Author: mary

We have all sinned in this life. We all have our struggles. While you may not struggle with some of the things other people struggle with like drinking or adultery, you probably have some things that others do not struggle with. Since we all struggle, no one can judge anyone else. Romans 2:1-2 says, “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things.”

When you pass judgement on someone else, you are saying that their sin is greater than yours, or even worse that you do not have any sins or struggles. Sometimes as Christians, we forget the day Jesus rescued us and gave us His grace. He alone is the great Judge and is the only one who can truly judge sins. However, instead of judging sins, He has given us His grace and a chance to accept His glorious salvation.

Next time you begin to think about others’ sins, take some time to stop and thank God for His grace and forgiveness.

Ephesians 4:4 tells us, “For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.” If you are a Christian, then you believe in one way to heaven. There is one salvation, one hope of the future with Jesus Christ. It is impossible to be a Christian and believe that there are multiple ways to achieve eternity with Jesus. It is not possible. Jesus came and said in John 14:6, “I am the Way, the Truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. You can think of it like this. He is the ONE way. He is the ONE truth. And he is ONE life.

He is the only hope that we as Christians have in this life. His hope is what makes getting through tragedy and trauma a little easier. I have seen people go through hard times with no hope. They fall into depression, resentment, and even hatred because they have nothing to cling to. Sometimes, Christians even fall into these when they do not cling to the hope of God. However, when believers cling to His hope, they are able to cast their cares and anxieties on the Lord. As Romans 5:5 says, hope does not disappoint: “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”

Spend some time today clinging to the hope of the Lord.

The world has no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure, and they practice every kind of impurity, as Ephesians 419 states (“They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.”) These words could not be truer today. Everywhere you look you see sin and impurities. You even see the church sometimes making excuses or supporting those who practice inpurity. Some people will take the Bible out of context and refuse to acknowledge the parts of the Bible that are very clear about sin. This is because they have no sense of shame. There is no guilt for what they do. They only live to please themselves in their own desires; they take precedence over everything else. Remember that this is the work of the enemy. God says to be watchful, and to stand firm in your faith so you can guard yourself against these types of attacks.

When you begin to be watchful and stand in your faith, you will begin to see a change in your life. You will recognize the enemy’s attacks and you will see a difference between you and the world. You will grow closer to the world and farther away from the world. You will be able to follow Him more closely. Spend some time in His word today, following after Him!

God never meant for us to stay where we were when we first came to know him. Ephesians 4:14 says, “Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.” Just as a newborn baby drinks milk because that is what he or she needs, a new Christian can only handle so much. They understand the basics, but it takes time to really grow in the word, so they must spend time in Bible study, both individually and corporately, to really grow and the word.

However, we were not meant to stay as babies in the faith. We were meant to grow in the Word. The more we invest in our relationship with the Lord, the more we will grow. Sadly, many believers who sit in the church pews never go beyond the basics of their faith. They never take in the nutrients they need to grow. Once they spend time in prayer, fellowship, and Bible Study, they will grow in their walk with the Lord.

Take some time today to pray and ask God to continue to grow you in your faith journey.

“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ,” Ephesians 4:11-12 tells us. My husband talks about a time when he thought he didn’t need the church. He decided he would study God’s Word on his own, rather than meeting with the body of Christ. He says that it didn’t take too long before he felt empty, and in need of spiritual growth. When God’s people come together, they are able to lean on each other and grow from each other.

God’s word says where two or more gathered there He is also in Matthew 18:20. We know that He is in the midst of us when we meet together. This verse says exactly that. The role of the church is to equip others to be able to spread the gospel of Christ. It is not one person’s job as this verse in Ephesians says, but everyone’s job, whether you are a teacher, a pastor, and apostle, etc. Your job is to grow in the Lord, and make his name known.

Spend some time in prayer today about how you can grow in your daily walk with Him, and also how you can bring the gospel message with you everywhere you go.