every journey has a beginning and an end.

Christian life is similar. It begins when we’re born again. The destination will be eternity with the Lord… but while we’re alive on earth our time is spent “on the road”.

Jesus described the road as narrow. The word “narrow” translates as “afflict, suffer tribulation or trouble” What does He mean?

He’s talking about a spiritual suffering that the Holy Spirit will lead me in if I’m willing. This suffering comes as I’m ready to let my flesh (carnal nature) be dealt with.

Here’s the thing – we’re perfectly righteous in Christ but far from perfect in reality. True or not? We still carry our “flesh” with us.

An example… holding grudges. Do you hold any? That’s of the flesh, not the spirit.

The Lord might allow a circumstance in which I’m offended to teach me to forgive… I would have been afflicted, have suffered and maybe undergone tribulation in the process.

Photo of Person Walking On Dirt Road

A servant is not greater than his master. A Christian walk will certainly bring it’s sufferings as we walk on the narrow road. But take heart, He’s already reached the end – for the joy set before you – continue – don’t stop! This is often how He shapes and forms us into his image.

Matthew 7:14
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (KJV)

Philippians 3:10
that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

1 Peter 4:13
but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

  • Mark Saunders

If There’s Anything The World Desperately Needs It’s Men To Accept The Work Of The Cross In Their Lives

We don’t like to loose. We’re taught to stand our ground and defend our rights.

The Christian life though is a “lost life” if we want to walk in the fullness of God’s plan.

Jesus said he is the way the truth and the life. His life is not just a story, it’s a message, and a pattern for us. His purpose was to do the will of the Father and this came at a price.

The price was his own will. The will of God led him to lay down His rights and position… even His life for us even though we don’t deserve it.

We can expect to be led, like He was, “to the cross” if we want God’s will above our own.

family beach holiday

An example …a husband is called to love his wife as Christ loves the Church. See where it’s going..? Even though a husband has a God given authority in his home, we are called to be ready to loose our rights for the sake of our wife. If I want to carry the heart of God for her there’s a price to pay – it’s being ready to “loose my life.”

Being ready to accept the work of the cross did not diminish Jesus’ authority. On the contrary, it established his spiritual authority.

If there’s anything the world desperately needs it’s men to accept the work of the cross in their lives. Being ready to loose for the sake of carrying the life of Christ, to be examples of God’s own heart in their homes.

Here’s the thing – this isn’t works. It’s too hard to sustain if it’s my works. It’s only possible by His grace which he makes available to anyone who truly desires it.

The message of the cross doesn’t make sense to our natural reasoning but truly it’s the power and wisdom of God!

Philippians 2:5
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

  • Mark Saunders

What do you expect?

Philippians 1:20 For I live in eager expectation and hope that I will never do anything that causes me shame, but that I will always be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past, and that my life will always honor Christ, whether I live or I die. NLT

I don’t believe most of us can make a statement like this. Most of us do not expect to never do anything that would cause us to be ashamed. We are not confident enough in our righteousness to believe that we could ever do it. From experience, we know that we mess up, that we sin. We seldom get to the point where we actually believe that we will be strong enough to not sin. Yet, Paul believed it was possible and he was not afraid to go out on a limb and proclaim it.

Paul expected to always be a bold witness for Christ. He based his hope on the fact that it was true of him in the past and he saw no reason why it would change. His passion for Christ was so strong that he simply couldn’t hold it in. He had to be a witness for Him. We should strive to be like Paul. Our love for Christ should compel us to be bold witnesses for Him. If we are not witnesses for Him, then perhaps we better re-evaluate our standing before God. We are bold witnesses for those things which excite us.

Paul’s passion was to always honor Christ, whether in life or death. It should be the passion of every believer’s heart. Do you honor Christ in your living? If you do, you certainly will honor Him in your death. Our expectation should always be that we would live honorable lives before God in Christ. Let us leave no doubt as to whom we are living for by the way we live our lives. In all things, honor the Lord in word and deed.