"If you do not stand firm in your faith you will not stand at all." Isaiah 7:9
As I started meditating on this verse, I wondered, "Do I stand firm in my faith?" I know there are issues that I waver on, but, in my faith, am I firm? I finally decided that, yes, I am firm in my beliefs of the essentials. It's the non-essentials that I can't seem to pin down. What are the essentials? Here's my list:
1) Jesus was born to a virgin, died, was buried and rose again, according to the scriptures
2) The Trinity: God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit; 3, but one.
3) The only way to the Father, ie Heaven, is through Jesus
The non-essentials (and this list is not comprehensive):
1) Alcohol
2) Dancing
3) Women wearing pants (or make-up, or having short hair, etc.)
4) Music
5) Worship style
6) Tongues-speaking
Now, some of these non-essential issues I've made up MY mind about. Others, I go back and forth. But, on Christ the solid rock I stand! It doesn't matter that you may not agree with me about wearing jeans, or drinking alcohol, or with what music I like to worship. I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day. (2 Tim. 1:12) I just don't believe that I have to have strong opinions about things that aren't eternal in order to make it to Heaven.
How about you? Are you standing firm?
My mom posted this on her site, and it really made me think about what I am firm about. And if I'm firm about it, is it because my friends agree? Or it's what my parents taught me? Or is it because the pastor preached about it on Sunday morning? (And he's a pastor, so it must be true) Have I really tested my faith, and my belief's about Christ?
Sometimes it seems as if I inherited my faith. I grew up in a Christian home, went to church every Sunday morning and night, every Wednesday night, and any other events the church held. I prayed the prayer to invite Jesus into my life when I was about 6 years old. I knew Jesus was God, and that He loved me, and that if I loved Him I would become a Christian. That was how I perceived all the things I had been taught. I was the "good Christian girl".
These past few years, and especially this last summer I've realized that even though I had done all of those things I was STILL living for myself. I wasn't doing what the Bible said necessarily because I wanted to obey God. I was doing them to live up to MY reputation of being the good Christian girl. I wasn't living for Christ. I was good, but not Godly. And I'm not saying that I was purposely faking it all. I sincerely thought that I was obeying Jesus. I was doing what He said, I rarely disobeyed my parents. I was a Christian, I did believe, I wanted to live for Him, I just wasn't giving Him my all. I had prayed the prayer, but I wasn't really filled with the Spirit. I was walking the walk, but I didn't entirely understand what the walk was. And I know, that this is still just the beginning. I'm not going to be completely filled with the Holy Spirit immediately. That will take my entire life and then some. But I also know that I am not a finished project, and that my Jesus will never, ever give up on me. That is one of the things that I love most about Jesus is that while we are sinners with all our garbage and filth, He loves us and will never stop loving us. No matter how far we run from Him, He will still welcome us home with open arms when we return.
I realize that this post is extremely long, but I just want to finish with this: I know now that I did not receive "Christian genes" passed down from my parents. I have tested and am testing what I believe. I have believed for myself. I am believing for myself. I know, I know who Jesus is, and I want to share that with others.
Skylar
