Many Christians are living life without the Holy Spirits help. “So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say.” Ezekiel 33:31 – NLT

You must ask yourself: “Do you really love God?” Many Christians give the appearance of following God, but they have their minds more on material things than God. There are those who live a life as if they were religious but inwardly they are greedy. Christ warned that we cannot love both God and money at the same time. If you have very little in material things it isn’t too difficult to say I give it all. However, the more we have the more difficult it is to live as if it all belonged to God and we are His stewards.

Many see going to church as a form of entertainment. They hear the message but fail to put what they hear into practice. Many enjoy hearing the music, meeting with people and enjoying the different activities but their lives don’t seem to change. They do not seem challenged to want to serve or tithe as the Bible teaches.

Acts 17:30 – 31 – “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” The Bible says we must be ready at anytime.

2 Thessalonians 2:9 – 12 – “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” NIV

We wonder how can this man become so powerful and attain such notoriety and loyalty from his backers. He is a tool of Satan and will be able to deceive many. Those who choose to follow this lawless man, God will send a powerful delusion so that they will believe his lies and Christians will fall away from their Christian beliefs.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 29:1 – 2 – When wicked people rule, people groan. Are you hearing any groans lately? The Bible says that God hardened the heart of the Pharaoh and He will do also to those who rebel against Him. Their hearts will no longer respond to the truth. Are Americans rebelling against God? Do many seem to no longer respond to truth?

Romans 12:1 – 2 – “ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

One thing I believe every Christian should consider is when God asked King Solomon how he wanted God to bless him. King Solomon replied by asking for wisdom and the ability to discern. Isn’t this something we should pray for daily? God made King Solomon extremely wise and discerning. Won’t this help us be a better Christian?

Here is how God wants us to change. We must be willing to sacrifice, to not conform to the ways of the world and renew our minds by repenting. We are called to be totally committed and surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The greater we realize what God has done for us the greater will be our commitment. We are to live a new life and renounce sin in our lives. We must no longer do the questionable things we did in our old life. We must be careful in what we read and watch. We must not be afraid to challenge the ways of the world. We must not be overly proud, covetous, selfish, stubborn, arrogant or self-righteous. This will require, in many cases, a re-education and a redirecting of our minds and realize the Holy Spirit is within us to help.

If we are truly committed and wish to live as Christ taught, we are to continually pray that the Holy Spirit will transform us by giving us a new mind in a way similar to Christ’s. Keep in mind it is a gradual process. We are not to become impatient and frustrated because it doesn’t happen instantly.