Christian Living Inspiration from the Plumbline

Let me make a formal introduction to our Love and Grace readers!  

I recently embarked on a new blog called “The Plumbline”, a component of my new site, Plumbline Books.  

I wanted to share this particular post with you because above our relationship status, our status in Christ is most important.  Often we think we are walking the narrow and right path.  But it is good, to measure our faith and devotion toward God.  

Hence, the name “Plumbline” (Amos 7:8).  

This post highlights the necessity to practice compassion, grace, and forgiveness in this Christian walk.  It is short and sweet but highlights the heart of Christianity.

 

The Heart of Christianity: Forgiveness, Compassion, and Grace

 

The heart of Christianity is Jesus Christ.  Followers of Christ (Christians) receive many invaluable treasures from Him.  Among them are grace, compassion, and forgiveness.

We are saved by His grace through faith and it is a gift of God.  His offer of forgiveness and compassion attracted our sin-shackled souls that longed for spiritual peace within.

Yet after our receipt of gifted liberty and undeserved grace, some Christians lose sight of the heart of their own faith.  They refuse to share the treasures given to them, reflecting only the cruel, callus, and unforgiving nature of their carnality.

To what degree did God forgive?  What is the measure of His compassion for us?  Is the quantity of God’s grace as narrow as a brook or as deep as the vast oceans?

Most Christians would answer that one cannot measure the products of Christ’s love.

As servants of the only wise, true, and living God we are called to be ambassadors.  How well do we represent the heart of Christianity?  Does the atheist outperform our compassion, forgiveness, and grace?

Read more here at Plumbline….

 

Become a Plumbline subscriber and enjoy more Christian living inspiration and Christian book reviews from yours truly.

 

Here’s to a new blog and new beginnings!!! Pray with me!

-C. L. Evans

Compromising My Relationship with God for a Man

This is somewhat of a repeat blog that I thought was worth posting again.

Several single Christian women have been there. Yes, even I considered it…hooking up with an unbeliever who rejects the gospel that you love. “Why?” some may ask. I suppose because being single can be so hard that we’d rather be married and unhappy than single and unhappy. I know…it makes no sense.

I never had any intentions on abandoning my service to God, and taking up with a man who didn’t believe. I had this idea that I could change him. I could be the spiritual influence he needs in his life. Now I know that all day long the Bible tells us not to be unequally yoked. But there is something about a lonely heart and a weary mind that leads us to believe foolishness.

God promised Abraham and Sarah that He would give them a child in their old age. But they just couldn’t let it go at that. They had to figure the situation out on their own because it seemed impossible. Well I had been single so long that it seemed impossible to find a single, loving, saved, attractive, funny, intelligent, responsible man of God. As the years passed and I went from my early twenties to mid-twenties, the pickens seem to get slim. It felt like going to a 12 hour sidewalk sale in the eleventh hour. Everything in your size and favorite colors are gone. So then you wonder to the 80% off rack and buy five Thanksgiving sweatshirts from 3 years ago just so you don’t feel defeated walking out with nothing. Well…okay…maybe only I do that. (Smile)

So, having a hard time trusting in the promises of God…even knowing how He did in fact blessed Sarah to give birth to Isaac…I tried to help God. And please be careful of the advice you get when it comes to dating and courtship. If you have the Spirit of God inside of you and you’re serious about obtaining eternal life, line up the advice you receive with the Word of God. If the advice is contrary, don’t follow it! I say this because others will want to help you help God.

The extent of my pursuit to have a relationship with an unbeliever went as far as a few dinners. I began to grow feelings for this person, but the Holy Ghost would not let me be settled with him. His thinking process, his beliefs, and his actions rubbed the Spirit of God in me the wrong way. Some choose to ignore this warning the Spirit gives. Then women end up getting pulled out of the church instead of pulling the man in. And if he does attend a few church services don’t start rejoicing yet. If he is not ready to give his life to the Lord, he may ask you to do some things in return. Things you know is not in God’s will for your life…and I’ll just leave it at that. It’s called compromise.

Realizing that the end result of this relationship would consist of me loving a man that doesn’t love God finally put the brakes on for me. If I gave my life and my time to this man with no hope for a future in Christ with him, I would end up hurt, alone, and separated from God. You can tell in the first few conversations you have with him whether or not he’s going to be real about God and the church.

And until he decides to get real, you better decide to get separated.

Be ye not unequally yoked.

Today I am much wiser and even more in love with Jesus Christ. So there’s no way I’d leave His goodness, faithfulness, love, and ability to make me happy every single day for anything. In due time, a man of God will join you in God’s goodness, faithfulness, love, and ability to make you happy every single day.

Don’t fret about the impossibility of God’s promise for you. When has He ever failed? Don’t worry about the slim pickens. We can only have one man anyway. So why do hundreds need to be available. God knows you and He knows how to reserve the man for you.

Safe in His will,

Miss Love In Waiting