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Is Christianity two-tiered?
Some Christians seem to struggle very much in the Christian life, and are at almost constant war with their flesh, often falling into sin (I'm talking here of sins like selfishness, anger, impatience etc).
Other Christians seem to be living in such glorious victory. They don't seem to give in to selfishness, impatience, anger etc.
When I look around, there seem to be two tiers in Christianity: Those who seem to have it easy must have either graduated into a higher tier of Christianity, or perhaps they're pretty self-controlled by nature or upbringing and so there's less work to be done.
Then there's those who have so little victory, though they want it.
My personal experience as a believer has been one of almost constant struggle. I feel my sin nature so keenly, and am most often in great temptation to live according to my flesh, often succumbing to the old habits of sin that come so easily to me.
I know the answer to our struggles in the Christian life is: FAITH. Maybe those who I imagine in the "upper tier" are simply those who have stronger faith.
If simple faith is the answer to those in the thick of the battle with their flesh, what does it looks like to apply simple faith to the daily failures and so little daily victory over sin?
Thanks in advance,
Jenny
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by thewatchman on
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I'd also add that Christianity/faith is not a spectator event you are involved...always....you are a participant and nothing should stop you from being an active one. No matter what you feel about another believer, you should always be concerned with your faith and an enduring faith that is based on the sole author & finisher of that faith.
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Permalink Reply by Jenny on
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I've heard of people fasting or going into the prayer closet until something is resolved, and they come out a changed person. I have an infant and small child, and am nursing so neither of these are feasible at this time, but is there something else you can suggest? Is going into the prayer closet a literal thing, or do people say this metaphorically?
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If it is a literal going into the closet, how is this done?
So I go into the prayer closet (or fast) because I'm contentious with my husband, and I don't come out until I have assurance from God that this sin will no longer be an issue for me?
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Permalink Reply by Amanda on
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Jenny,
I have prayerful, inner conversation with God throughout my day, while cleaning, cooking, running errands, and even during the night when I awaken or am waiting to fall asleep. I really never schedule a specific time, for, to me, God is not somewhere on the outside where I must send prayers up to or converse across with, as in a conversation with someone. God is within me. We are the temple where God resides under the New Covenant. This isn't to say that there aren't times when we shouldn't schedule a time to pray. I have kept prayer journals and written in them each day. As time has passed, I find that my relationship with God has changed. More and more I'm becoming aware of His presence within me. Truly, our relationship with God is progressive.
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You can pray anywhere...even while nursing. A prayer closet is just a a place where you might pray without interruptions.
"So I go into the prayer closet (or fast) because I'm contentious with my husband, and I don't come out until I have assurance from God that this sin will no longer be an issue for me? "
That is something you need to talk with the Lord about. Always.
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"I've heard of people fasting or going into the prayer closet until something is resolved, and they come out a changed person. I have an infant and small child, and am nursing so neither of these are feasible at this time, but is there something else you can suggest? Is going into the prayer closet a literal thing, or do people say this metaphorically? "
I have never thought of prayer metaphorically.
That is the quest. People have jobs, they have life streaming at them, and many will find that they just don't have the time to pray....always something else nagging for their time. Nothing should inhibit you from praying to the Lord....there will always be something testing you for your time. You make sure you get prayer in before anything else, it's important to keep your relationship with the Lord first and foremost before anything else in your life.
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Permalink Reply by Seek on
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Jenny I'm going to list some disagreement here and also speak of another aspect of those listed from scripture.
Yes Christianity is two (or even as Richard said many) tiered. Paul lists some of these as babes, young men, old men. Does God want strong men? Yes. But He's also close to the brokenhearted like Leah.
And yes some definitely do have it easier. During this mornings Sunday School lesson we got into a discussion on Israel and Muslims. Someone pointed out it's what they're taught from birth. So I brought up: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. If that's the case, would a Muslim depart from their training? I say this to make the point that some of us were trained in the school of hard knocks. Some had loving parents. Some grew up in poverty. Some had more than enough. Some have been repeatedly rejected. Some were popular. If you're in the first categories you will struggle more so in certain areas than one in category 2. I've said before that if a housewife and mother with a calm demeanor and kindness to her neighbors was saved, she wouldn't need the amount of work the beaten and abandoned 14 year old turned hooker turned junkie would need. But in the end which one will praise God more?
Other Christians seem to be living in such glorious victory. They don't seem to give in to selfishness, impatience, anger etc.
The key word here is "seem" There were many pharisees who also "seemed" to have it altogether. And many who seem so have often just become good at hiding it because believers are supposed to be joyful. So rather than allow God to work joy into them they put on a phoney act in public. My own mother can be sweet and light in church but get home and cut her own family to the quick. She's the first to say we should smile so we don't bring other Christians down. But that's not Biblical. We're in fact instructed to bear one another's burdens, mourn with those who mourn, and weep with those who weep.
So let's take a look at the flipside. I'm actually reading in Exodus right now. So Moses saw God. He spoke to God. He worshipped God. And? He made God mad. Exodus 4:14 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses. After all these things Moses had the audacity to argue with who God chose to send. Gideon did the same thing. So did Elijah in a manner when scared more of Jezebel than God. But they were all great men of God who earned a place in scripture.
And how about the faith of David and Abraham? David...A man after God's heart and saw God do exactly what He said and made David king, what did he do? Slept with another man's wife and murdered her husband...thou shalt not kill David! And Abraham who believed God and did not waiver. Well...There was that one little transgression of trust when he took Hagar.
Even Joseph's brothers were certain he'd kill them. But Joseph spent many years maturing from the kid with the big mouth about how his brothers were going to bow to him to the man who discovered that God had ordained everything so he could save theirs and many others lives.
But these are men we read who had great faith.
Does God want us to murder (David), shrink back (Moses & Gideon), try and do it on our own when God seems slow (Abraham)? No but He wants us to turn to Him and repent so that He can mold us one step at a time.
So when you think you're failing because you get selfish, angry or impatient...Abraham got impatient, Job got angry, David got selfish and broke 2 commandments. Coveting and killing.
I get selfish, angry and impatient and try as I might it still rises so I pray and pray on it. I look at it this way...when it stops bothering us then we've become comfortable in our sin.
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Glad it helps. It is things I struggled with. I'd hear of these great men of faith such as Abraham going to kill his own son and think I can never do that so how could God use me for anything. I'd hear of those who died for Christ thinking then I'm doomed. But as I've studied, those simple truths kept coming to mind. While we focus on the great things they did, we should never forget the times they failed or we will never measure up in our own minds.
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This is especially helpful to hear now that I have a 4 year old son who I'm teaching the stories of these great men of faith. Important to make the story not about how great these men were, but that they were ordinary men with weaknesses, used greatly by God.
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