LIFE
See also: Christian; Christian living
Christian Life
Martin Luther
1. Prayer. For this reason you should despair of your wisdom and reason; for with these you will acquire nothing, but by your arrogance cast yourself and others into the pit of hell as did Lucifer. Kneel down in your chamber and ask God in true humility and seriousness to grant you true wisdom.
2. Meditation. In the second place, you should meditate, and not only in your heart, but also outwardly, the oral Word and the expressed words that are written in the Book, which you must always consider and reconsider, and read and read over with diligent attention and reflection to see what the Holy Spirit means thereby. And take care that you do not become weary of it, thinking that you have read it sufficiently if you have read, heard, or said it once or twice and understand it perfectly. For in this way no great theologian is made, but they (who do not study) are like immature fruit, which falls down before it is half ripe. For this reason you see in this Psalm 119 that David is always boasting that he would speak, meditate, declare, sing, hear, read, day and night forever nothing else than the Word of God alone and the commandments of God. For God does not purpose to give you His Spirit without the external Word. Be guided by that. For He did not command in vain to write, preach, read, hear, sing, and declare His external Word.
3. Temptation. In the third place, there is tentatio, that is, trial. That is the true touchstone which teaches you not only to know and understand, but also to experience how true, sincere, sweet, lovely, powerful, comforting the Word of God is, so that it is the wisdom above all wisdom. Thus you see how David in the Psalm just mentioned complains about all manner of enemies, wicked princes and tyrants, false prophets and factions, which he must endure because he always meditates, that is, deals with God’s Word in every possible way, as stated. For as soon as the Word of God bears fruit through you, the devil will trouble you, make you a real teacher, and teach you through tribulation to seek and to love the Word of God. For I myself – if I am permitted to voice my humble opinion – must thank my papists very much for so buffeting, distressing, and terrifying me by the devil’s fury that they made me a fairly good theologian, which otherwise I should never have become.
4. Humility. Then (namely, if you follow the rule of David exhibited in Psalm 119) you will find how shallow and unworthy will appear to you the writings of the Fathers, and you will condemn not only the books of the opponents, but also be ever less pleased with your own writing and preaching. If you have arrived at this stage, you may surely hope that you have just begun to be a real theologian, one who is able to teach not only the young and unlearned, but also the advanced and well-instructed Christians. For Christ’s Church includes all manner of Christians – young, old, weak, sick, healthy, strong, aggressive, indolent, simple, wise, etc. But if you consider yourself learned and imagine that you have attained the goal and feel proud of your booklets, teaching and writing, as though you had done marvelously and preached wondrously, and if you are much pleased because people praise you before others and you must be praised or otherwise you are disappointed and feel like giving up –if you are minded like that, my friend, just grab yourself by the ears, and if you grab rightly, you will find a fine pair of big, long, rough, donkey ears. [God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. To Whom be glory forever and ever]. Amen.
Martin Luther
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Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
The Bible, Galatians 5:25
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
The Bible, Colossians 2:6, 7
It is much better to be drawn by the joys of heaven, than driven by the sorrows of earth.
Author unknown
Grace experienced makes people gracious.
Mercy enjoyed makes them merciful.
Forgiveness received makes them forgiving.
And faith bestowed makes them faithful.
Author unknown
To live well is nothing other than to love God with all one’s heart, with all one’s soul and with all one’s efforts; from this it comes about that love is kept whole and uncorrupted. No misfortune can disturb it. It obeys only [God] and is careful in discerning things, so as not to be surprised by deceit or trickery.
Augustine of Hippo
We must always be on our guard lest, under the pretext of keeping one commandment, we be found breaking another.
Basil the Great
How blessed and amazing are God’s gifts, dear friends! Life with immortality, splendor with righteousness, truth with confidence, faith with assurance, self-control with holiness! And all these things are within our comprehension.
Clement of Rome
People should think less about what they ought to do and more about what they ought to be. If only their being were good, their works would shine forth brightly. Do not imagine that you can ground your salvation upon actions; it must rest on what you are.
Meister Eckhart
For Paul the Spirit was the absolutely crucial matter for Christian life from beginning to end.
H. Gunkel
To be in Christ is the source of the Christian’s life; to be like Christ is the sum of his excellence; to be with Christ is the fulness of his joy.
Charles Hodge
Wherever man may stand, whatever he may do, to whatever he may apply his hand, in agriculture, in commerce, and in industry, or his mind, in the world of art, and science he is, in whatsoever it may be, constantly standing before the face of God, he is employed in the service of his God, he has strictly to obey his God, and above all, he has to aim at the glory of his God.
Abraham Kuyper
The young Christian must realize that the test of his religious life is what he is and what he does when he is not on his knees in prayer, not reading his Bible, not listening to great preachers and not participating in religious meetings.
Dr John Meigs
If we get our information from the biblical material there is no doubt that the Christian life is a dancing, leaping, daring life.
Eugene Peterson
As followers of Christ, we must remember always to build our defense of the Christian faith on the sure foundation of the Bible. If we do so, there will be no weight too great to be supported; no wind too strong to be resisted.
Richard Pratt, Jr.
We do not segment our lives, giving some time to God, some to our business or schooling, while keeping parts to ourselves. The idea is to live all of our lives in the presence of God, under the authority of God, and for the honor and glory of God. That is what the Christian life is all about.
R.C. Sproul
The Christian’s battle is first of all with sin.
C.H. Spurgeon
I bid you, Christian –
beware of your graces;
beware of your virtues;
beware of your experience;
beware of your prayers;
beware of your hope;
beware of your humility.
C.H. Spurgeon
Realize that you must lead a dying life; the more a man dies to himself, the more he begins to live unto God.
Thomas à Kempis
What can the world offer you without Jesus? To be without Jesus is hell most grievous, to be with Jesus is to know the sweetness of heaven. If Jesus is with you, no enemy can harm you. Whoever finds Jesus, finds a rich treasure, and a good above every good. He who loses Jesus loses much indeed, and more than the whole world. Poorest of all is he who lives without Jesus, and richest of all is he who stands in favor with Jesus.
Thomas à Kempis
Let us think of a Christian believer in whose life the twin wonders of repentance and the new birth have been wrought. Of such a one it may be said that every act of his life is or can be as truly sacred as prayer or baptism or the Lord’s Supper. To say this is not to bring all acts down to one dead level; it is rather to lift every act up into a living kingdom and turn the whole life into a sacrament.
A.W. Tozer
Christian Living
1. How contrary a voluptuous life is to the blessed example of our Lord, and of his servant Paul, and all the apostles! Paul tamed his body and brought it into subjection, lest, having preached to others, himself should be a castaway, 1 Cor. ix. 27. And all that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts thereof, Gal. v. 24. This was signified in the ancient manner of baptizing (and so is still by baptism itself) when they went over head in the water and then rose out of it, to signify that they were dead and buried with Christ, Rom. vi. 3, 4, and rose with him to newness of life. This is called our being “baptized into his death;” and seems the plain sense of I Cor. xv. 29, of being “baptized for the dead;” that is, “for dead” to show that we are dead to the world, and must die in the world, but shall rise again to the kingdom of Christ, both of grace and glory.
2. Sensuality showeth that there is no true belief of the life to come and proveth, so far as it prevaileth, the absence of all grace.
3. It is a homebred, continual traitor to the soul; a continual tempter, and nurse of all sin; the great withdrawer of the heart from God; and the common cause of apostasy itself: it still fighteth against the Spirit, Gal. v. 17; and is seeking advantage from all our liberties, Gal. v. 13; 2 Pet. ii. 10.
4. It turneth all our outward mercies into sin, and strengtheneth itself against God by his own benefits.
5. It is the great cause of our afflictions; for God will not spare that idol which is set up against him: flesh rebelleth, and flesh shall suffer.
6. And when it hath brought affliction, it is most impatient under it, and maketh it seem intolerable. A flesh-pleaser thinks he is undone, when affliction depriveth him of his pleasure.
7. Lastly, it exceedingly unfitteth men for death; for then flesh must be cast into the dust, and all its pleasure be at an end. Oh doleful day to those that had their good things here, and their portion in this life! when all is gone that ever they valued and sought; and all the true felicity lost, which they brutishly condemned ! If you would joyfully then bear the dissolution and ruin of your flesh, oh master it, and mortify it now. Seek not the ease and pleasure of a little walking, breathing clay, when you should be seeking and foretasting the everlasting pleasure. Here lieth your danger and your work. Strive more against your own flesh, than against all your enemies in earth and hell: if you be saved from this, you are saved from them all. Christ suffered in the flesh, to tell you that it is not pampering, but suffering, that your flesh must expect, if you will reign with him.
Richard Baxter
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Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
The Bible, Ephesians 4:2
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God
The Bible, 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
The Bible, 1 Peter 2:1
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
The Bible, 2 Peter 1:5–7
When you feel unlovable, unworthy and unclean, when you think that no one can heal you:
Remember, Friend,
God Can.
When you think that you are unforgivable for your guilt and your shame:
Remember, Friend,
God Can.
When you think that all is hidden and no one can see within:
Remember, Friend,
God Can.
And when you have reached the bottom and you think that no one can hear:
Remember, my dear Friend,
God Can.
And when you think that no one can love the real person deep inside of you:
Remember, my dear Friend,
God Does.
Author unknown
If you would have a clear evidence that that little love, that little faith, that little zeal, you have is true, then live up to that love, live up to that faith, live up to that zeal that you have; and this will be evidence beyond all contradiction.
Thomas Brooks
We have been adopted as sons by the Lord with this one condition: that our life express Christ, the bond of our adoption. Accordingly, unless we give and devote ourselves to righteousness, we not only revolt from our Creator with wicked perfidy, but we also abjure our Savior Himself.
John Calvin
Conduct as well as charism needs to be a manifestation of the Spirit.
James Dunn
I resolve to endeavor to my utmost to act and think as if I had already seen the happiness of heaven and the torments of hell.
Jonathan Edwards
Think big, talk big, act big. Because we have a big God.
Kathryn Kuhlman
If our life is not a course of humility, self-denial, renunciation of the world, poverty of spirit, and heavenly affection, we do not live the lives of Christians.
William Law
If we do not die to ourselves, we cannot live to God, and he that does not live to God, is dead.
George MacDonald
Living the Christian life depends not only on our own effort but upon God our Father, who in Jesus Christ accepts us as heirs of God (Gal. 4:4–7) and strengthens and sustains us (Phil. 4:13).
Moravian Covenant for Christian living
A wise man has said that your Christian life is like a three-legged stool. The legs are doctrine, experience and practice (that is obedience), and you will not stay upright unless all three are there. In recent years many Christians have not kept these three together.
J.I. Packer
We are to order our lives by the light of His law, not our guesses about His plan.
J.I. Packer
The key to Christian living is a thirst and hunger for God. And one of the main reasons people do not understand or experience the sovereignty of grace and the way it works through the awakening of sovereign joy is that their hunger and thirst for God is so small.
John Piper
Contend to the death for the truth that no man is a true Christian who is not converted and is not a holy man.
But allow that a man be converted, have a new heart, and be a holy man, and yet be liable to infirmity, doubts, and fears.
J.C. Ryle
This is not an age in which to be a soft Christian.
Francis Schaeffer
Christianity is a warfare, and Christians are spiritual soldiers.
Robert Southwell
We are called to live in the presence of God, under the authority of God and to the glory of God.
R.C. Sproul
Learn to say no. It will be of more use to you than to be able to read Latin.
C.H. Spurgeon
Some Christians nowadays have a “butterfly Christianity.” When time, and strength, and thought, and talent are all spent upon mere amusement, what else are men and women but mere butterflies?
C.H. Spurgeon
The course of thy life will speak more for thee than the discourse of thy lips.
George Swinnock
We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God.
A.W. Tozer
The Methodists must take heed to their doctrine, their experience, their practice, and their discipline. If they attend to their doctrines only, they will make the people antinomians; if to the experimental part of religion only, they will make them enthusiasts; if to the practical part only, they will make them Pharisees; and if they do not attend to their discipline, they will be like persons who bestow much pain in cultivating their garden, and put no fence round it, to save it from the wild boar of the forest.
John Wesley
Christian Science
Mary Baker Eddy