Josiah & Abi's Flight Log

Last Friday evening our family had the privilege to go to a musical up in Grand Blanc Michigan, which is right near Flint Michigan. One of the sons of the family we are staying with was in it. It was entitled “Our Flag Was Still There,” it was a patriotic musical. There was a Children’s choir, adult choir, and some power point video presentations. Over all it was pretty good.
It was put on by the local character council, which teaches character apart from the Bible, so that they can go into public schools and teach. In there program booklet they had pages with character qualities such as, honesty, kindness, courage, ect.. After the whole deal I was over herd some one say in visiting that they loved the program booklet with all the character qualities and that could change the country, oh, and that it was nice that they slipped a little faith into the musical.
Faith and a living relationship in the almighty God is what give sinful people as myself the grace and strength to live out the character of Christ in my own life. You can teach character apart from Christ, but it will only end in frustration. For just like trying to hold your arms above your heart, most any person can do it for a time, but the flesh gets tired and I do not care how strong you may be, your arms will tire and come down after enough time. Apart from the Holy spirit at work in ones life, one my be able to be good for a time. Then the flesh tires and trying to “be good” becomes, or ends in a frustrating cycle of continual failed attempts to “be good.”
Lets get this straight, I have nothing against having accountability partners, other than you can fool a person, you can’t fool God. So lets do accountability partners. look at the story of Moses and when he kept his hands up, the children of Israel would prevail. So when Moses hands get tiered what did he do, he got should we say, accountability partners to hold his hands up, and that worked for the time being, but even with that, when the battle was over his hands came down. Of our own power, no matter what we try or resolve, there is no way to be a good person as defined in God’s law,(Rom 7:9-12) even in the from of character qualities.
The only way one can be a “good person” is being crucified with Christ. (Gal 2:19-20) Back to this analogy of holding up your arms. The thief that was crucified with Jesus, who believed. When he died his arms were still up, and he had a new life in Christ. In that new life in Christ is the grace to live lives that are honest, kind, full of courage. (Rom 6:4-11) When you think about it, as people we are incapable of being a good person. We must be surrendered to Christ and let him live through us. Therefore any goodness in me is not me, it is Christ, in his goodness. When I blow it, that is me.
But lets just say humans had the power to be good people of their own will power. Christ gave the commandment to go and make disciples, not good people, that will follow. The devil has nothing against good morals. It is Jesus he is opposed to. We may be able to have lots of good people that are still lost and going to hell.
What better reason to live for. To live and share with others the way of escape, and of the new life in Christ, undisputable evidence that God is real and true to his word.