Cairo: Jesus in Egypt & God's Unusual Leaning
God seldom gives us all we need to understand, but He always gives us what we need in order to obey. The story of Jesus in Egypt as a boy offers a...
2 min read
Admin
:
Jun 11, 2017 11:01:56 PM
Mondays are not the best days for car trouble. One morning I hopped in my car and inserted the key in the ignition. When I cranked it—I kid you not—the car made the sound: “Ugh.”
So I pulled out the jumper cables. But two days later, the car sang the second verse of the same song: “Ugghhh.”
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)
Later that day, my auto mechanic gave a simple diagnosis: I needed a new battery.
Now, I could have said: “Hey, you know, a car starting every other day isn’t so bad. It sure beats walking. I guess I don’t need a battery.” Guess again. I bought a battery—a big one. If my vehicle runs inconsistently, it’s of little value to me. At the same time, keeping the car running reliably comes down to one thing.
It costs me.
The same is true of our spiritual lives.
Without spiritual consistency, we’re like a car that starts every other day. What good is that?
The Bible asks the same question of us:
What good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.—James 2:15-17
We may never say it, but often we live with the credo: “I’ll trust Jesus for my eternal life, but my daily life is my business.” The Bible says that such a faith, while perhaps a true one, is “useless” and “worthless” (James 2:20, 26).
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)
On the other hand, spiritual consistency has a HUGE benefit. When we demonstrate our faith in good works, the world takes notice and God is glorified:
Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. —Matthew 5:16
Ironic, isn’t it? Good works have nothing to do with becoming a Christian, but good works have everything to do with living like one. God has even prepared in advance good works for us to do (Ephesians 2:8-10).
It is expected of us when we say, “I’m a Christian,” that we model it consistently before others. Not perfection. Consistency.
But spiritual consistency costs. In regard to my car, it cost me a battery. In regard to our faith, the costs are pricier:
These costs are huge investments, to be sure. But spiritual consistency is worth the cost.
Daily faith does us no good just sitting in the driveway. It must run.
Join us for a year-long interactive study of the New Testament & Proverbs that includes maps, photographs, and virtual tour videos that helps bring context and meaning to Scripture.
Tell me what you think: What other “costs” do you spend for the sake of spiritual consistency? To leave a comment, just click here.
Click here to leave a comment.
God seldom gives us all we need to understand, but He always gives us what we need in order to obey. The story of Jesus in Egypt as a boy offers a...
Roads are often built for one reason, but God uses them in our lives for another altogether. The Appian Way in Rome proved this so in the life of the...
Two gardens in the Bible, Eden and Gethsemane, provided the settings for two choices that brought opposite results. The Bible wildly contrasts these...