How to Live a Beautiful Christian Life – J. R. Miller (Christian devotional)
From YouTube site: Christian Sermons and Audio Books
A phrase that stood out as I listened to the following video several times was “the allotment of Providence,” in other words, your lot in life.
Miller’s words considered many aspects of daily living and how one ought to view them so that he could live a ‘beautiful Christian life’ no matter what daily situation or experiences God providence has presented him.
I found the message extremely encouraging.
Main points / HIGHLIGHTS [many thoughtful and useful similes and metaphors are left out of the following points, reading and listening is recommended]:
- “We have only acquired the art of living a successful Christian life when we have learned to apply the principles of true religion, and enjoy its help and comfort in our daily life.”
- Many do daily devotions, quote Bible verses… but fail in times of strive, to live in accord with the Bible
- THE PROBLEM: how does the earnest Christian live a beautiful Christian life amid the trials, struggles, worries… of life?
- [Imagery of nature used to discuss trials, hindrances…; then the standard of living of the Savior’s life taken from scripture]
- To live a life that will please God and demonstrate our piety, we must firstly realize that our life must be lived in its own circumstances – where God, the Master Gardner has planted us – in the ‘lot’ we have been apportioned by God
- [Longing for or fantasizing someone else’s lot which you believe would enable you to grow in Christ-likeness is a waste of time and a rejection of God’s providence to you — such is indicated in the video]
- In the midst of our actual experiences, we must win our victories or suffer our defeats
- The lot given us by God is the field on which our Christian battle must be fought
- Imagery that illustrated the point that God has tailored our lot to us in that it provides the necessary experiences, struggles that will conform us into the image of His Son
- A fable that illustrated the above point
- In the “allotment of Providence,” there is no position in this world wherein it is not possible to be a true Christian, exemplifying all the virtues of the Christian life
- Illustrations from the world of nature showing how God has fitted animals to endure their particular “allotted” places; would He do that for them and not us?
- His grace is seen therein…; “there is therefore, no environment of trial, or difficulty, or hardship in which we cannot live beautiful lives of Christian fidelity and holy conduct”
- “Instead then, of yielding to discouragement when trials multiply, and it becomes hard to live right; or of being satisfied with a broken peace [between oneself and God] and a very faulty life, it should be the settled purpose of each one to live through the grace of God, a patient, gentle and unspotted life, in the place, and amid the circumstances He allots to us.”
- True victory is found in meeting and enduring your trials
- The aims of those who seek avoidance of their trials enumerated
- “The soldier who flies to the rear when he smells the battle, is no hero; he is a coward”
- “The questions should rather be, how can I pass through these trying experiences and not fail as a Christian?”
- “How can I endure these struggles and not suffer defeat?”
- “How can I live amid these provocations, these reproaches and testings of my temper and live sweetly… bearing injuries meekly… this is the true problem of Christian living?”
- We are in school here… our concern should be with the results of our lives [passing the tests]
- The end of all Christian nurture is spiritual loveliness
- “To be made truly noble and godlike, we should be willing to submit to any discipline”
- “Every obstacle to true living should then, only nerve us with fresh determination to succeed”
- “We should use each difficulty and hardship as a leverage to gain some new advantage” [examining failures to ascertain how and why they occurred, instead of beating ourselves up and despairing]
- “We should compel our temptations to minister to us instead of hindering us”
- “We should regard all our provocations, annoyances and trials of whatever sort, as practice lessons in the application of the theories of Christian life”
- We will discover that the aforementioned have been blessings [Hebrews 12 speaks like this]
- “It is no heroism to live patiently where there is no provocation; bravely, where there is no danger; calmly, where there is nothing to perturb; …the heart of busy life tests as well as makes character”
- “…he who rules his own spirit is better than he who captures a city”
- “This is our allotted task; it is no easy one. It can be accomplished only by the most resolute decision, with unwavering purpose and incessant watchfulness”
- “Nor can it be accomplished without the continual help of Christ…” [prayer]
- “No one can reach the summit without climbing the steep mountain path”
- “… the unlovely elements [of our lives] are not magically removed and replaced by lovely ones; each must win his way through struggles and efforts to all noble attainments”
- [Pilgrim’s Progress illustrates this endeavor, as the pilgrim Christian walks onward to the Celestial city, he fails by leaving the right path many times, for various reasons; but he is always analyzing his errors to gain from them, then returning to the right path to continue his walk of faith. Chills went down my spine as I read this book for the first time, as it helped me clarify that process in my own life, helping me see through the fog of confusion and uncertainty]
- “The help of God is given only in cooperation with human aspiration and energy”
- “While God works in us, we are to work out our own salvation”
- “We should accept our task with quiet joy; we shall fail many times; many a night we shall retire to weep at Christ’s feet over the day’s defeat…”
- “…we must keep through all, a brave heart, an unfaltering purpose, and a calm, joyful confidence in God”
- “Temporary defeat should only cause us to lean on Christ more fully”
- “God is on the side of everyone who is loyally struggling to obey His divine will and to grow into Christ likeness”
STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS:
***75-page book that is a guide through such struggles as are characterized above: Killing Sin Habits: Conquering Sin with Radical Faith, by Stuart Scott with Zondra Scott
***John Bunyan’s book Pilgrim’s Progress; the following link is to Reformation Heritage books page of the various forms of Bunyan’s useful work:
https://www.heritagebooks.org/Search.html#/Search.html?search=pilgrims+progress
***The following pdf download is to the best commentary explanation of the apostle Paul’s words in 1 Cor. 9:24-27
1Cor. 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. [ESV]
***The following link is for a pdf download of a self-examination form; it includes an 8-page explanation and steps that include a basic feeling list, and exercises that enable one to learn to assess relation problems and other problematic ‘situations’ in his life. [After having read the little book listed above, Killing Sin Habits, I believe the self-exam workbook could be useful in the assessment of one’s thoughts in a given situation and replacing them with godly thoughts from scripture. That step of self-examination is detailed in the handout, and a few godly examples are given; one would need to supply more of these tailored to his own struggles, from his daily study of God’s word.]
DOWNLOADABLE SELF-EXAM -2- docx
***Posts in this blog on Jonathan Edwards spiritual journey. These 3 posts show how he used his personal ‘diary,’ today we call it ‘journal,’ to aid him in his spiritual walk. He noted his struggles, assessments of these struggles which he worked out in his writings…. The following link is to post 1 of 3; the third post looks at some of his diary and states that he payed close attention to his feelings and when they changed he was very concerned to discern exactly what caused the changes.
The link for post 2 is at the bottom of post one; as the link for post 3 is at the bottom of post 2.
I am including this material to illustrate to readers that even such giants given to the church by God dealt with their struggles as is stated above.
https://sheeplywolves.com/jonathan-edwards-a-glimpse-into-his-spiritual-journey/
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The above video is from the YouTube site: Christian Sermons and Audio Books
Link to his YouTube video page: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristisLord/videos
[All Christians should subscribe to this site, as the sermons and audio books there are wonderful for providing sound biblical doctrine. The church today is full of false teachers who have devised their own ways of worship, forsaking the Bible. They are literally leading millions of discerning, ‘professed’ Christians down the wide road to destruction. Being fed with correct biblical doctrine and teaching is the first step in living the Christian life, the above struggle described in the 18-minute video can be entered into and fought.]
How to Live a Beautiful Christian Life – J. R. Miller (Christian devotional)
- R. Miller playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2085C7193D4C2AAE
James Russell Miller was born on March 20, 1840 at Frankfort Springs, Pennsylvania and died on July 2, 1912. Besides authoring over 80 books, booklets, and pamphlets, Dr. J.R. Miller was the Editorial Superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication and a very active pastor in a succession of churches.
The crucible of J.R. Miller’s education was his service with the United States Christian Commission, an agency set up to minister to the troops, during the civil war. When the war ended Miller completed his theological studies and was ordained and installed on September 11, 1867. On June 22, 1870, when he was thirty, he married Miss Louise E. King.
The end of life on earth came without warning on the afternoon of July 2, 1912. JR’s wife, Louise Miller, and their only daughter, Mary Wanamaker Miller (Mrs. W.B. Mount), were present, but it was impossible to summon the sons — William King Miller and Russell King Miller. One moment Dr. Miller seemed to be resting quietly; the next he was at rest.
JR Miller DD was one of the best selling Christian authors of his era. Rev. Miller’s books had a total circulation of over two million copies during his lifetime and in 1911 the Presbyterian Board of Publication, under his direction, published over 66 million copies of its periodicals.