conquerors." One of the great perils we face is that of laxity. There is no time to relax and fold our hands in com placency. Such is the importance of prayer and Bible study. As a child grows he requires more food. Spiritually, we must have proper nourishment for proper maturity. Our lack of prayer should humble us greatly. This is the only atmos phere in which the dedicated and consecrated life can really be main tained. There is also a great danger in presumption. A newly won victory over sin has deceived some Chris tians into thinking that sin in itself has now been irradicated. We must never hold low views of sin. The demands of God's holiness are not on a sliding scale to meet our weaknesses. We are warned again and again of this fact (I John 1:7- 9). The sins of the flesh will always seek to assert themselves. We must be on guard constantly. This is why we must walk in the Spirit. (This implies constant walking.) There is a further danger in feel ing superior to others. We must avoid the tendency to be critical of others who may not appear to share the same exuberant spirit or manifest the same outward zeal. Spiritual pride is the root of many, many untold problems (Isaiah 65:6- 7). Remember, any experience we enjoy is the gift of God. May our earnest goal and desire always be to live for Jesus Christ to the fullest. Without question, Paul's deep- seated desire, as expressed in Phil- ippians 3:10-12, was that in every possible area of his life Jesus Christ might always be number One. So should we follow his ex cellent example. There is always
the danger of growing cold to the things of God. We cannot help but remember Samson as we read of his spiritual downfall. Judges 16:20 records that "he knew not that the Lord was departed from him." No longer could he feel the power of God. The same thing happened with King Saul as we find in I Samuel 16:14. What took place in his life cannot ever happen to a New Tes tament believer. The Spirit of the Lord departed from him. What a dark, foreboding commentary. What about our relationship to the Lord? While we know that once having received Christ we cannot lose our salvation, yet we can get out of touch with the One whom we should love. You see, one of the most distinctive characteristics of human love is its hatred for dis tance. Once nearness has been ex perienced between two people, such as man and wife, distance be comes absolutely intolerable. Love knows no suffering than that of being out of touch with the lover. Such is no less true of love to God. Unfortunately there are multitudes of believers who have grown al most accustomed to being out of touch with the Lord. They may recall the blessedness they once knew when they first trusted Christ. Yet they have come to regard liv ing at a distance from Him as al most inevitable and normal. They have left their first love as John warned the Church at Ephesus. Thankfully, lost fellowship with the Lord can be restored. The way back is not necessarily easy or cost less. We need to ask ourselves, "Am I really basking in the light of His countenance, enjoying the sun shine of His smile?"
Page 50
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs