Christianity: It's All About Living

    What does the Christian life consist of?  Some might say that it consists of worship services, padded pews, song books, pot lucks, Bible classes, announcements, work days, sermons, lectureships, meetings, fellowship and a host of other items.  Certainly, all of these things have their place in life as we serve God in a local congregation.  However, none of these things will have any real meaning at all unless they are backed up by lives that demonstrate real commitment and dedication to the greatest cause in the world, the cause of Christ.

    We must understand that the Lord never meant for the Christian life to be centered upon warming a pew in an air-conditioned auditorium several times a week.  This is not to say that the assemblies of the church are not important because the Bible plainly declares that they are (Heb. 10:25).  The assembly gatherings are to serve as times of praise, thanksgiving, giving, teaching and remembering.  They are the "spiritual filing stations" where we recharge and retool our spiritual engines that we might continue in ardent service to the Lord.   However, the assemblies of the saints are not ends in themselves.  We must keep in mind that Christianity is all about living.  Consider these following passages of Scripture:

"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23)

"I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20).

"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil. 1:21).

"...Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may to prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Rom. 12:1,2).

    Christianity is all about changing (Eph. 4:22-24), growing (2 Pet. 3:18), serving (Mark 10:45), loving (Jn. 13:34,35), worshipping (Jn. 4:24) and producing the fruit of the Spirit in one's life (Gal. 5:22,23).  To sum it up, Christianity is all about living.  Let us therefore live!

By Bill Burk