ASSURANCE-EFFECTIVE CHRISTIAN
The Assurance of the Effective Christian
For many people in today’s world, truth has felt closer to a mystery rather than a concrete, simple, and reliable idea. People are trying to find the right path in their life, navigating through the smoke and mirrors of everyday struggles. For those in the faith, this lost feeling is often multiplied in moments of doubt, stress, or fear. Even in John 17:16, Jesus, when praying for His disciples, says, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” As Christians, we cannot find ourselves looking to non-Spiritual sources for guidance. Not only are there people and things that try to bring Christians out of the Church, but there are also people within the Church that are spreading false doctrines to fit the need of the people rather than the God they serve. Consequently, it becomes harder for Christians to find and hold on to the truth so they can abide in Christ as an effective Christian. To combat the confusion of this life, it is important that we ensure we are effective Christians through sound doctrine, fellowship, and servitude.
To be secure in the position we take in our faith, it is crucial to consult the Scripture rather than the world. There are many people who can stand behind a pulpit, and there are many other sources of spiritual guidance we can rely on. However, no man behind a pulpit or teacher over a class is perfectly infallible. As Christians, we must understand that we are all imperfect beings doing our best to worship the perfect Creator. While we may make mistakes in our walk with Christ, our brothers and sisters in Christ may do the same. For this reason, we must ensure the truth of all teachings through the verification of Scripture, as it is the God-given source for doctrine to determine the His will rather than relying upon the fallible will of man. When looking at the prophetic writings of Scripture, we see that even those were never by the will of man. According to 2 Peter 1:21, “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” It is crucial that we put the teachings we hear to the test and make sure they are aligned with the Scripture to ensure that we have sound doctrine, allowing us to be an assured, effective Christian that can trust the teachings he or she receives.
Furthermore, we need to ensure that the time and the energy that we are devoting into the Church is done in a manner that is pleasing to God and according to the doctrine we strive to apply to our lives. These efforts, in both fellowship and servitude, only bring assurance that we are glorifying God through the way we live if we know we are doing them in the right manner. For example, if we are just “going through the motions,” we might not be putting our efforts into the church in a way God sees fit. According to the prophet Hosea in Hosea 6:6, “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” This message from God shows how the physical efforts we make to glorify Him cannot be separated from genuine love and knowledge of Him. If we don’t serve biblically, we can’t be certain that what we are doing is really what is most pleasing to God. If we want to be more effective Christians, we cannot let the lack of assurance that comes through unbiblical faith hold us back. Even if we think we are on the right path, assurance that we are on the right path comes easiest through testing our theology and conduct against the Scripture
~Caden Conley