So not only did I grow up in a Christian home, but I also grew up as a preacher's kid. This meant we were at church every time the doors were open, we were helpers in the new ministries my Dad had a burden to start...we were literally immersed in Biblical teachings every day. And because of this, I came to understand as a young child, that I was a sinner in need of a Savior. You see, I couldn't rely on the salvation of my parents to get me to Heaven. The decision to accept Christ as my personal Savior was a choice I had to make on my own, and I'm so glad I did.
It wasn't until recently while counseling with a young woman who had grown up all her life in church, that I realized a pitfall that second generation Christians, like me, face in their own spiritual lives. Yes, we live very sheltered and protected lives, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But unfortunately what happens is it becomes easier to live off the spirituality of our parents rather than developing a deeper, more meaningful and personal relationship of our own with the Lord. Instead of a relationship, Christianity becomes a religion. So when the storms of life come, as they most often do; there is no root, no foundation for our faith. We become the living embodiment of the foolish man who built his house upon the sand in Matthew chapter seven.
No wonder so many Christian young people fall away after graduating high school or when they become young adults. There was nothing there to begin with.
Now anyone who has ever been in a relationship will tell you: meaningful and lasting relationships take work. Jude wrote in verses 20-21 to build up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost and then to keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. He was literally giving us the bluprint for a close relationship with God!
Words like building, praying, keeping, and looking indicate some form of work. And just to be clear, this is not work for salvation: for by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)
Even the Apostle Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:5 that we are to give all diligence to add certain qualities to our faith...things like virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. In giving diligence, we are essentially giving attentive and persistent effort. Looks like work to me!
What about the times when Paul likens the Christian life as a race or as a fight in I Corinthians 9:26? Being a former volleyball player, I've run a few times in my life, and never...not EVER...did I think it was a piece of cake. I can easily say I would have rather been eating cake than having to endure the torture of running! Running is So. Much. Work!
We could add other words from Scriputre like seek those thing which are above... (Col. 3:1), set your affection on things above (Col. 3:2), mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth... (Col 3:5), put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communications out of your mouth... (Col 3:8), put on the new man... (Col 3:19) And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus... (Col. 3:17) to our ever growing list of action verbs. All these spell W-O-R-K.
You cannot live off the spirituality of someone else; not your pastor, your Sunday School teacher, or a dear godly friend, and expect to survive the storms of life. You have to cultivate your own personal relationship with your Savior. YOU have to build up yourselves on your most holy faith... (Jude 20)
Get into the Scriptures! Read, meditate, study! Then go out and do what is written! It's time to put in the work to develop the right kind of personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!
Simply Set to Work,
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