For my recent morning worship times, I have been working on a project of reading and paraphrasing a hundred-year-old book called "Steps to Christ." The language is outdated, complicated in some parts, complete with phrases twisted around olden-time style. But the project of paraphrasing has been such food for my soul that I've sometimes been unable to stop for an extra hour or two. Here are some quotes from my paraphrased version this morning of a chapter called "The Test of Discipleship," which I hope you enjoy:While the Spirit’s work is silent and gradual, you can see what it does. If God’s Spirit has renewed your heart, your life will bear witness to that fact. You can’t do anything to change your heart or bring yourself into harmony with God. And you can’t trust at all in yourself and your good deeds. But your life will reveal whether the grace of God is living in you. People will see a change in your character, in your habits, and in the things you choose to do. The contrast will be plain and clear between what you were and what you now are. Character is not shown by occasional good deeds and bad deeds; it’s shown by the trend of your habits in words and deeds.
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Who has your heart? Who has your thoughts? Whom do you talk about? Who has your warmest affections and gets your best efforts? If you are Christ’s, your thoughts are always with Him, and your sweetest thoughts are about Him. All you have is devoted to Him. You long to bear His image, to breathe His Spirit, to do His will and to please Him in everything.
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The less you see anything of value in yourself, the more you will see of value in the endless purity and loveliness of your Savior. A view of your sinfulness drives you to Him who can pardon you. And when your soul realizes its helplessness and reaches out to Jesus, He will reveal himself in power. The more your sense of need drives you to Him and to His word, the more glorious views you’ll have of His character, and the more fully you will reflect His image.
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