Christianity Oasis Forum

[saint701]

Hello Christianity Oasis, All...


Blessings!

How to Achieve Christian Excellence

Comprehending scripture has, can, and always will be challenging to the brightest of mortal minds. Yet we have, are, and always will count on those mortal minds to direct and guide us into the nirvana of Christian excellence. I’ve often marveled at the number of Christian “HOW TO” books I find in Bible and book stores. We love ‘em…We believe that the famous men and women that have penned such works have provided us with the answers to our Christian walk that we have been desperate to find. We quickly shell out 15 bucks or so and race home to discover said author’s panacea for our problem. “Ah ha!” We say, once we have discovered the author’s secret, and we immediately throw ourselves into said mortal mastermind’s perfect plan…then viola! We have been transformed! We dare not think for a second that we have just been taken advantage of. We dare not think for a second that green back dollar bill signs were in front of said famous author’s eyes long before the quill was taken up in hand and the first master stroke of genius penned. Christian excellence is not found in self help books. Christian excellence is not found in the natural mind of those affiliated with the cloth, great universities, or institutes of Theology. Christian excellence exceeds the boundaries of human know how by leaps and bounds. Yet so many of the faith are easily persuaded that it is within their power to do for themselves only what God can do.
First, let’s take a look at where Christian excellence is not found. Christian excellence is not found in how proud we are of ourselves for working hard, not swearing, smoking or drinking and all of the other things we do that make us appear to others as though we are morally excellent and perfect in the eyes of God. The appearance of moral excellence is not Christian excellence although many over the past 1700 years would have us believe so. Moral excellence can be found in an atheist. Christian excellence is much, much more. Let’s take a look.
We all have our favorite scriptures, some for comfort, some for encouragement, some for hope, some for faith, some for forgiveness and the like. But our path to Christian excellence is narrow, but simple. We are to believe on Him whom God has sent, such being our Lord Jesus of course. And we are to do the will of the Father. Of course doing the will of the Father includes believing on our Lord.
Assuming we have believed on our Lord and been baptized into His death and resurrection, doing the will of the Father begins and ends with His Commandment of love. Unfortunately most stumble over that commandment because… of ourselves we cannot keep it. All that try on their own to love as our Lord loves us fail. It is noble to try, but impossible to do for any Christian still of the flesh. People around the world not of the faith wish Christianity was the solution to man’s problems because there is so much good in our Lord’s word. But they observe that we fail to measure up to that which is required of us to say that we are Christian, and turn away disappointed, their heart’s desire that nirvana may be found in the great hope of the gospel dashed upon the rocks of their fragile psyches.
They look for the love of God in us and cannot see it in practice. Such is because over the years Christianity has been changed from the dynamic gospel of the life of God in us to a system of religious rites, rules, and regulations that masks the spiritual enlightenment promised us in the great hope of the gospel. Hindus, Buddhists, and Jainists understand the path of transcendence that leads to enlightenment. They, much to the shame of most Christians all over the earth, do read the New Testament and understand that it points the way to spiritual enlightenment, that it shines light on the way we become one with our Lord Jesus in the will of the Father, WHICH IS…CHRIST IN US OUR HOPE OF GLORY!
We’ve gotten away from the simplicity of the gospel and corrupted it with the minds of our flesh through deceit to gain wealth and power in the world. One man bragged to me of his denomination that it was the first to make Christianity a part of the world. Well great! There went the fruit of the Spirit of faith, hope, and love, and in came the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life! Suddenly, Christianity was transformed from the simplicity of truth that offers enlightenment to all through the Spirit of God…to warped religious systems corrupted by their prominent place in the world.
2Cor.1
1. [12] For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
2Cor.11
1. [3] But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
Now we must ask. “What is the simplicity of the gospel that is in Christ?” The simplicity that is in Christ is this…He is the way…the truth…and the life. Now some would have us believe that the “way” is somehow found in the transformation of ourselves through our own imitation of our Lord’s walk. They, like some Buddhists, remove themselves from the world to live humble lives in prayers, rituals, fasts, and meditations. Such is their thought of how it is we enter into our Lord’s way, that therein lies the truth, and the life, that such is the path to enlightenment. Alas, poor Yoric, those that choose to separate themselves into a monastic way of life fail to go into (all) the world and preach the gospel. Such is not the way, the truth, or the life. These do not find or represent Christian excellence.
Christian excellence is found in the simplicity of the gospel which is this, Jesus Christ is the way…the truth…and the life…it is in him we live, and move, and have our being. Christian excellence is Christ in us, our hope of glory. With Christ in us comes enlightenment. With Christ in us comes the love of God, the knowledge, the wisdom, the will and the power to understand that Christian excellence can only be achieved within us by the one that himself is Christian excellence, Christ Jesus our Lord.
How then do Christians achieve Christian excellence? We achieve Christian excellence through the work of God in us. Here is a beginning prayer for those of you that would like to get on the path of God’s way through Christ our Lord.
Oh Lord my God, who is Jesus the Christ who came in the flesh, who died for me on the cross, taking my punishment for my sins, who rose from the dead to be the Almighty God’s first born son, made alive to be above all creatures and all in all creatures; please be within me my way, my truth, and my life. Please baptize me in your Spirit and be in me my gift of the Holy Spirit to lead, teach and guide me into all understanding. Please…forever and forever grow me up within yourself, my excellence to be your love mind and love life living in place of my life living within me to will and to do. Please be in me and I in you forever and forever to will and to do, that I be made like you, your excellence being my excellence by your presence in me…forever and forever, Amen.


Blessings!
Love, In Christ Jesus, Saint.