We are coming up on two years of the SPF Podcast and today we are talking about four ways we can prove faithful as Christian women and I share a little bit about how the SPF podcast started way back with my emails in High School.

Show Notes: sheprovesfaithful.com/podcast/episode72

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Life Hack: Phone + Focus

This life hack is brought to you by SPF listener, Fallon.

"I recommend turning off all your post notifications on your social handles. By doing this you aren’t constantly being notified when someone “hearts, likes or comments” on your post. It helps you not checking your social handles 24/7 and makes you more aware of your surroundings. Plus it’s like a little prize later when u pull it up and see all your notifications."

I agree and have been doing this for a while and it's given me better focus and presence during my day!

Thank you Fallon!

Four Ways to Prove Faithful

No 1: Proving faithful with the Gospel message

"This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.  Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful." 1 Corinthians 4:1-2

If we are believers we are entrusted with the mystery of God and need to be found faithful stewards of it.

The mystery of God is Christ - in the fullest sense, it’s God’s plan of salvation through His Son. We would have never been able to understand the way to eternal life without Jesus, His death and resurrection.
 “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:2-3

If we are believers, God has unveiled to us the very great and wonderful mystery of salvation! We are now stewards of this message.

"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf:as “Be reconciled to God.” He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."  1 Corinthians 5:20-21

No 2: Prove faithful in our roles and responsibilities as women, wives, mothers

We have purpose on earth - God gives us roles and responsibilities as women, wives, and mothers.

Some of these roles and responsibilities are in Genesis 1-3 and we see a feminine charge throughout Scripture including in Titus 2, and general callings such as making disciples of Christ in Matthew 28.

No 3: Prove faithful by pursuing holiness

Jesus return is a reality and as Kevin DeYoung puts it from his book Taking God at His Word:
“And when Jesus comes again we will all realize, even if it is too late for some, that ungodly living is inconsistent with the glory of Christ.”

Holiness is the calling of all believers and it’s different from legalism. 

• Legalism is a pursuit of righteousness to earn salvation from God.
• Holiness is a pursuit of obedience because of Christ’s righteousness given to us.

"The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,"
2 Peter 3:9,11

Pastor R.C. Sproul writes this about pursuing holiness:

"At the same time, we do not know who all the elect are, nor do we know when they shall all be gathered in. Therefore, we should not be complacent when we hear the command to repent. The elect will lead lives of repentance, and those who persistently refuse the command of God reveal themselves to be at emnity with God. Those who claim to know Christ but will not submit to Him as Lord through repentance, faith, and obedience dangerously presume upon God’s grace. We all must repent lest our deaths or Jesus’ return make it too late."

No 4: Prove faithful by thinking biblically about God, ourselves, and our culture

As children of God we must develop biblical thinking and critical thinking when it comes to God, ourselves, and our culture.

• It takes time and practice
• We are immersed in a world of sin, flesh, desire, temptation and it is easy to be misinformed, misguided, tricked, lied to and deceived. 
• I have moments where I’m trying to disprove the word because I think I see something different, OR my feelings feel something different. 
• We need to know what Scriptures teach us about God, ourselves, and culture so we can have true understanding, be discerning, and live above reproach. and so we can walk in FREEDOM

In Matthew 7:18-20 Jesus tells the story about good and bad fruit:

"A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."

What is one sign of good fruit?

• Good fruit looks like a person who delights in the law of the Lord - Psalm 1
• The Law of the Lord enlightens the eyes according to Psalm 19

Learning to think biblically puts God’s Word as the authority and helps us apply God’s Word to our lives and culture

It takes time - and it takes practice

As we learn it helps us become better evangelists for the glory of God and salvation of others

Prove Faithful by Holding it up to the Word of God

As a last exhortation, let the Bible be our standard and plumb line for living and knowing God.

Do not follow anyone (including me) blindly. :)

Resources

R.C. Sproul article about Holiness and Godliness: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/holiness-and-godliness/

More about legalism: https://www.ligonier.org/blog/3-types-legalism/

Taking God At His Word (Paperback Edition): Why the Bible Is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What That Means for You and Me By Kevin DeYoung Eve in Exile and the Restoration of Femininity By Rebekah Merkle

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further episodes of Podcast - SHE PROVES FAITHFUL

Further podcasts by lauren hlushak

Website of lauren hlushak