Have you ever desired something so much, that you would sacrifice just about anything to get it? The same is true for people who’s desire is to serve God and know the Lord through and through. Many can testify of sacrifices they have made to be in an intimate relationship with the Lord. And their testimonies come from a place of joy and not one single regret.
God sends a message for one of the churches in Revelations 2:2 – 4. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for My name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.
In other translations, God’s message becomes clear that this church did not love Him as much as in the beginning. We have to understand that this was truly a church who’s example the other’s could follow. God mentions many things that they did right. Yet, the one thing that truly mattered, they were not able to follow through with. How can this Scripture lead us and teach us today? By looking at our own lives and seeing that we are, perhaps, guilty of the very same thing.
Sadly, reborn Christians are sometimes Christians only in the name itself. They labeled themselves that, yet, they live as though they have not been changed. Claiming to be a child of God, but still living for the world. Is this something that we can look past, or is it serious enough to cause us to miss Eternal Life? If God thought it serious enough to put in the Bible, we should be taking it seriously as well.
The problem might not be to admit our faults in this regard, but to take that step towards total devotion. If, for some reason, it provides as a challenge to admit it in the first place, let me share something with you about sin…
As people in our sinful nature, we have all formed many excuses for our wrong doings. We hear them everywhere. Some might claim that they did not know their actions were sinful. When you need to find out if you are committing sin, try and picture this: You are busy with that particular activity. Suddenly, Jesus Christ steps into your house and finds you busy with it. Ask yourself if He would be ashamed in that moment, or if He would give you a pat on the back? If your answer is that He would be ashamed of it, then it is obviously sin and you need to stop doing it.
Some other excuses might lead to blaming the world or going with the flow as some of the youngsters would say. But we are not called to look like the world. We are called to go in the opposite direction. God has called you to stand out as a reborn Christian so people may look upon the way you live for Christ. Is there a different way in which they can know Jesus then to see Jesus in you? If a reborn Christian continues to look and act like the world, how on earth will people see the Light and the difference? How will they, then, be able to distinguish between filth and holiness?
Some reborn Christians are also stuck in what I would like to call: Performance Gospel”. Unfortunately, I was one of them. But God saved me from that. These people have a tick box where they tick off the most popular actions you need to take as a Christian. They go to church, they worship and they help people. Done? Not in the least. It is not about your actions and your deeds, but about a personal and deep relationship with God. A person living under a “Performance Gospel” mindset, ends up doing the right things but being all the wrong things. Being a reborn Christian means that you are a child of God, in mind, soul and spirit. That your entire heart belongs to Him. That you’ve made the leap of faith and decided to follow Him with your entire being.
Once again, it might not be the struggle you are facing. Perhaps you are able to admit all of these things, but somehow you still end up looking like the world. The more important question in this matter would be: what is stopping you from giving your 100% to God? Is there a certain part of your life that does not belong to Him yet? Do not be fearful, for there is an explanation for this.
It all revolves around your desires. How much do you desire God today? If it is anything like the woman in the Bible with a blood issue that pushed through the crowds to get to Jesus, then you are on the right path. But if you are honestly not ready to let go of some things that separate you from God, then it is a problem. Desiring God above anything in your life, leads you to joyfully sacrifice things that you have been holding on to. What are you holding onto today? Is it bad habits like cigarettes’ and alcohol? Is it the inability to control your tongue? Is it your double persona when you leave church on a Sunday? Whatever the case may be, you can only be honest about this when you are at the feet of Jesus. He sees and knows everything. You might not be able to admit it to other people, but God knows if you are being true to who you say you are. If you have labeled yourself as a reborn Christian, but still being an exact replica of the world, you need to sadly face the fact that you do not have the privilege to be named ‘reborn Christian’ anymore. God has given us a precious right to be called children of God, for those who believe in His name. But believing in His name entails more than just a simple belief in His existence. It requires a relationship and the willingness to allow Him to change you.
I urge you to look at your own life in all honesty. See if you are living out what God has called you for. Just like the church in Ephesus, it won’t matter if we have an outstanding reputation, yet your heart is far from God. Why not give God your 100%. With God it is all or nothing. We are human and imperfect. But there is quite a huge difference between giving it your all, or not even trying at all. God is gracious and willing to forgive those who repent. What an amazing God we serve.
May this message reach deep within our hearts. Blessings!
No responses yet