Who’s Influencing Whom?
Who’s influencing whom? Do Christians influence the world or does the world influence Christians? Romans 12:1-2 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Before we can influence the world, we must deliberately, purposefully and intentionally influence our own minds to follow Christ. Jesus said in John 8:31-32, “If you continue in my word, ye shall be my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” A disciple is a disciplined follower of Christ. Jesus said, “I am the vine and ye are the branches. Apart from me you cannot bear fruit. Abide in me and I in you and you shall bear much fruit.” When Christians attach themselves to Christ and continue in his word as disciplined disciples, Jesus said, ye shall be witnesses unto me unto the uttermost part of the earth.
There is nothing casual about a disciplined follower of Christ. The balanced Christian walk is deliberate and intentional. Casual Christians become casualties in the spiritual battle. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ…”
There are five fundamental principles for a balanced Christian walk. These principles are also the five pillars of Influencers. The first priority is that Jesus is Lord of our lives. When we get our vertical connection with God in proper alignment, then our horizontal relationships will be blessed. The vertical relationship depends on the next two fundamentals, the Word of God and prayer. The Bible is the inerrant revealed word and will of God and it is our sole source for faith and practice. Third, we are men of prayer. Therefore, be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God; and the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The Fourth principle is: we link together with likeminded men. God has called us into his church, the body of Christ. We each have a specific purpose to walk according to the path that he’s prepared in advance for us to walk in fellowship with Him and with one another in the household of faith.
The fifth principle is, we give it away. In order to serve others with a heart of love and gratitude, we need to empty ourselves of ourselves. Humility is the prerequisite for serving others. The devil takes God’s greatest promises and perverts them to serve his own evil purposes. When the culture embraces the doctrine of The “me generation,” the Bible says, “Pride goeth before a fall.” Pride appeals to the self-serving fallen nature of the flesh that we inherited from Adam’s original sin.
When we forsake our pride, come to the Lord with a heart of meekness and humility, and make Jesus Lord of our lives, he creates in us a new spirit of life in Christ. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ has made me free from the bondage law of sin, guilt, iniquity, and death.
Jesus said, those who have been forgiven much, love much. They realize God’s mercy, grace, and loving kindness that delivered them from the powers of sin and iniquity. The darker the night, the brighter the light shines. God said to Israel after their captivity in Babylon, after seventy years in captivity, I will give you a heart to know me. Repentance means to turn around, to change direction from the darkness of this fallen world and unto the glorious light of the gospel of truth. The gospel message is salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
Receiving the spirit of God in Christ in us is the new birth. This is the beginning of our new life. Before we can serve others, we need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Unless we’ve fed on the Word of God, the fellowship with the Lord, and the communion of believing believers, we cannot influence our own hearts and minds. Unless we’re fed, we cannot feed others.
Jesus trained twelve disciples and an inner circle of three men to follow in his footsteps. Obedience is submission to the command and authority of our Lord. The submission is from a heart of love. Jesus said, “if you love me, keep my commandments.” The prophet said, “taste and see that the Lord is good.” To huger and thirst after righteousness is an acquired taste. When we partake of the word of God as the prophet said, I crave the word more than my necessary food.” I found thy words and I did eat them, and they became the joy and rejoicing of my soul.
Psalm 48 says, “I desire to do thy will, O Lord.” The bondservant of His lord says, “My wish, my delight is your command. I live to serve you Lord from a heart of love.” We love him because he first loved us. He loved us enough to send his son, Jesus Christ to pay our debt of sin… For he who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf, that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.
Submission in obedience to the Lord is a daily moment by moment decision. God allows us a choice to love our lord by obeying his command. Jesud said, if you love me you will keep my commandments. Galatians says, nothing really matters except believing faith that works in love.
According to Matthew 16, he who loses his life shall find it…. What shall it profit a man if ye gains the whole world but loses his soul? Jesus said, if anyone wishes to be my disciple, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. Following him is not a chore if motivated by love. Love energizes believing action in obedience to the Word of God.
The Christian walk does not mean that we will be sinless. However, we will sin less. We still have to deal with the nature of the flesh. However, there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…. For the spirit of life in Christ has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Worldly men feel uncomfortable around strong Christians. For he that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his works may be made manifest that they are wrought of God.
The truth of the Word of God is paradoxical to the world’s logic. To find life, we most lose it. To gain the abundant life, Jesus said, blessed are the poor in spirit. For God to lift us up, we must become lowly. To be set free, we must surrender our hearts in captivity to Christ. To be filled with his spirit, we must empty ourselves. We must decrease for him to increase. The fist shall be last and the last shall be first. As Bonhoeffer said, “When Jesus bids a man come, he bids him come and die.” For I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me. And the life that I now live I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2;20)
Ezekiel 33:31 says, “And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.”
Casual Christians become casualties in the spiritual battle. Casual Christians are lukewarm. They are undisciplined, double minded,and unstable in all their ways. Therefore be careful who your enemies are, but even more careful who your friends are. Evil company corrupts good morals. Who are your three and who are your twelve? Do you want to learn to become just like Jesus? You’re most like the men with whom you affiliate… with whom you spend time. Men whose heart’s desire is to serve the Lord find other men who are in hot pursuit of their Lord Jesus Christ. They are blessed to choke in the dust of the Rabi.
The Christian walk is intentionally following in Jesus’ steps with a heart of love, respect, reverence, and joy. For what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.
It’s important to remember those who loved us enough to demonstrate the love of God with the word of God… those mentors who have their bibles shod with shoe leather. I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day. We’re the only bibles some people will ever read… For we came not unto you with enticing words of men’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and with power of the Holy Spirit…
… That together, we may live to the praise of the glory of Thy grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael
