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COUNT THE COST
...For it is not an easy road!
It is very
true that God will, can and does provide us with His grace. And His grace is
sufficient! Although many see Christianity as a crutch and an easy way out it
is in fact a road that has a high cost. It is NOT AN EASY ROAD!
Our brothers
and sisters across the land, in China, Russia and South Africa can attest to
the fact that it is not an easy road. However, we who have suffered for Christ
by enduring services that have been much too long; we who have been paralyzed
by the insensitively of the building committee who neglected to pad the pews;
we who have sat in the heat of the service caused by a break down in the air
conditioner, and we who have had to associate with Mr. and Mrs. Blabber Mouth,
and their relatives brother Ob Noxious and his sister Gritty Sandpaper, know
all too well the high cost of following Christ! Or do we?
You say you
are a Christian; well here are a few tests of Christian Character. Try them on
for size my friend then find a place alone with God and repent!
TEST ONE:
Romans 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him
drink: This test is not, as so often thought, for your enemy, it is in fact a
testing of your response.
Matthew 5:44
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to
them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you;
Luke 6:32
For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? For sinners also love
those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what
thank have ye? For sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend (to them) of
whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? For sinners also lend to sinners,
to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend,
hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great and ye shall be the
children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil.
Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also it merciful.
TEST TWO:
Read Luke 14:12. When you and I have a party do we leave out (with a clear
intention of doing so) the people we dislike or the ones we will not get a
return invitation from?
TEST THREE:
This test is spiritual enough. It is going the second mile! Matthew 5:41 And
whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Of course you
realize that you cannot go the second mile if you don't go the first! I
believe the failing of this test is the reason there is so little joy in the
Christian walk. Are you’re a
second miler?
Matthew 5:42
Give to him that asks thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not
thou away. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not
even the publicans the same?
TEST FOUR:
This test can pinch a little, too. Philippians 2:3 [Let] nothing [be done]
through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other
better than themselves
Do I esteem
others better than myself? Christ is our Head, whosoever of us hurts another
Christian hurts Christ first Any pain done to a lesser member brings pain to
Christ!
TEST FIVE:
Luke 6:31, Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men
should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
And: Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the
children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. I [am]
the LORD.
Are all my
actions and reactions to the other man with mercy? Do I “think no
evil"? Would I really like to be treated the way I treat others
TEST SIX:
This is a stiff test of my Christian character. Do I handle the other person
as though he were Jesus Christ in disguise? Our passing up the Christian in
his need the other day was our slighting of Christ. If in one of our churches
Jesus Christ turned up in person, poorly dressed, sickly-looking, and not
smelling the greatest. If He were to be in sore need of refreshment, there
would be no real need to ask anyone to take Him home to dinner, would there?
Matthew
25:31 I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these
my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
TEST
SEVEN:
Do we take up our cross daily and follow Him? Matthew 16:24 If any [man] will
come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
(Mark 8:34, 10:21)
Matthew
10:38 And he that takes not his cross, and follows after me, is not worthy of
me. (Luke 9:23, 14:27)
Count the cost, it took Peter only minutes to leave
his boats but it took him three years to leave himself.
Dutchy |
