Skip to main content

Gospel Living - What it Looks Like

There is a lot of talk about living like a Christian, walking the walk, being an example, etc.  But what does it really look like to live that out?  What did it look like in the Bible and what does it look like today to truly live a Christian life?  This is a topic that could go on and on, but I want to look at just 5 verses that give us a good example of how to live like Christians.

In Acts 18:24-28, we are introduced to Apollos as an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures, and having been instructed in the way of the Lord.  He is also described as being fervent in spirit and teaching accurately of the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.  One day while speaking boldly in the synagogue, Priscilla and Aquila heard him and then took him aside to explain the way of God more accurately.  Later on, when Apollos wanted to go to Achaia he was encouraged by his friends and they wrote to the disciples there to welcome him.  Once he arrived in Achaia he helped the believers there and showed by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

We quickly see that Apollos is a good speaker, likely well-liked and well-respected in Ephesus.  We also see that he is knowledgeable of the Bible, but that even with his knowledge, he didn't have everything ironed out perfectly.  How many of us are like that?  We have read the Bible, heard the sermons, seen the Bible stories, and we know a lot about the Scriptures, but there are still some things we don't quite understand, some things that we aren't able to explain fully?  This is why we need the church and fellow believers.  We need to surround ourselves with people like Priscilla and Aquila who can help correct us when we're wrong and help us to understand more fully the things of God.

Which leads to the next point - how often in today's society do we correct someone's wrong the way Priscilla and Aquila did?  They did so privately and in a loving encouraging manner.  In today's world, if you make a mistake or commit a wrong, it is plastered all over TV, radio, and social media sometimes before you even realize the mistake.  Priscilla and Aquila demonstrated the right way to correct a wrong, patiently, privately, and lovingly.  They could have cut Apollos mid-sentence in the middle of his teaching but knew that was not the proper way to handle the error.  This is often an area of weakness for me and is one that I personally need to focus on in the days ahead.  I think we could all stand to be a little slower to speak, and be more kind in our criticism, no matter how "constructive" we may believe it to be.

Then v27 is so encouraging.  We've seen Apollos' mistake and have read how he was corrected and learned about Christ's baptism.  In the early church, when a teacher wanted to travel to another church, a letter of recommendation was often used to protect the church from false teachers.  False teachers were rampant in the early church and would take advantage of new churches so these letters were much needed.  But the amazing part is the grace the people of Ephesus showed Apollos, letting go of his past mistakes and even encouraging him and helping him to continue in the work God had called him to.  Who in your life can you extend that grace to today?  Who has wronged you, hurt you, messed up, or whatever else that you haven't let go of yet that you can say:  You know what, the past is the past and we need to move forward.  And don't stop at merely forgiving them, offer an encouraging word to them today.

Living a Christian life in a sin filled word is hard.  We all make mistakes and fall short of God's perfect standard.  But if we will extend patience and grace to others, I believe that we will begin to see more patience and grace extended to us as well.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

2020 is Hindsight...Finally!

Wow, what a year! 2020 could literally be an entire decade, maybe more, of history, change, and lessons rolled up into these twelve months. While many aspects of 2020 were kind of sucky and we would like to forget them, it will certainly be a year to remember. And it will be enlightening when this year is looked back on in 10, 25, or 50 years to be discussed. I wonder if we'll seem like geniuses or idiots? Probably both to some extent! While there is so much that I could consider and analyze about this year, I'll try to break some of it down into four dimensions - Physical, Spiritual, Mental, and Social/Emotional. These are events and happenings from my world and perspective and I'm trying to be open in sharing and would love to hear from others on events you found most transforming. Physical When COVID cause gyms to close, that messed me up. Our town and state were late to be hit with severe cases and therefore later than many across the country to close up shop. I'm n

2020 Books

  I mentioned previously on Facebook that I'd share the books I've read in 2020 in case anyone is looking for a new read. Plus I figure this post can serve as one for friends to share some that they've enjoyed this past year as well. How to Win Friends and Influence People - Andrew Carnegie. This is a good book about personal development, relationships, etc. Vertical Marriage - Dave & Ann Wilson. Based on the title, obviously this was a book on marriages. While you'll see a few others on this list, this one was one of my favorites. How to Get Promoted - Anthony Park. Sorry boss! The worst part is I read this AFTER my annual review lol. It is good for people just getting their career started or working in larger corporations where you can get lost in the shuffle. The Power of Positive Thinking - Norman Vincent Peale. Great book on personal development. Leadership in Turbulent Times - Doris Kearns Goodwin. This book chronicles the life of 4 presidents, Lincol

First Blog

It's hard to decide what you want to write in your first blog since first impressions are so important.  So I figured I would start with the main reason the Brittnee and I decided to start a blog (if the name hasn't given it away) and that is the upcoming birth of our first child.  The sex hasn't been determined yet so for now it is referred to as ThomAva, a combination of the names we have selected.  So far so good with everything though as our little one gave us a thumbs up at our last ultra sound. She has also convinced me to buy a nice (female code word for expensive) camera so I'm sure there will be many more higher quality photos to come.   I always said that my, Kat's, and Jordan's childhood could have been a reality show before reality shows were cool so I look forward to using this blog to share and remember both new and old family stories.  And to hopefully share with others the blessings that God has given me over the years and as a way to wit