It was established yesterday that you were alive for Christ and if you were alive for Christ, you must be very careful about how you live. We are living in a world that is very cunning.
Practically, people of the world don’t appreciate spiritual things, it is Christianity that is now running after the things of the world, be wise. The world has crept into the church as a common saying. Without awareness, people exchange their lives for things of lower value.
1. No time for or low level of reading and meditating on the word of God
Read 2 Corinthians 13: 5)
When you go for a medical checkup, does it always mean you are sick? No! It is used by one to know the state of one’s health and what to do to keep one fit. Likewise, the spiritual evaluation will help you to know your state or position in the Lord.
Evaluation is not a sentence to condemnation. Spiritual evaluation is good for every believer, also it must be constant. It will help you to know your ground and where you are getting weak or strong. It will also help you to know the area(s) you have been failing God.
Lessons
Beloved, there are some yardsticks to evaluate yourself. Evaluate your level of obedience to the word of God in line with your daily living. Evaluate your consecration and your level of spiritual discipline. What can you say about yourself?
Your evaluation should be sincere if you want to make progress in your Christianity. As you are doing that, you will know if you are still on the track or not. Do you love meditating on the word of God or you have substituted it for watching movies or playing games? Be vigilant!
2. Insensitivity to a holy life
Read 1 Peter 1: 15. and Ephesians 5: 15)
Holiness refers to being set apart or separate. We are to live to be dedicated totally to God and separated from the sin of the world. Holiness is the demand of God that most people find difficult to adhere to, whereas God’s holiness is the standard set for believers to attain
Societal influence is getting stronger and stronger every day on Christians. It is very easier to live to please yourself than God if serious discipline is not in place. As a parent, be careful the way you live, and the way your children live, teach them to live as children of light, not as the children of the world. Let them be interested in the things of God more and more. Teach them to be accountable to God in all things.
Lessons
Wise children of God allow the things of God to push them, to influence them; they are not careless about eternity and the salvation of the soul of men. Is this how you live? Be wise, time is too short. Are you a pure Christian? How do you handle holiness? Be vigilant!
3. Evil associations
Read Judges 16: 4
Samson was a specially ordained man of God. The spirit of the Lord began to stir him as the Lord has blessed him. (Judges 13: 24-25). He married a Philistine woman contrary to God’s wishes that no Israelites should marry foreigners who were idol worshippers (Exodus 34: 15-17, Deuteronomy 7: 14).
God remained involved in Samson’s life despite his sin and punishing the Philistine. The Spirit of the Lord used to come upon him in power (Judges 14: 6, 19, 15: 14) to deal with the Philistines. God even opened up the hollow place in Lehi to give him water when he cried for water (Judges 15: 18-19).
God graciously dealt with Samson. He anointed him as a weapon to deal with the Philistines who were arch-enemies of Israel. Samson took the grace of God for granted. He thought he could do anything anyhow. Finally, he fell into the trap of the Philistines through his newly found lover – Delilah.
Lessons
Beloved, you are not an armed robber, thief, sex worker, drunk, fornicator, cheat, dupe, scammer, etc but have a close and intimate relationship with those people even more than Christians. “Sheep that associate with dogs would behave like dogs,” says an adage. If care is not taken, you will be among them later. The question again is, who is your partner, I mean your confidant? Is it Samson or Delilah? Watch out!
4. False doctrine
False doctrine is a strategy of Satan (Mathew 15: 9; Galatians 1: 8-9). There are several wrong teachings which are satanic baits. Their purposes are to mislead and enslave people. Some of them have promises to make people rich automatically. These counterfeit teachings seem to have benefitted some individuals. The result is that it ruined them.
Lessons
Read Romans 16: 17,
Many places are full of false and fake prophets. If you are not vigilant, you will land in their hands. Be vigilant!
5. Life of Sin
Read 1 John 2: 16
Sin seems to be pleasurable; this must be true or there would not be so many sinners. (John 3: 19). Is there any pleasure in taking alcohol that kills and takes several lives on the highway? No pleasure. The seeming pleasure of sin is just for a while and perhaps destructive.
Lessons
Read Romans 6: 7,
Friend, as sin, is pleasurable so also is destroying. Do not go there so that your glory will not cease. No sinner will see the glory of God. If anyone entices you to sin, they have nothing but to destroy your life. Be vigilant!
6. Evil Practices
Read Psalm 34: 14
God desires that His people would turn away from evil. Almost the same idea is expressed in the following passage from Psalms:
- Let those who love the Lord hate, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Psalm 97: 10
God, who has revealed Himself through Jesus Christ of Nazareth, is moral. He is totally against evil in any form. This is because justice and righteousness are manifestations of holiness which is one of His nature. The declaration I 1 Peter 1: 15 is “But as he hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.” (KJV) is similar in purpose to the instruction to turn away from evil.
Lessons
Read Psalm 37: 27
James, the brother of Jesus, in his epistle also gives warnings that are relevant too. He warns each believer against indiscreet passion, desire, covetousness, and wrong ambition. Therefore, Evil is coming back to evil-doers. Do good. Do not anybody push you to do evil? Be vigilant!
