Thursday, June 24, 2010

Spiritual Success is gonna cost a Pound of Flesh

We are coming up on yet another 4th of July and this July will be my 40th celebration. That may be trivial to some but I only mention that because the older I get, the more I understand the importance of the self sacrifice that was made for the freedoms we now enjoy today. Currently, I am reading an autobiography about Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, and of course I am noticing the many sacrifices that were made in the name of the preservation of the Union.

Lincoln was quoted as telling the congress that “If we are going to preserve these United States, then a sacrifice of a small part to save the whole is well worth the cost.” Of course President Lincoln was referring to the 11 confederate states that had broken away from the Union and formed what we now know as the Confederate States of America.

Here’s the deal. So many of God’s people desire to grow in their faith walk but those same people are unwilling to sacrifice anything to achieve spiritual maturity. Paul said it best. He leaves no questions as to what he is teaching us in the text Rom 8:4”the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Ok, the gold nugget in the river bed is found in the action verb “walk.” Whoop there it is folks. Are you walking? Let me paint the picture so that you don’t miss the point of the painting.

Abraham Lincoln wanted to create a country of United States. However, this daunting task would have been a completely impossible task unless he had people that were willing to give their life literally to help him in that cause. People had to sell their homes and lands in order to help finance this war to help preserve the union.

God invites us to go and make disciples of all nations. And you guess it, that “Faith Walk” will often cost us a great deal. My prayer is that God will raise up a nation of men and women who are willing to sacrifice their fleshly desires so that together we can fulfill the call of adding to God’s kingdom.

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