In my lifetime I have seen the nation known as America
grow as an aspirational culture which seeks many things which would be considered
as vices by Scripture, but have now been embraced, encouraged, and even
applauded by citizens who claim to believe in Jesus. This is a startling
phenomenon to anyone who truly desires to follow the teachings of Jesus and yet
hears words and sees actions which are completely at odds with everything our
Lord taught us. If assessed within a vacuum it would be embarrassingly obvious
that the Christian culture has been so contaminated by its secular environment
that strong and unyielding alliances are now formed between those who profess
Jesus and those who deny Him
And if that is not at odds with Scripture than the Bible
means absolutely nothing.
II Tim.2: Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the
grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same
commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
If we genuinely hope to draw closer to Jesus in a way
which changes our hearts systematically and dramatically then we will have to
release many things which now keep us from Him. It is no longer a religious
debate or a hodgepodge of differing perspectives. No, the mindless and benign
debate over nationalism, patriotism, war, and capitalism has come to an end.
The case has now been made and the Scriptures are clear. We must now choose who
we will serve. There is no debate for those who wish to surrender all and
follow Jesus. This is a clarion call for those who have ears to come forth and
humbly and with repentance renounce our former allegiances with anyone or
anything which cannot be considered part of Jesus.
And what is your giant? What Goliath do you still
embrace? Yes we all must deal with our own sins, but just what general concept
do you embrace, or which “topic” are you still mulling over, which should be
left as either a sin or a weight which so easily besets us and keep us from
that race which not only points to Jesus, but is Jesus? This is serious
business and we all have a choice between the freedom of open discipleship or a
stagnant profession which has for too long been treading water. We are faced
with the obedience of our own way and will or dying to it all in a wave of
unbridled worship and devotion. For too long we have avoided the personal
sacrifice of our own crucified death made in His likeness, and instead we have
rushed to the empty tomb and claimed we have risen from the dead.
But no one can arise from a tomb unless he has died. But
the cross has become a ride in the Holy Land experience where you can be
impressed while eating a hot dog as the Savior suffers, but as you leave you
are certainly glad that you did not have to suffer. The resurrected life is a
fraud without first a profound and painful visit to the cross. Jesus died for
our sins and we can never be a part of that. It was and is finished. But the
same Jesus who died upon the cross has called us to our own cross. That concept
has been lost to the church. And it reveals that the church at large has
rejected the Scriptures as God’s Word and in so doing it has rejected Christ
Himself. The church turns on its doctrinal neon lights which proudly spells out
their inerrancy credentials. But the self serving glow of those lights blind us
to the undeniable fact that we have stopped following Jesus, and are now
spectators to our own doctrinal fireworks.
Following Jesus has given way to a religion. It uses many
of the same words and phrases, and it even uses the name of Jesus sometimes.
But it does not deny self nor sacrifice anything because its pursuit is not of
Jesus. There are so many teachings by our Lord which are forceful and
compelling commands about the life which dies to live for Jesus. The
commandments of Moses are easy compared with the commands of Jesus. And yet why
does “living for Jesus” seem so easy and even effortless within this fallen
culture? The answer is painful and obvious. We have softened, compromised, and
even ignored the commandments of Christ in order to enjoy the fruits of this
culture while maintaining a semblance of religion.
So how do we come out from among them assuming we
actually desire to? There is no other way. We need a change of heart. There is
no doubt the Lord rewards sacrifice and diligence. Our concentration must be
upon Him, and then these things will be removed from our lives. I used to drink
quite a bit of Coke soft drinks. And when I would give it up for only a month
when I would taste it again it seemed way too sweet. And when we release these
things from our lives something wonderful happens. The strength with which they
held our desires weakens and our desires change.
But it is actually called repentance. Without it no
progress is possible. To be granted a new heart we must reject the old one. But
the giants guard the fortress. They are armed and ready for battle. When was
the last time you laid everything – EVERYTHING – before the Lord and surrendered
fully and allowed Him to return to you only that which pleases Him? The easy
way out awaits you. We all are familiar with that path.
But anther path, His path, also awaits you. But in order
to take the first step on that path you must be willing to deny yourself, and
slay these giants. Which path do you desire? One will require spiritual
warfare. One will find much fellowship. One may be lonely. One will seem like freedom but it will be bondage. One will seem like bondage but it will be freedom. But only one is
filled with His presence. Go ahead, prepare your heart and get ready.
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