Strong Christians
How few there are! How refreshing to run up against them! We find them here and there like an oasis in the desert. They do not come by chance, nor are they creatures of more favorable environment, nor have they their Christian strength by heredity. Some of the very best and strongest Christian characters we meet are of all people void of favorable environment, and have not been blest with any sweet disposition by heredity.
Strong Christians are strong only by the grace and power of God.
Frequently the struggles of a life of trouble, and poverty, and trial have added to make the Christian what he is, because all of these will only make one stronger if there is constant looking to Christ in the midst of them. The storms that blow against the oak will only make its roots settle down deeper, and the storms of life will settle the Christian deeper and deeper into the soil of Christian character if he will only cling to Christ and get out of the storms all that God intends him to get.
We would notice some characteristics of a strong Christian.
1. He is full of faith. He looks not at discouragements. This word is dropped out of his vocabulary. He simply believes God.
2. The Word is the man of his counsel. He does not depend upon his feelings. He knows he is just as much sanctified when he does not feel in ecstasy as when he does. He has learned the devices of Satan and does not believe him when he throws out his lies.
3. He prays. Family prayer morning and evening does not satisfy him. He prays in secret also. He prays to an end. He prays through to victory. He hangs on till he gets somewhere. Secret prayer and the study of God's Word become the meat and drink which help to keep up his spiritual life.
3. He is full of the Holy [Spirit]. He possesses the Spirit and the Spirit possesses him. He is absolutely abandoned to God. He is purified, empowered, kept, and led by the Spirit. His cup runs over, and so he becomes a blessing to all around. He is courageous. The will of God is his delight, and though it may seem hard to perform at times, yet he looks to God for victory and passes through and comes out "more than conqueror." Neither men, nor devils, nor obstacles can hinder him from doing what he knows to be right.
5. He can stand alone. He does not depend upon the piety of other people. If they fail, he stands firm. If they go down he is still on top. He is tied to no one. He has convictions and lives up to them and is saved from even his best friends.
6. He is a worker. Laziness is an unknown quantity in his character. He is always on hand at the means of grace, and is a means of grace wherever he is. He takes hold and pushes for souls. Whether he can do as much on some lines as others, is not the question with him, he does what he can. Outside of meetings he is still pushing for souls. He is a veritable soul winner. Working for Jesus is his delight.
7. He is a rejoicing Christian. He smiles in the midst of difficulties. In everything he gives thanks and rejoices evermore. When he testifies he does not look as if he had buried his last friend and the hearse was waiting to carry him to the graveyard, but he tells out the glad news of a full salvation and is an inspiration to all who hear. He is living in the praise life and has learned the wondrous secret of a happy life.
8. He gets hardened for souls. He sees a lost world around him. He knows the value of souls and the importance of getting them saved and so feels the pressure of it on his own soul. Feeling this he can pray and lift and work as no one can without it. Oh to be a strong Christian! Who would not want to be? Who cannot be by the grace of God? God is able and willing and ready to make us all strong. Shall we give Him a chance? Let us use what strength we have and He will trust us for more. "Finally, my brethren be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might."
W. E. Shepard, The Nazarene Messenger, December 13, 1900
Used with permission from Nazarene Archives for devotions with Holiness Today
Please note: This article was originally published in 1900. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.
