Real Christianity development, Author at Real Christianity

What it means to “enter by the narrow gate” and to stay on the hard road, rather than take the broad, easy way

Another analogy which the Bible uses to describe the life of a real disciple is to speak of it as going through a narrow gate. That represents being saved. It then refers to continuing along a hard, narrow way. This represents the hardships faced by …

When we become a Christian we also have a duty to learn the Bible thoroughly and to develop a broad and accurate knowledge of doctrine

When we become a Christian and set out on our life as a disciple we suddenly acquire a wide package of duties and responsibilities. It is as if we had joined the Army and become subject to military law and regulations. By that I do not mean …

Whatever circumstances we have to face, and however hard they may be, God wants us to learn to be content, even while in those circumstances

Another character quality which every disciple needs to seek to develop in himself is contentment. That is the ability to be calm, at peace and reconciled to facing any circumstances that we are called upon to deal with. Few people have endured more than Apostle Paul. …

Some of the beneficial effects of hardship

Though it is hard to believe this while you are going through a period of hardship, there really are many benefits that come from it. Some of these come to you personally. Others are about making you more effective for the sake of others. Therefore …

Endurance and perseverance

The character qualities of endurance and perseverance are not widely sought after. Perhaps that is because the only way to develop them is for us to endure and persevere regularly until we eventually get good at it. Doing that is not pleasant, but there is …

Preparing for persecution and suffering

We therefore need to start to see struggle, persecution and suffering as normal, rather than objecting to them, as though they were things which ought not to be happening to us. Far too many of us have been presented with a watered-down gospel. It is …

Our third battle is against the Devil and all his demons. They are doing all they can to undermine and destroy you.

If life as a Christian was not already complicated enough, with our own flesh and the ungodly world system to deal with, it is made much harder by the involvement of the Devil and his demons. They are all fallen angels who were thrown out …

Every disciple needs to lose his fear of people and learn not to be ashamed of Jesus

We all have a strong desire to be liked and approved of by others. Therefore we are prone to neglecting our duties as disciples, or even denying Jesus, in order to avoid being disapproved of or criticised by other people. That craving to be approved …

We also have to contend with the sinful world system which is all around us. We must also reject its values and separate ourselves from its influence.

Whereas our battle against our own flesh takes place within ourselves, our battle against the world and all it stands for is an external one. By ‘the world’ we mean all of the thinking, values, standards, ways, priorities, practices, obsessions and methods of the unsaved and sinful …

Part of the war we have to fight is a lifelong battle between our new self and our old self. In other words, it is a battle between our spirit and our flesh

The battle or conflict that we have to face is not only external to us, involving other people and demons. It is also an internal battle between our ‘old self’, otherwise known as our ‘old man’, ‘carnal nature’ or ‘flesh’, and our ‘new self’, ‘new man’ or ‘new nature’. That is our …