It's Faith—Not Feelings

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

— Romans 1:16–17

 

Why is it that someone could be radically converted (or seemingly so) and passionate about their new faith and then, without warning, just give up? They seemed to have had the most amazing conversion ever, but all of a sudden, they just bailed and walked away. How could that happen?

I would suggest that person never was converted to begin with. It is not about the emotion of a moment; it is about the test of time. If a person is a real Christian, he or she will continue on—though not flawlessly and not perfectly. It is even possible for a person who is a Christian to go astray for a time.

The Enemy to Growth

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

— Philippians 3:13–14

 

Are you satisfied with your spiritual life right now? I am not satisfied with mine. I feel there is a lot of growing I still need to do. I feel there are a lot of things I still need to learn and a lot of changes that still need to happen in my life. And guess what? The same is true for you.

The enemy to growth is contentment. There is a place for being content as a Christian, but never be content with where you are spiritually. You should always be wanting more—wanting to learn more and wanting to grow more.