For thought and meditation

[rl69]

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.—Philippians 1:6 (http://harvest.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=4f108f827aed8d503b5fca9fa&id=b2e1969cb6&e=3dd732485b)So, you say you tried Christianity and it didn't work for you?

My reply: Nonsense!

Let me ask you these questions:

1. After you were "converted," did you begin to study and memorize Scripture? Psalm 119:11 (NKJV) says, "Your word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You." Paul exhorts us in 2 Timothy 2:15 (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/x-apple-data-detectors://2) (AMP), "Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved."

2. Did you actively and regularly get involved in a church? Not sporadically, but on a regular basis. We should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together (see Hebrews 10:25 (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/x-apple-data-detectors://3) NKJV).

3. Did you get baptized? I'm not saying this is essential for salvation, but it is commanded in Scripture! "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized" (Acts 2:38 (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/x-apple-data-detectors://4) NKJV). Why would you not do what God has clearly commanded you to do?
4. Did you turn from all known sin? "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear" (Psalm 66:18 NKJV).

5. Did you develop a prayer life? "Pray without ceasing . . . for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:17–18 (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/x-apple-data-detectors://5) NKJV).

6. Did you deny yourself and take up the cross? Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23 (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/x-apple-data-detectors://6) NKJV).

7. Did you keep His commandments? "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked"(1 John 2:3–6 NKJV).

If "it" didn't work, it's your own fault—because we're not dealing with an "it" but a "Him."

The Bible promises, "that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it" (Philippians 1:6 NKJV). Do you want your life to change? Jesus is saying to you, "Take your stand! Follow Me!"

"But I've tried and failed!" No, you haven't. Jesus doesn't work for some and not for others. He will change any person just as they are, immediately!

G. K. Chesterton said, "Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and not tried

[Pine Baron]

Thank you, rl. It is indeed a daily, constant, some would say, "struggle". Others might say "blessing".

[Boaz]

Good lesson rl69 .
Pine Baron your right . We are born sinners , many times what should be a blessing we struggle against....it is our nature . The struggle ends when you give it to GOD .

[Blackwater]

Great post and commentary, all. Today, most people are so glued to the concept that nothing in life should require much of them, that many who have the epiphany, simply slide off into the bubbling mass of oblivion by simply "not trying," as Chesterton said. And then, they have the temerity to wonder "What went wrong?" Inattentiveness in life has always carried with it some real and often long term consequences. Real Christianity is NOT easy! It's a constant challenge to seek God's will rather than our own. It's hard to study and discern the scriptures' meanings. It's hard to put them into use, and not give in to our baser instincts. But .... it's always worth it, and the consequences of real effort on our part always pay HUGE dividends if we're just faithful and steadfast, even when we don't think we're learning all we want to just yet. My own experience is that if I wasn't learning, it was MY fault, not God's in the least, but perseverence and a really deep desire to know will ALWAYS lead us to understand, and sometimes, to understand, God needs to change US to get us to a place where we CAN understand. His advice to accept things was NOT just an off the cuff reflection. It was some of the best advice we'll ever get! But it's HARD to accept, sometimes, but trying to understand on OUR terms usually prevents us from really understanding, and blocks our way to understanding like we really want to. This may sound like gobbledygook to a non-believer, but it's not. Christianity, the real thing, at least, is full of seeming paradoxes that wind up being very, very true, once we see them from the right perspective, and from a point of real understanding, instead of through our own, limited wills.

I think of REAL Christians as being folks who understand the line from the movie "Monte Walsh," where the old top hand that was running things told the eastern lawyer/accountant about the "rules" for being a cowboy. The dude asked if they were written down somewhere, being a scholarly type. The top hand said, "They're not written, you fool. They're LIVED." And so it is with Christianity.

If it's real, it's lived. If it's not real, the ones possessing that type of "faith" can't be told from the ordinary un-believer. To whatever extent they believe, they don't let it affect their routine daily lives, and in so doing, deny themselves the benefit of real joy in life. If all that's involved in life is the simple calculations of "what's best for me and what I want to do," then that's all there will ever be for those folks. If, on the other hand, one lives for Christ, to his best ability to so so in all honesty, and is humble enough to go with God's plans rather than his own, that person cannot be "like everybody else." It was never intended for him to be like "everybody else." He or she will be different in some critical ways, but the long faced kind of Christian hasn't learned to enjoy God's way, really. The best examples of full Christianity in its full fruition, is those calm, self assured, concerned but unafraid folks whose eyes contain a light that ohters simply don't and can't. It's the light of revelation, and the appreciation that it's all going to work out to the good for them, no matter what happens here on earth, and they're just satisfied to walk the path that God has laid out for them, and do what they can along the way to get others to understand faith better and more fully, and to help whoever they can as they are presented to them by God for them to deal with.

There's no fear in them, though there's reasonable concern for their safety. No fear of man infests them, though, because they simply don't fear dying. And if one doesn't fear dying, what COULD they fear??? There's only a simple, humble willingness to do whatever God lays on them to do, and they do things as the spirit moves them and opportunities present themselves.

Life for a real Christian is SO fulfilling and SO wonderful and SO enjoyable, it's a wonder more folks don't see it, but Satan too, is always at work, and lures many away from what we all know deep down inside to be the Truth and the way we should go. It's just not easy to get started, but once engaged, it's also hard to stop. I wish I had the words to say it better, but I don't. Wish I knew a better way to make it clearer to unbelievers, but again, I just don't have it. But there it is, if anyone wants to think on it and at least try to discern the real inner meaning of what Christianity is and what it does. Blessed be the name of our Lord.