It's a blessing to grow up in a Christian family, and to know Christ from young. But then, depending on the seasons of my life, it is easy to find myself jaded, cynical, and developing a hardened heart (刚硬的心). I gotta admit, life's a b***** sometimes.
A hardened heart shows through our actions - heightened propensity to sin (i.e. we do not conduct our lives in a Christ-like manner), and our nonchalant state of in action - chronic spiritual passiveness (i.e. not doing what Christ would expect from a believer).
In the book of Exodus, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years after escaping from Egypt. Some may say it's not such a big deal, but I reckoned without compass or a map, it is worse than getting disoriented in an oversized Malaysia shopping mall, an experience that is not funny at all.
They had first-hand witness of God's grace when He parted the Red Sea as they fled from the Pharoh (*cue: The Prince of Egypt*). They also experienced God's providence in the form of food (manna that fell from the sky), direction (pillar of fire and clouds), and instructions (God spoke via Moses). Yet the Israelites rebelled and turned away from God. They complained about the terrible conditions in the wilderness, and created their own idols, and doubted God's instructions to enter the Land of Canaan. The result is God's wrath and the revocation of His grace. Those who lost faith did not make it into the Promised Land.
These observations parallel what is seen from the ills of our modern world - we doubt God's provision, depend solely on our abilities, create our own (American) idols, pursue personal satisfaction, often at the expense of our faith.
To avoid turning away from the Lord, we should be mindful to put our faith into actions - encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ, or end your procrastination in commitng to serve in your Church.
As it was written, we receive salvation by faith, but our faith is exercised through actions. Amen?
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