For thought and meditation

[rl69]

"For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."

—Ephesians 6:12

During the time the United States was involved in the Vietnam War, I became eligible for the draft. There were a lot of young men in the same boat that I was, and I can tell you that we weren’t real happy about it. But if I had been called by my country, I was willing to go and serve.

As Christians, we have been drafted into God’s army. You, as a child of God, are going to be a soldier. The choice is whether you will be a good soldier or a bad one. If you’re going to be a true follower of Jesus Christ, the battle will rage. And your choice in this battle is whether you will win or lose, whether you will advance or retreat on the battlefield.

Some Christians are shocked to find that the Christian life is not a playground but a battleground. They want to live on easy street. They want to kick back and just count their blessings. That isn’t the way it works.

The apostle Paul wrote, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

In the Christian life, you will be either advancing or retreating. By advancing, I mean that you will be used by God. He is looking for men and women who are ready to step onto the spiritual battlefield and make a difference. But we must make that choice.

It’s time to get out of our foxholes. It’s time to dust off our clothes, to shine up our armor, to sharpen our swords, and get on with it. Because, like it or not, we have been drafted into God’s service.

[Boaz]

Thank you for posting this rl69 !

[Thundarstick]

Lots to think about, but drafted? Nope I joined up! I'm sure I didn't know the full extent of what could be required of me at the time, but I'm no deserter and my commander has always seen me through every battle!

[square butte]

I volunteered - But had no idea what would an will be truly required of me. The way I used to do battle is much different than the way I do battle now - I know who is in control and how this battle ends. Thanks rl

[Blackwater]

"Some Christians are shocked to find that the Christian life is not a playground but a battleground. They want to live on easy street. They want to kick back and just count their blessings. That isn’t the way it works."

"It’s time to get out of our foxholes. It’s time to dust off our clothes, to shine up our armor, to sharpen our swords, and get on with it. Because, like it or not, we have been drafted into God’s service."

Wow! Strong meat indeed! And so clearly true, all of it! We have entered an age where folks EXPECT things to be done FOR them rather than BY them, and it's SO easy to fall into WANTING things to be that way. But they've never been that way for long, certainly, and when they have been, it's been characteristic of man to "celebrate" to a degree that we tend to forget whence come all our blessings. Prior to the Spanish American war and WWI, we had the "Gay 90's." Prior to the Great Depression and WWII, we had the "Roaring 20's." Prior to Viet Nam, we had the free-wheeling 50's. It seems to be a never-ending and often repeated cycle: We get some good times, forget whence come our salvation and blessings, and we work ourselves into a war or other great catastrophe! What a dull and willful lot we are to NOT learn from this!!! And salvation is right there in front of us every day of our lives! And all we have to do is simply do what we know is right to start with! And yet, so many turn away from God, and toward what they think will be "fun" .... at least for a while. Like when going into a ritzy restaurant without checking their prices, getting the bill can be a real shock. But we couldn't have really NOT known what we were getting into and risking. We just fooled our own selves into believing what we WANTED to believe, in spite of the certain knowledge that it couldn't possibly be so. And even then, God will still take us back, if we just confess and repent! What a wonderful and loving God we serve!

[USMC87]

Amen, A great lesson.

[shoot-n-lead]

And even then, God will still take us back, if we just confess and repent! What a wonderful and loving God we serve!

Blackwater, does this mean that if we were to sin one second before we die, that GOD would not accept us because we had not confessed and repented?

[Blackwater]

Not in my mind, but you'll get disagreement on that from some sources. Personally, I don't take "trick questions" like this very seriously, really, because they're nothing but a question seeking an argument, and I've never seen anything good come of them. But they're NOT "irrational" in spite of that. It's just that we seem to be so bent toward arguing and "getting our way" in everything, that there's really not much way to gain anything useful out of questions like this. But they're always worth thinking about, even if they are "legalistic" in nature, and not really something that I think our Lord would ever allow. Just my 2 cents on the matter anyway, and I have no problem with anyone disagreeing with it at all.

[Wayne Smith]

God has chosen me, I only agreed. At the cross He forgave every sin I ever have or will commit. It is a done deal, and nothing can separate me from that done deal.

[claude]

God has chosen me, I only agreed. At the cross He forgave every sin I ever have or will commit. It is a done deal, and nothing can separate me from that done deal.

Which as stated, sounds a great deal like a licence to sin. Though I don't believe that is your intent.

[Blackwater]

I don't believe that was his intent, either. I think this is kind'a like those Catholics, and there are a few of them apparently, who go do what they want and just go to confession later. REAL Catholics I've known - those who practice and seek to understand - have never demonstrated this type of behavior in the least sort of way, and find it puzzling that anyone might think that way. I guess there's nothing under the sun that can't and hasn't been taken the wrong way. Often, I think, it's just folks trying to "have it both ways," and I think most eventually have to decide on one way or the other. I've never known enough of these types to know what the odds are of their choices being good ones, but I suspect most of those finally get "bored" and "tired" of the church services and the confessional, and just go do what they want and leave the rest aside. I leave these type things up to the Lord to judge, now, mostly. People will always be interesting, but I've finally learned that it's really not necessary that I figure them all out. God has that well in hand!

[claude]

Often, I think, it's just folks trying to "have it both ways,"

Perhaps we are alluding to the same propensity in man, which is for the most part to choose the easy way out, seeking a loophole to avoid self discipline.

[Wayne Smith]

NOT a license to sin, but a statement of eternal security. My salvation was none of my doing, I am incapable of saving myself. Further, by the most complete definition of sin in the Bible the very best I can do is sin. "For all have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God. The very best I can do falls desperately short of 'the Glory of God'!

One analogy is; if sin were an ocean, I would be a fish, happily swimming in that ocean of sin. If you hook me and pull me up into the glory of God I would wither and die were it not for Jesus Christ, who both shields and transforms me.

I cannot change the ocean, Jesus already did. I cannot make myself capable of standing the glory of God, Jesus already did. "License to sin!" - assuredly not - the last thing I want to do is add to the load He bore to the Cross.