We either believe in Jesus and follow Him, or we don’t. We either believe His Word and live by it, or we don’t. We do the works and deeds of Jesus, or we don’t. We are either a Christian, a Christ follower, or we’re not.
Christianity is very black and white. But it gets grey and muddied when we allow the creep of our self-entitled, politically correct, religiously post-modern culture to influence our lives. This is where we find ourselves playing the game of Christianity. Beware, it’s a loosing game invented by the devil, a smokescreen for the real thing.
The game of Christianity is clear, Instead of living by God’s Word, by grace and faith and love, by the leading of Holy Spirit, we live by what is convenient and popular, by what man invents, and by the dictates of our flesh.
Picking and choosing scripture we love, ignoring scripture that contradicts our choices, we reason away and excuse our open disobedience and rebellion to God. Of course we’d never call it open disobedience or rebellion, we cloak it in religious sounding speech and expertly make it sound like we are wise and mature Christians. Lot’s of people are fooled. God is not.
We want God’s grace without responsibility. God’s will and purpose without submission to His process. God’s generous hand of blessing without His strong hand of faith and character development. We want the cross without the sacrifice. And the trappings of worldly success at the expense of truly honoring and obeying Holy Spirit.
Don’t live like this. It’s powerless Christianity. It’s religious counterfeit.
Live an all-out full-on relationship with Jesus. Deep, and growing deeper, intimacy is the only real Christianity. It won’t be popular or convenient. It won’t always feel good or look pretty. It will often be painful and require much of us. It’s not for the faint hearted. Nor is it for the self-seeking, self-promoting person who is full of their own agenda.
Christianity is very simple. It’s very black and white:
- Follow Jesus.
- He is our only life.
- Get in on what Jesus is doing.
- Be where He is.
- Do what He is doing.
- Say what He is saying.
- Live to serve others.
- Allow Jesus full reign in your heart and mind; then…
- Jesus is the only King reigning in your heart.
- Live fully by the truth of His Word. No compromise. No excuse. Obeying God’s every word–not man’s.
- Have your eyes fixed on Him. Take up His vital cause of reaching the world.