I want to mention this one point about the idea of being downcast. This is talking about people who sincerely desire to follow God. I am deviating from the book here today yet this is important to understand. You see, there are three types of people in the world: natural, carnal and spiritual. I have taught this before, but it is good to review, so here is a quick description of each.
First, the natural man is one who is still living apart from Christ in their MMI-centered mentality. They are not seeking God, and too often, they do not even acknowledge there is a God who created them and loves them dearly.
Second the carnal man is someone who sincerely believes in God, and may have even surrendered their lives to Jesus as Lord and Savior, yet they still live according to their old person with that same MMI-centered mentalities as when they were apart from Christ. In the heart there can be an eternal difference between the natural and carnal man, but sadly, not much difference in their outward appearance, thoughts and actions.
Lastly, there is the spiritual man who has sincerely received Jesus as Lord and Savior and has begun the process of Sanctification, seeking to become more and more like Christ. This is the person Mr Keller is talking about in this chapter. I want to stress this because sometimes we spiritual Christians act like we can never fall back into sin, but we can, and often do! This is one of the many reasons why we must continue to grow in Christ. The more mature we become, the quicker we realize we have fallen and the louder we cry out for God’s help to get us back on our feet. It is not that we will never fall, but more like we become more aware when we fall, and can turn more quickly to our Good Shepherd so He may lift us up.
Keep growing, my Friends, because everyone wins when we do. God is glorified because we act more and more like Him, pointing others to Him as we give Him all the credit for our walk. Others hopefully desire the peace and joy and quick recovery when we fall that we have in Christ. And of course, our lives become more abundantly filled with all God’s Goodness as we grow, exactly because we become more and more aware of His Goodness in our lives!
We will get back to the book tomorrow…
2023’s Got A Minute? Book Club
January: The First & Best Book Ever: The Bible
February: Love Is In the Air: “The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts” by Gary Chapman
March: Spring Growth: “Secrets of the Vine” by Bruce Wilkinson
April: Living the Resurrected Life: “The Wonderful Spirit Filled Life” by Dr Charles Stanley
May: My Spiritual Mom: “Making Good Habits Breaking Bad Habits” by Joyce Meyer
June: Spiritual Dad: “It’s Not About Me- Rescue from the Life We Thought Would Make Us Happy” by Max Lucado
July: Financial Freedom “Complete Guide to Money” by Dave Ramsey
August: Summer’s Soul Restorer “A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23” by W Phillip Keller
<>< Peace, Diane
