Category: Christian Living

The difference between saints and sinners is very simple: Saints habitually repent. Sinners don’t see why they have to.

The more time you spend in communion with God, the more you become aware of your sinfulness. Those who are more saintly are more prone to find what’s wrong with their lives. They are more humble and more vividly aware of their need for grace.

Why is this so?

Because the divine light that shines on them from the Word of God is so bright that all spots of uncleanness are dealt with right away in repentance. And the longer they stay in God’s light, the more they realize that there is much to change.

In contrast, those who know God very little barely realize that they need to change at all. They have a vague idea that something is not right in their lives but because they refuse to expose themselves to the light of God’s Word, they don’t know what it is that needs changing. In their hearts, they are content that they get a glimpse of the light. Unfortunately, they never really wish to live in it.

This is very ironic. Those who are truly converted have a deepening sense of their sinfulness while those who are living in sin have a false sense of confidence that their spirits are doing just fine.

Pastor Michael Paderes of Every Nation World Missions came to speak at Victory Caloocan last Sunday. I was gripped by the stories of our pastors from restricted nations. Stories like that never fail to amaze me. They give me a glimpse of what God is doing even in countries where the preaching of the gospel is forbidden. But what really blew me away was his emphasis on the role of prayer in all these. Personally, when I think of world missions, I think of tribal groups and distant places and how I am not a part of that world (yet).

Pastor Michael’s preaching made me realize that an ordinary church members can still be part of what God is doing out there by praying for our missionaries. We hold the rope from home; they do the leg work. Here’s an important quote from his sermon:

It doesn’t matter how orthodox our doctrine is, how inspiring our worship is, how fun our fellowship is, or how great our preaching is. If our church is not committed to prayer and reaching the nations, we are not fulfilling our purpose. We need good music but the church is not a house of music. We need good preaching but the church is not a house of preaching. The church is a house of prayer for the nations.

One reason why so many Christians are not too eager to grow in their spiritual lives is because when they look around, they see lots of Christians who are far worse than they are. They see many who are more broken, more messed up and struggling.

Here lies the problem: the point of comparison is flawed. The Bible never told us to measure our lives using our neighbors’ yardstick. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul urged the believers to imitate him as he imitated Christ. The point is in the imitation of Christ, not of Paul. We are to look to Christ (Hebrews 12:2) as the ultimate yardstick. Then we will see how we all don’t measure up and how we all need the grace of God.

You will never become like Christ by fixing your eyes on your churchmates. You will never grow if your mind is fixed on the immaturities of others.

The difference lies in the way we handle adversity. All of us are afforded the same grace in Jesus, the same help in time of need, the same presence of Christ and the same comfort in times of suffering.

But it is in the way we handle the hard times that determines whether we grow or not. People who grow to maturity faster are those who have the habit of going to God when they face adversity. And by that I mean people who accept pain, grief, disloyalty and betrayal as Jesus did. They look to Jesus for the proper response. They frame their reaction by the filter of God’s word, not by the dictates of their raging emotions. They accept opposition and isolation, believing that better things are yet to come. Continue reading Why Some Christians Mature Faster than Others

If you are single…

Take comfort in the fact that two prominent Bible figures were single men: Jesus and Paul. Now take a deep breath and let that fact sink a little deeper.

Why is this simple fact so remarkable? Because for the first time in world history and in literature, being single became a legitimate way of life. Before these two men appeared on the scene, going to war, getting many wives and begetting many children were the ultimate symbols of manhood.

Then Jesus came. And then Paul. And these two men showed all the single people of all generations all over the world that there is no shame in being single. It’s not a sprint, folks. We will eventually get there. Just lighten up with all the obnoxious teasing. Just because we laugh doesn’t mean we enjoy it.