But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,
keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Jude 20–21 NIV
It is so important to build yourself up in your faith. So many of us are too dependent on others for our spiritual inspiration. This is a sign of spiritual immaturity, but many Christians have been this way for years.
It's not wrong to ask a pastor or evangelist to pray for you.
But the Bible speaks over and over about your faith, your prayer, your devotion.
These two verses talk about your holy faith.
This includes your holy faith, your prayer in the Holy Spirit, how you keep yourself in the love of God, how you prepare yourself for the return of the Lord Jesus.
This text is not only meant for the church, but also for each individual Christian.
You must build up your holy faith.
God wants to hear your prayers.
You must keep yourself in the love of God.
I love events where the blessing of the Holy Spirit flows, and my faith is inspired by the faith of others.
But neither Jesus nor Paul ever described the Christian life as a series of blessed meetings.
Are you ready to stand before Jesus when he returns?
Will Jesus ask how often you have been to church?
Will Jesus ask if you have always been a good member of a church?
A very active young member of the church felt frustrated because his busy life made it difficult to spend quality time with non-Christians and he realised that he was not reaching out to people who needed Jesus.
He arranged to spend some time with a friend who didn't know Jesus, but this meant missing one of the several weekly church meetings he normally attended. His absence was interpreted as unfaithfulness by his group leader.
Unfortunately, this pressure to conform to church expectations is not uncommon. This religious pressure creates a powerless Christianity.
If you are constantly trying to please other Christians, it affects your relationship with God.
Jesus said:
How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Jn 5:44 NIV
In Matthew 13, Jesus explains how the gospel is like seed. He who believes is like a plant from the seed.
“The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. Mt 13:20–21 NASB95
In difficult times, many Christians withdraw from the faith. What determines your destiny is not your regular attendance at church or your ministry in the church.
How is your time with God in your bedroom?
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