1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
Good morning friends, I trust that yesterday was God glorifying and that services went well for all. The message that the Pastor preached out of Palm Chp 8 yesterday morning would fit right into what I want to talk about today. He preached on the subject of God considering man..now last week we saw that in order to do battle you must first know what we are battling about, and who we are doing it for. I would like to make a few comparisons about a Christian and a modern day soldier in the US military. Aside from the fact that our motives, mission, and mindset are different, and our equipment and encouragement there is one thing that I want to point out and make very clear. I believe it is because of this reason that most want to enlist and get into the battle for the Lord once they realize what it means to stand in the gap. The modern US military serviceman is an all volunteer force, there are no drafts, there are no gimmicks, they lay their terms out in front of you and if you wish then you may join and become a soldier. The same goes with the Lords army, it is all voluntary to become a Christian. The Bible has been written and everything has been laid out for us, all we have to do is read the Word of God and believe what it says about the Lord Jesus Christ and the plan of salvation. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible speaks of God simple plan of salvation to the Jew first and also to the gentiles. You may say what are we volunteering after we accept salvation? Well here are some simple things that I have found in my life that I have voluntarily given up and it has been a blessing. The blessing is being able to serve my Savior to see others saved for His honor and glory! Here are the three things that one must voluntarily give up in order to be an effective soldier.
- Your Time
- Your Will
- Yourself
In point number one it becomes a little easy with some training, there are few things under time that are important. The first is your time to prepare, all soldiers go through training and the same goes for one that wants to fight the good fight of faith. You must prepare so you are not taken by the enemy with his devices and snares. You must prepare to understand that some days you lose ground, and some days you gain ground otherwise you will be defeated all and all. You must take time to prepare to prove yourself. The Bible says study to shew thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth. If you are studying the Word then you can prove yourself in the spiritual victories that God will give to you over sin in your life, thereby being prepared to help others through their battles. You can prove this to them because of what God has done in your life, and where He has allowed you to come from. Not only will you volunteer your time to prepare, and prove yourself, but you will have to promote. Promote what, well with your time you will have to voluntarily promote what has allowed you to prepare and prove your victories, and all that starts with promoting the gospel message. That at one time in your life you were lost in sin and on your way to a devils hell (Romans 6:23). For the Bible says that none are good, there are none righteous no not one (Romans 3:10). And that while you were in sin, somebody shared the good news with you, that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Once we actually heard that message we started to think about our condemned state and we realized we were sinners in need of a Savior. Then came the glorious moment that started us on the path of redemption and wanting to get into the battle for others souls...our own personal salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. It all begins by believing the above about our sinfulness, then after our realization we come unto the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of those sins by asking Him to forgive us of those sins and calling on His name (Romans 10:13). Along with calling on His name we believe what the Bible says we should believe about Him (Romans 10:9-10) that if you believe in your heart that Jesus is the Lord, and that God raised Him from the dead and confess with your mouth then you shalt be saved! This is the volunteered message that the soldier of the Lord must herald at all cost.. that in the Bible our message is clear, Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. Friends tomorrow we will discuss points two and three if time permits, until then may you have a blessed day.
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