The Christian Life is not Hard - it is Impossible!

[Vine Abider]

44 minutes ago, other one said:

Might I ask what is "a Christian life"?

If you love God with all your heart and soul, and love our neighbors as ourselves, what else do we need to do to live a Christian life?

That is a most excellent question!  The short answer to "What is the Christian life" is really just Christ and Him living through us.

Regarding the 2nd question of what else is needed to live a Christian life besides loving God and others, I would say nothing.  As Jesus said, love is the fulfillment of the law.

It's a matter of both being and doing.  As Galatians 2:20 says, "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live.  Yet not I, but Christ lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God."  So yes, people can seem to live outwardly a good behavior and appear to love God and others.  However, the substance is/should be Christ in them, living through them. He is to be our source for loving God and others.  

Without the power of Christ living through us, we are "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof."  (2 Tim 3:5)

[other one]

3 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Without the power of Christ living through us, we are "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof."  (2 Tim 3:5)

Without the power of Christ living through us (Holy Spirit) it really is impossible to live a Christian Life.

[Marathoner]

That's an excellent question, brother. Here is what I know, then.

I listen to Lord's voice and do whatever He bids me to do. In this way I love God with all of my heart and soul, and I also embody the royal law. What is the royal law?

If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. (James 2:8 NASB)

I wouldn't call that a "Christian life." No, it's the life which Christ gave to us, walking in the Spirit. His Spirit conforms us to the image of Christ from glory to glory. 

[Vine Abider]

18 hours ago, Marathoner said:

I wouldn't call that a "Christian life." No, it's the life which Christ gave to us, walking in the Spirit. His Spirit conforms us to the image of Christ from glory to glory. 

"Apart from Me" we can do how much?  (Learning this is probably the biggest lesson in my life!)

[Alive]

3 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

"Apart from Me" we can do how much?  (Learning this is probably the biggest lesson in my life!)

Mine too, brother.

[Prycejosh1987]

It isnt impossible to be Christian. God makes all things possible. The hard part is not dealing with sin, it is staying loving to a hostile crowd. Christians are hated but Jesus requires us to not fight back. That is hard, especially for me, someone who used to swear back at people who swore at me, and punch someone who got on my nerves. But God makes all things possible. Keep your mind and eyes on Jesus until the end. 

[Vine Abider]

18 hours ago, Prycejosh1987 said:

It isnt impossible to be Christian. God makes all things possible. The hard part is not dealing with sin, it is staying loving to a hostile crowd. Christians are hated but Jesus requires us to not fight back. That is hard, especially for me, someone who used to swear back at people who swore at me, and punch someone who got on my nerves. But God makes all things possible. Keep your mind and eyes on Jesus until the end. 

Yes, when we keep looking at Him, He supplies us in spirit to not do those things!  But on our own: 

 

 

[Marilyn C]

On 5/19/2025 at 8:21 AM, lrs68 said:

This is an intriguing topic because I know people who actually don't follow God but they truly are morally better than many people I know that have been saved and walking with God for years.   I have seen them help those in need without hesitation while those proclaiming God purposely avoided them.  Seen them refuse to gossip or tear others down and sadly many churches have split over people running their mouths.

 

Now I am not trying to uplift anyone above my Brothers and Sisters in Christ.  I am just pointing out that these morally people, moral not according to God but are doing things God would want His Own followers to be doing.  But because they can see that they are doing things to others better than many Christians causes them to spout off about not needing God for being so moral.

 

But I absolutely agree that we need God to be better than we are naturally and to live the Christian life.   And if some are naturally more moral than others just imagine if they had God what all they could accomplish.

Hi Irs,

It can seem like they are morally good, but the heart is still selfish. It is very hard for those people to accept Christ for they think they do not need a Saviour. They rely on their own `goodness.` Only God can see the heart and He knows without Christ our righteousness is as `filthy rags.` 

 

[Hinds Feet]

We need spiritual discipline.  The original apostles grew up with the Scriptures, and Jesus came and taught them fully.  When the Spirit was supplied to them, they hit the ground running!!!  However, here we are, 2000 years later, and there has been a kind of wall put up between the faith and it's origins in our hearts.  The apostles obeyed God's commands in the newness of Christ's spirit.  Yet we say Jesus fulfilled everything, and no longer see God's commands or the things written in the OT as important or relevant.  Most believers today I would say are flying by the seat of their pants.  Yes, we know Jesus provides salvation, but we lack spiritual discipline because it was God's commands that disciplined us.

Here's an example.  God commanded His people to have holy convocations or assemblies at certain times of the year. (Particularly the festivals)  When we follow His commands, we are disciplined to come together and rejoice with one another.  It trains us to be with one another.  So for Christians today who know nothing about the festivals like the apostles did, we aren't trained to come together.  And the results of this is we have become lonely Christians.  Everybody keeps to themselves, eat in their rooms and watch streaming shows.  Scripture tells us "Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.
 

If we seek our own desire, we are definitely not doing God's desire.  Ultimately meaning we have no power, and are definitely living in the flesh.  This is one example on how Scripture disciplines us, reading and doing God's commands in Christ.  But if we separate from God's commands, we will be undisciplined.  Perhaps it is fair to say most believers today are undisciplined disciples.

[Marilyn C]

7 hours ago, Hinds Feet said:

We need spiritual discipline.  The original apostles grew up with the Scriptures, and Jesus came and taught them fully.  When the Spirit was supplied to them, they hit the ground running!!!  However, here we are, 2000 years later, and there has been a kind of wall put up between the faith and it's origins in our hearts.  The apostles obeyed God's commands in the newness of Christ's spirit.  Yet we say Jesus fulfilled everything, and no longer see God's commands or the things written in the OT as important or relevant.  Most believers today I would say are flying by the seat of their pants.  Yes, we know Jesus provides salvation, but we lack spiritual discipline because it was God's commands that disciplined us.

Here's an example.  God commanded His people to have holy convocations or assemblies at certain times of the year. (Particularly the festivals)  When we follow His commands, we are disciplined to come together and rejoice with one another.  It trains us to be with one another.  So for Christians today who know nothing about the festivals like the apostles did, we aren't trained to come together.  And the results of this is we have become lonely Christians.  Everybody keeps to themselves, eat in their rooms and watch streaming shows.  Scripture tells us "Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.
 

If we seek our own desire, we are definitely not doing God's desire.  Ultimately meaning we have no power, and are definitely living in the flesh.  This is one example on how Scripture disciplines us, reading and doing God's commands in Christ.  But if we separate from God's commands, we will be undisciplined.  Perhaps it is fair to say most believers today are undisciplined disciples.

Hi Hinds Feet,

I do love reading and learning about God`s Feast for they are a timeline for Israel as to their final fulfillment. Those Feasts are not for the Body of Christ, however.