Chronic (def) - persisting for a long time or constantly recurring. What keeps you going in your faith walk with the Lord? Is it guilt, obedience, family history, pride, or something else? Hopefully what keeps you going is an ongoing, growing walk with God that is immovable and ever-growing. If a disease continues to persist for a long time or comes back again and agin it is called a Chronic disease. Sometimes our faith may look a lot like that as we go through one trial or success after another and it begins to show just who we are in Christ. Chronic Christianity is a faith built on the foundation of a personal relationship with Jesus, our Lord. We don't waver. We don't quit. We just keep on keeping on. Paul admonished the church at Corinth in this very subject and he wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
Paul has been writing in the previous verses about the natural man and the spiritual man. He brings to mind that a natural man will not hold on when believing something, but the spiritual man will hold to his faith because it is spiritually founded in Jesus. Sometimes we think that our efforts are not helpful and not very lasting. That may be true for someone who is doing it on their own power. But the one who lives in the power of the Lord will not fall away. And if he does fall away, will come back quickly to the faith. This "faith" that is spiritually appraised is a faith that is empowered with resurrection power! Resurrrection is "life giving" power that not only sustains, but grows as we grow. So when Paul says to be steadfast, immovable, and abounding in the work of the Lord, he is calling on the power "within" us, not the power we can muster up. The faith walk of a believer is an ever-increasing walk that draws us closer to Jesus and not further away. But we must develop it to undergird that walk and keep it current. Thus, learning from the Master is vital to keeping that walk current.
Chronic Christianity is a faith that grows and never quits when the going gets tough. In fact, that faith will respond in a very postive, powerful way because the power is the power of the Holy Spirit. Resurrection Power!! When we come to Jesus by faith it is not something we can get beyond, but we grow stronger and stronger in. That causes our serving quotient to soar and further call us to more service as we see God working in our lives. The Holy Spirit continually feeds us and calls us to serve and we never tire from it, knowing that service means something. So it is not in vain.
When we receive Jesus we get an awesome virus that is lasting and it is called a Born Again virus. The faith we live in continues to grow and God shows Himself more and more to us as we do grow . Don't despair when others may fall away from the faith, but keep a life that is steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord. Because it means something, and God is doing a work through you.
The Pilgrimage Continues.....
David Warren
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