Christian Living
Living for Christ
Michael Youssef, Ph.D.
Feb 26, 2021
heaven awaits

NEW FROM DR. MICHAEL YOUSSEF

One of the best ways to test your Christian identity is to see how willing you are to tell others what God has done for you through Jesus Christ.

When you play by His rules, you will discover a lasting peace that satisfies your soul.

Another way to check your true identity is to measure your level of dedication. Dedicated soldiers in God's army:

  • Don't expect a safe or easy time.
  • Take hardships as a matter of everyday experience.
  • Are willing to take risks.
  • Fight to win.

 
In a spiritual battle, there are only two people: the defeated and the victor. We are conquerors for Christ, and we have been given the victory!

A third way to test your true identity is by asking yourself if you are an athlete who is willing to play by the rules. In ancient Greece, winning athletes were crowned with an evergreen wreath. But no athlete, no matter how brilliant or successful, received a crown if he did not compete according to the rules.

In 2 Timothy, Paul admonishes us to remain faithful to God. We are to play according to His rules, not by the rules of the world's morality. We are not to operate by the rules of a rewritten bible that tell us to do whatever feels right to us. Rules like these offer no standards. In order to live a victorious life, we need a solid, unshakeable framework, and this is exactly what God provides through His Word.

Set a goal for your life: Be committed to learning more about God—His Truth, His Word, His love, and His forgiveness. Then share His love with someone in need of eternal hope. When you play by His rules, you will discover a lasting peace that satisfies your soul.

Prayer: Jesus, You are my captain and my King. Give me Your strength as I remember You have already secured the victory. May I root my identity daily in You and what You have done for me so that I might honor You with my life. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

"Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:3).

Learn more in Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon Don't Ever Give Up, Part 3: LISTEN NOW