Choking

When a sinner come to Christ, obviously there is some baggage that has been discarded. Satan in his attempt to regain control will try to invade your life just as weeds invade our gardens. Weeds steal nutrients from plants keeping them from producing good fruit. Matthew 13:7 “ Other seed fell among thorns (weeds), which grew up and choked the plants.”

Weed growth can be promoted by believers who fail to live a life of sacrifice denying the flesh. A believer’s focus is to bring glory and honor to God in everything we do. I don’t understand promoting Recovery groups helping individuals overcome addiction at one door while failing to preach abstinence at the other.

If you put lipstick on a pig, it is still a pig! There is no integrity. How can we minister to the addict and not preach against the practice? Do we not realize people are stumbling and falling from grace due to mature believers failing to live a life of integrity? It is not wonder the world refers to the church as hypocrites. We tell addicts they must change their behavior while members of our churches indulge in themselves in that same behavior.

We are called to a life of holiness, we are made holy through Christ, however we are also to repent of our sins, to leave sinful behavior in the past. Old things are passed away, behold all things have become new! Believers are to separate themselves from the world. People ought to know we are Christian by our walk. Everything we do should represent Christ and bring him glory.

When you fail to live in this manner you are fertilizing the weeds in the life of the new believer. These weeds will choke the life out of a new believer. There is no greater love than this, than a man lay down his life for his friend. Are you willing to put aside that which is questionable to lift a new believer? 1 Corinthians 8:8-9 “It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we (do) eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat (do) it, and we don’t gain anything if we do.9 But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble.

Let us live our lives with discretion thinking of others before ourselves. May we encourage a new believer to grow strong in the faith and stave off weeds that attempt to manipulate and destroy.