Charles R. Swindoll - The Owners Manual for Christians: The Essential Guide for a God-Honoring Life

The Owners Manual
for Christians

The Owners Manual for Christians

2009 by Charles R. Swindoll

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Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE. The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. 1982 bby thomas nelson, inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Swindoll, Charles R.
The owners manual for Christians : the essential guide for a God-honoring life / Charles R.
Swindoll.
p.cm.
ISBN 978-0-8499-0191-1
1. Christian life. I. Title.
BVBV4501.3.S955 2009
248.4dc22

2009003615

Printed in the United States of America

09 10 11 12 13 QW 5 4 3 2 1

Dedication

It has been my privilege to work alongside

some of Gods choicest servants for many years.

The harmony we have enjoyed, the accomplishments we have achieved,

and the pleasures we have known while serving our Lord together

at Stonebriar Community Church and Insight for Living

have been among the highlights of my ministry.

Because of their mutual love for Christ as Lord

and their unswerving commitment to excellence in all they do,

I joyfully dedicate this volume to these five faithful friends:

Paul Brewer

Bill Gemaehlich

Charlton Hiott

Carol Spencer

Wayne Stiles

Table of Contents

When all else fails, read the instructions. That little seven-word warning ought to appear on every electric train set, every plastic model, every backyard swing set in a two-ton package, every high-tech gizmoanything that comes disassembled or requires electricity. Dont try to pretend this doesnt apply to you! I have no doubt that, just like me, you have looked at a seemingly harmless kit and tossed the manual aside, convinced that good old common sense would be good enough. Like most intelligent men and women, you thought you could put it together without the help of instructions.

I recall one particular time I looked at a simple swing set kit and thought, Man, a guy with my ability shouldnt have any problem with that. So an hour later, after making a complete mess of the project, I looked for the instructions. Obviously a sarcastic sage had prepared the instruction manual, because across the top of the first page in very small, inoffensive type, the opening line read, Now that you have made a mess of things, please start over and follow these instructions. For a brief moment, I wondered if the author knew me personally and had written those words just for me! How could he have possibly known what I was going to do?

The fact is, he didnt know me. There was nothing supernatural going on. The sage simply understood human nature. It is part of our fallen, selfish, proud disposition to do things our way, and only when the consequences of failure become overwhelming do we seek help. Therefore, manufacturers have not only accepted this stubborn tendency, they have anticipated our shortsightedness by including a Quick Start Guide with the normal instruction manual. This is usually a condensed, need-to-know information pamphlet containing just enough information to keep the user from hurting himself or damaging the product.

Believe it or not, life comes with an owners manual. The Creator has written His instructions in the pages of His Word, the sixty-six books of the Bible. Beginning in Genesis and ending with Revelation, He has described our origin, explained our purpose, confronted our need, prescribed our remedy, ordered our steps, and even revealed our future. Moreover, He has presented His instructions in the form of literaturethe most engaging, compelling, and profound poetry and prose known to humanity. Nevertheless, we have all cast aside the owners manual and rushed headlong into life with the assumption that our own common sense would be enough to get us through.

Many of you who read these words can nod with me in humble agreement because, like me, you have fouled up something far more significant than a childs swing set or an electronic gadget. Youve fouled up a life... your own or perhaps someone elses .. or both! So, let me encourage you with a basic truth that has given me hope throughout the years, especially after having made a mess of things: Its never too late to start doing what is right. Its never too late to pick up the owners manual. In fact, after fouling up, its the only right move.

Perhaps you are wiser than most. Maybe you have just removed the wrapping from the gift of life and you already appreciate the potential dangers of fouling up. Good for you! Let me challenge you with these words: Read the instructions... or else! If you are at all tempted to put your life together without reading the manual, the consequences of failure are grave. While you are certain to fail from time to time, and you will eventually make a mess of things, the damage will be far less than if you hadnt taken the time to read.

A FEW CLARIFICATIONS

I hope you will allow me a little creative latitude with the title of this volume. In reality, the only true Owners Manual for Christians is the Bible. It is the only 100-percent-reliable source of truth from the Creator. If you prefer, think of this book as your quick start guide, a condensed, need-to-know information book about some of the most important teachings of Scripture.

Strictly speaking, this is a book of theology, but dont let that scare you or dissuade you from reading. Unfortunately, most theologians have given theology a bad rap by making their discipline more complicated than it needs to be. The purpose of theology is to consolidate the teaching of Scripture on any particular subject and then summarize that teaching in concise, understandable language so that the profound wisdom of the Bible is easier to understand and apply. When a theologian has made the principles of Scripture more difficult to grasp, he or she has failed. Hopefully, I have not failed in my task with this book. I have identified what I consider to be the most fundamental issues of life for believers and then focused the teaching of Scripture like a laser on each one... and Ive stayed away from complicated words.

For the sake of clarity, let me also state that I have boldly assumed the reader has already placed his or her complete trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation from sin and its eternal consequences; therefore, my treatment of such topics as grace, love, joy, Gods will, and fellowship will only make sense for you who have peace with God (Romans 5:1). For example, I explain the implications of grace as a present reality, which is not applicable to those who have not yet received it through faith in the Son of God. Similarly, joytrue joycannot be found apart from Him, so the topic will be frustrating for anyone who is not already in Christ.