Welcome to Week 7 of the True Woman Makeover hosted by my cousin Tammi at Valleygirl. Check out her blog for her thoughts, as well as those of others doing this study with us.Lessons 19 and 20wrap up the Attractive Christian Women series.
One point that caught my eye was how to explain to our children how different Christians have different levels of maturity and how that is reflected in their behaviour. I loved this quote...
So you're responsible to live up to the truth that you know, and then you're also responsible to pray that God will teach their hearts those same truths that you know. If God brings you into relationship with them, then you may have the privilege of being one of the people that helps share truth with them.Along with the benefit of growing up in a Christian home and being taught the Word, comes the responsibility to live out the truth we've been taught, to pray for those around us, to be an example to them and to teach them in love and in truth.
Keeping an open dialogue about everything with our children when they are young, will leave the door open for those important discussions in their formative teen years.
And, once again, continuing to live out the truth we've been taught is just so important in modeling integrity.
Lesson 21 is titled "Applying Sound Doctrine" and is based on Titus 2:1 As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. (NLT)
In order to be a beacon of light in a dark world, we need to have a solid doctrine (wholesome teaching), our lives need to be grounded in biblical truth. And then we need to live our lives to match this doctrine.
We need to have that solid foundation of truth (doctrine) and then we need to apply it to real life. We need both - it's not either/or.Doctrine is always connected, in the Scripture, to duty. It’s connected to life. It’s not just some vague abstract stuff up there. It’s real-life applications connected to doctrine.
- Sound doctrine requires us to live lives that are pleasing to the Lord.
- Sound doctrine motivates us to live lives that are pleasing to the Lord.
- Sound doctrine enables us to do that which we want to do, and that is to live lives that are pleasing to the Lord.
We need to make a conscious decision to transfer this head knowledge and make it heart knowledge, because the heart is the wellspring of life (Prov 4:23)
We need to know what we believe, and live what we believe.
There’s no more powerful tool of evangelism. There’s no more powerful tool of social and structural change in our world than for Christians to believe and live out the doctrine and the gospel of Jesus Christ.You may be wondering - does it really make a difference if I live out a godly life?
You know what? Your life, your family, may be one tiny island of godliness in a sea of wickedness. But that’s how the kingdom of God spreads.Don’t underestimate the impact of a life that is based on sound doctrines and lives out the implications of the gospel, because the day is coming when the glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea [see Habakkuk 2:14].
Every life makes a difference. My life makes a difference. Your life makes a difference.
5 comments:
I loved when you wrote "We need to have that solid foundation of truth (doctrine) and then we need to apply it to real life. We need both - it's not either/or." and "Every life makes a difference. My life makes a difference. Your life makes a difference." So true.
It's the application that I fall short on. A lot of the times, I know what I should do, I just don't follow through and do it. I have to do better.
I think the biggest thing I got out of the second segment of this Makeover study is the whole concept of taking on the responsibility for helping to guard the hearts of fellow Believers. I've never ONCE considered that to be my job, but can you imagine how different ~ how much stronger! ~ the Body of Christ would be if we would all view the spiritual well-being of other Believers as being OUR BUSINESS??!!
For so many recent years, we've been taught that other people's relationship with Christ is between them and Christ and that we shouldn't judge them just because their relationships manifest themselves differently from ours. That's true to an extent, but I think it's also caused us to become more strictly isolated "Jesus and me" Christians rather than members-of-the-glorious-Body-of-Christ Christians. Encouraging one another and doing whatever we can to remove potential stumbling blocks IS our business!!! But we can't really do that effectively if we only focus on ourselves and our own relationship with God. HE requires us to involve ourselves with others, because like Nancy says at the end of that lesson, WE are responsible for making Christ believable and praise-worthy.
"In order to be a beacon of light in a dark world, we need to have a solid doctrine (wholesome teaching), our lives need to be grounded in biblical truth. And then we need to live our lives to match this doctrine." AMEN to that!!!
I like that first quote you gave... well, I liked them all :)
Where did you buy the cds from? I think I am going to order one today (or soon anyway.) And which ONE would you recommend?
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