Alam kong walang mabuting bagay na nananatili sa aking katawang makalaman. Kaya kong naisin ang mabuti, ngunit hindi ko nga lamang magawâ ang mabuting ninanais ko. Sapagkat hindi ko ginagawa ang mabuting gusto ko, ang masamang hindi ko gusto ang siya kong ginagawa. Kung ang ginagawa ko ay hindi ko nais, hindi na ako ang gumagawa nito kundi ang kasalanang nananatili sa akin.

Mga Taga-Roma 7:18-20

Posible bang maging practical atheist ang isang Christian? Many of us profess to be Christian because there was one time in our lives na nag-pray tayo to receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Dahil sa death ni Jesus on the cross, naligtas tayo from sin and its eternal punishment in hell. We’ve been saved!

Sadly, parang nakalimutan natin na kahit na pinatawad na tayo ni Jesus for all our sins (past, present, and future), hindi pa rin natatapos ang daily struggle natin with sin. Kahit na sure na sure tayo of a mansion in heaven, our earthly bodies still desire the many pleasures that this world can offer.

Many of us try hard to be good Christians by our own efforts. Trying hard tayo to do what is right all the time. Work to death tayo to be excellent employees. Ministry kabi-kabila ang discipleship strategy natin. It’s all about work, with very little prayer. And worse, walang place si Jesus sa daily life natin. If we are practicing the Christian life without Christ, then we are nominal Christians and practical atheists.

Ang laking kaibahan nito sa self-consciousness ni Paul, the great apostle of Jesus. Tanggap ni Paul ang kahinaan niya bilang tao. Aware siya na kahit pinatawad na siya ni Jesus sa lahat ng sins niya, nakikipagbuno pa rin ang converted self niya against sin. At sa struggle na ito, he still needed Jesus to fight the battle for him.

Balikan natin ang prayer na itinuro ni Jesus sa disciples Niya. Part of that prayer asks Jesus to deliver us from the evil one (Matthew 6:13). Sa araw-araw, how often do we ask Jesus to help us overcome temptations and deliver us from evil?

Kailangan natin si Jesus as Savior every single day. Hindi Siya one-time Savior lang. Without Him, an authentic Christian life is impossible.