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Strengthened To Make
Godly Choices
By Allan E. McNabb
Walking in the Light and fighting against darkness, we sometimes struggle
to make godly choices.
In this article, we review four principles we can apply to strengthen
ourselves to make godly choices and obey God.
Be a Faithful Christian
Most importantly, we must be godly to make godly choices.
As Christians, we make mistakes, but our “practice” of life
is righteousness rather than sin, as we strive to make godly decisions
(1 Jn. 3:4-10).
Therefore we are “strengthened with all power,
according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness
and patience” (Col. 1:11). And we “walk in a manner
worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit
in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col.
1:10).
As faithful Christians we have the strength and courage to make godly
choices. And when we make mistakes, we quickly repent, turning
back to God (1 Jn. 1:8-2:2).
Walk By Faith
Without faith, it’s impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6).
Faith is total and complete trust in God that results in obedience. Thus,
as faithful Christians we walk by faith. Paul says, “For
we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom. 10:17).
The strength we have as a Christian comes through the knowledge we obtain
from God’s word.
- “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have
not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled
with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him
in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing
in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power,
according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness
and patience; joyously” (Col. 1:9-11).
So, God’s word performs its work in us, because we believe.
- “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you
received the word of God which you heard from us,
you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is,
the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe” (1
Th. 2:13).
Love
Faith works through love. In other words, love is the engine of
our faith.
- “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision
means anything, but faith working through love” (Gal.
5:6).
Since love motivates our faith to action, a person with a loveless faith
has a dead faith, but a person with a loving faith has a living faith
(Ja. 2:14-26).
- “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith
but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother
or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of
you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and
yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use
is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead,
being by itself.”
Faith, hope, and love are three driving forces in our lives. Faith
is our confident trust in God. Love drives us to obey. And
hope is our confidence in God as we look to the future.
- “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three;
but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13).
Hope
Hope is our confidence in God as we look to the future. It motivates
us to continually walk in faith and love, throughout all our days upon
the earth.
Paul’s hope was in God, and the resurrection He tells us about
in His word.
- “But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they
call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything
that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets;
having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves,
that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous
and the wicked” (Acts 24:14-15).
Therefore as Christians, our hope is in eternal life.
- “. . . the hope of eternal life, which God,
who cannot lie, promised long ages ago” (Tit. 1:2).
- “. . . being justified by His grace we would be made heirs
according to the hope of eternal life” (Tit.
3:7).
Hope is a result of an obedient faith motivated by love.
- “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing
salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness
and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in
the present age, looking for the blessed hope and
the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Tit.
2:11-12).
Therefore, our hope does not disappoint (Rom. 5:4-5). Because
it is a result of obedience to God.
Summary
As faithful Christians, we walk by faith, hope, and love. Therefore
we are strengthened to make godly choices, and obey God.
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