Being and Becoming Christian

All medicines come with warning labels. The commercials about the side effects of new medicines are becoming so drastic they are fodder for most comedians. I saw a commercial the other night for an “antidepressant”. The side effects included SEVERE depression and suicidal thoughts! What?! The side effects posted are twice as bad as taking the medication. Most of us are thinking..I’d rather have the disease, thank you!

I think some of us think the same about our lives built on Christ. We think the world will become rosy and good when we believe on Him and allow Him to live in us. He warns us clearly, “in this world you WILL have trouble”. He has warning labels that we must think about so that when we mess up, and we will, we will know how to be overcomers. Jesus goes on to say, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

I think these thoughts as I read our warning from Paul to the Corinthians who are being and becoming Christian. We ended yesterday with the challenge for all of us:

“26-27 I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.

Now the warning label…

1 Corinthians 10
We must be on guard so that we never get caught up in wanting our own way as they did. And we must not turn our religion into a circus as they did—“First the people partied, then they threw a dance.” We must not be sexually promiscuous—they paid for that, remember, with 23,000 deaths in one day! We must never try to get Christ to serve us instead of us serving him; they tried it, and God launched an epidemic of poisonous snakes. We must be careful not to stir up discontent; discontent destroyed them.

11-12 These are all warning markers—danger!—in our history books, written down so that we don’t repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel—they at the beginning, we at the end—and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don’t be so naive and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence.

13 No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.

14 So, my very dear friends, when you see people reducing God to something they can use or control, get out of their company as fast as you can.

Bottom line:
–Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence.
–Who are your friends? Helpful or hurtful to our being and becoming Christian?
–GOD will NEVER let us down. Not ever.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for your warnings. Thank you for your forgiveness when we don’t heed your warnings. Thank you for never leaving us! May we go out this day with GOD-confidence, forgetting self, so that we may be more than conquerors of this world. We love you with all our heart, mind and soul. May Your glory be reflected in all we say or do as we work today.
In Jesus Name, Amen