Being Right in an Ongoing Relationship With God

Billy Graham has said that being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion - it is a daily process where we grow to be more like Christ. Paul speaks of this in Romans 12:1,2; and in Romans 8:29.

So, when we are converted (saved) God takes us out of the "world" of sin around us. NOT. He leaves us here to minister and serve, to be an example to others of what Christ is like.

*"The Christian must be "in the world, but not of the world" which means they must live a godly life separated from sin and be Christ's representatives on earth. When the church is right on godly living, they "shine as lights in a dark world" with a positive influence on society around them."

Christ taught that He is the "light of the world" in John 8:12. In John 9:5, He again states this after saying it is true as long as He is in the world. In Matthew 5:14 He tells us that we are the light of the world. The picture we can draw can come from the Sun.  During the day, the Sun provides light for us to see.  At night, when it is on the other side of the earth, it is dark - if not for the reflected light of the moon.  He is the Sun, and in this sin-darkened world we are the moon.

Two ways that we stay in a ongoing relationship with God is through prayer and worship, We will speak on worship in a following Blog, so let us consider Prayer for a moment. Just as reading the Bible is vital for our being fed, Prayer is vital for us to communicate with God.  Two things you need to do every day - Read Your Bible and Pray. When we neglect one or both of these, we weaken our defenses against the enemy and he is able to slip in and seduce us away from the proper relationship with God.  If we do not attune our ears to the voice of the Father, we can be seduced into listening to the voice of the Evil One.

If you do not already have a quiet time with God, if you do not read and study His Word daily, if you do not pray with Him daily - I can guarantee that you are on shaky ground, looking for a fall. If you haven't made this a habit (one that you look forward to daily), then today make a commitment to include this in your life. This will build up your defenses, attune your ear to God, and strengthen your resolve to make a difference for God in this world.

* Towns, Elmer L. (2009) What's Right with the Church: A manifesto of Hope. Regal/Ventura CA. P. 78