Which Comes First—Living Righteously or Coming to Christ?

Why Do You Come to the Lord?

I once heard the question asked, “Are you coming to God because you love Him, or because you want to use Him?” That seemed like a pretty rude question, and at first I was offended. But when I stopped to give it some reflection, applying it and pondering on it in the...
Which Comes First—Living Righteously or Coming to Christ?

I Will Not Leave You Comfortless

Addictions. We resort to them for comfort, but the comfort the addiction brings is actually numbness. Addictions fog the mind, weaken your ability to cope, sap your energy. They give the comfort of forgetting and hiding. Addictions tell you, “You poor thing. There,...
Which Comes First—Living Righteously or Coming to Christ?

Walking Blameless Before God

Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? (Alma 5:27) Have I walked, keeping myself blameless before God? How in the world can I do that??? After pondering my helplessness and hopelessness for a few moments, I was reminded of another set of verses: And...
Which Comes First—Living Righteously or Coming to Christ?

Lamentations

Lamentations is not just a short but depressing book in the Bible. It’s a testament to the mercy and goodness of God. In Lamentations, Jeremiah bewails the condition of his world—sorrow, misery, desolation, calamity, sin, iniquity… Sound familiar? Just listen to the...
Which Comes First—Living Righteously or Coming to Christ?

Backing Away from God, Backing Away from Truth

When a person says they’re having a hard time connecting with God, I immediately know there is some truth in their life that they’re not ready to acknowledge.  There is something they’re shying away from, something they don’t want to process or embrace. When we...