Must a Christian Live a Changed Life? - Teaching by brother Ed Pfenninger
Description:
This is another good video dealing with the issue of the Christian walk. Definitely from a few years back, but it deals still with an essential issue, Progressive Sanctification and the Christian's free will and volition. It is true that every child of God Should be living a changed life and should be renewing their mind day by day to grow in holiness and to be more like Christ. Yet though, growth, holy living, living a new, changed life, is not automatic. There is no guarantee that a Christian will live a changed life. A changed life comes about when the Christian makes the choice and decision to deny himself, take up his cross and follow Christ daily. When we become a Disciple of Christ, and when we keep and continue in His holy word, the blessed King James Holy Bible, which only comes after Salvation, this is where the growth and change actually begins. But Discipleship is a choice. A Christian can choose to serve and live for God, and a Christian can also choose to not live for God. I know of a dear sister in the Lord, a young Christian lady, who deals with strongholds in her life, where she constantly struggles with various sins. Hence, she is certainly not living a changed life or a life of victory at this present time. And I simply exhorted her that she can have power over sin in her life. She can live in victory but that she must yield to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scripture and allow them to have the control in her life. Otherwise, nothing will change. I mentioned to her that there is so much power, victory and potential for transformation which could be hers if she would just allow the Holy Ghost to take control. And yet, she has a hard time letting go of the control, sadly. I think a lot of Christians struggle in this area. It may even scare them, the thought of actually letting go of the control and letting God have it. I have heard before that people sometimes are afraid of the growth, transformation which could happen to them. Once again, this issue of letting go of the control over your life, and surrendering, this is an issue of Discipleship. It is not a Salvation issue. Hence while this young lady is saved, a child of God, and on her way to heaven, yet though, she is not a disciple. You Cannot be a disciple until you first let go of the world and deny yourself, and follow Christ. As a mater of fact, to become a disciple, we must first hate even our very own life. Discipleship is what costs us. Like we all have heard before, Salvation is absolutely free. But Discipleship is what will cost us. It will cost us friends, could cost us our career, even family members. Yet though, Discipleship will bring about the peaceable fruit and good change that we desire and want. The main point of the video is that a Christian can choose to either yield to the Holy Spirit in their lives or they can choose to resist Him. Any Christian is capable of going back to their flesh, and their old life which they were living, before they got saved. This is why Paul was commanding the Christians at Corinth to not have any fellowship with any Christian who was involved in the sins listed in 1 Cor. 5:11 (Fornication, Extortion, Idolatry, Covetousness, Railing, Drunkenness, and so forth). It should be obvious that the Carnal Christians at Corinth, who were living in those very sins, were not living a changed life. And were not even repenting of them, but were puffed up. Hence, a lot of them died early, they died before their time, suffering the sin unto death. Especially when they partook of the Lord's supper unworthily. That does not have to be us, saints. We do not have to live in sin. We are not obligated to serve the flesh. We have all the power that we need in us (The Holy Spirit and the Holy Scripture). We can live in victory over sin in this life. We can live the powerful, resurrected life in Christ. We can manifest a major changed life and transformation in our lives IF we will simply yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him and His precious word, the Scripture, to take control, so that they can work through us.
Description:
This is another good video dealing with the issue of the Christian walk. Definitely from a few years back, but it deals still with an essential issue, Progressive Sanctification and the Christian's free will and volition. It is true that every child of God Should be living a changed life and should be renewing their mind day by day to grow in holiness and to be more like Christ. Yet though, growth, holy living, living a new, changed life, is not automatic. There is no guarantee that a Christian will live a changed life. A changed life comes about when the Christian makes the choice and decision to deny himself, take up his cross and follow Christ daily. When we become a Disciple of Christ, and when we keep and continue in His holy word, the blessed King James Holy Bible, which only comes after Salvation, this is where the growth and change actually begins. But Discipleship is a choice. A Christian can choose to serve and live for God, and a Christian can also choose to not live for God. I know of a dear sister in the Lord, a young Christian lady, who deals with strongholds in her life, where she constantly struggles with various sins. Hence, she is certainly not living a changed life or a life of victory at this present time. And I simply exhorted her that she can have power over sin in her life. She can live in victory but that she must yield to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scripture and allow them to have the control in her life. Otherwise, nothing will change. I mentioned to her that there is so much power, victory and potential for transformation which could be hers if she would just allow the Holy Ghost to take control. And yet, she has a hard time letting go of the control, sadly. I think a lot of Christians struggle in this area. It may even scare them, the thought of actually letting go of the control and letting God have it. I have heard before that people sometimes are afraid of the growth, transformation which could happen to them. Once again, this issue of letting go of the control over your life, and surrendering, this is an issue of Discipleship. It is not a Salvation issue. Hence while this young lady is saved, a child of God, and on her way to heaven, yet though, she is not a disciple. You Cannot be a disciple until you first let go of the world and deny yourself, and follow Christ. As a mater of fact, to become a disciple, we must first hate even our very own life. Discipleship is what costs us. Like we all have heard before, Salvation is absolutely free. But Discipleship is what will cost us. It will cost us friends, could cost us our career, even family members. Yet though, Discipleship will bring about the peaceable fruit and good change that we desire and want. The main point of the video is that a Christian can choose to either yield to the Holy Spirit in their lives or they can choose to resist Him. Any Christian is capable of going back to their flesh, and their old life which they were living, before they got saved. This is why Paul was commanding the Christians at Corinth to not have any fellowship with any Christian who was involved in the sins listed in 1 Cor. 5:11 (Fornication, Extortion, Idolatry, Covetousness, Railing, Drunkenness, and so forth). It should be obvious that the Carnal Christians at Corinth, who were living in those very sins, were not living a changed life. And were not even repenting of them, but were puffed up. Hence, a lot of them died early, they died before their time, suffering the sin unto death. Especially when they partook of the Lord's supper unworthily. That does not have to be us, saints. We do not have to live in sin. We are not obligated to serve the flesh. We have all the power that we need in us (The Holy Spirit and the Holy Scripture). We can live in victory over sin in this life. We can live the powerful, resurrected life in Christ. We can manifest a major changed life and transformation in our lives IF we will simply yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him and His precious word, the Scripture, to take control, so that they can work through us.
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