No One Is Immune

"See how the faithful city has become a prostitute!

She once was full of justice; 

righteousness used to dwell in her--but now murderers!

Your silver has become dross,

your choice wine is diluted with water.

Your rulers are rebels,

partners with thieves;

they all love bribes and chase after gifts.

they do not defend the cause of the fatherless;

the widow's case does not come before them."

Isaiah 1:21-23

There are always those faithful ones who seem beyond reproach, immune from destruction, like they could never fall away, lose their footing or wander.  Or the congregation which is revered as steadfast and true to the Gospel, on fire for Jesus.  Could they ever be at risk of collapsing into uselessness, losing its saltiness (Matthew 5:13)?  Or what about the nation which seems so good, to always stand in the gap, defending the weak and helping the poor.  Could it ever be corrupted beyond recognition?

The answer is "yes" it can, and in many instances, has.  No one or no entity made up of humans is immune from the temptation of sin (1 Corinthians 10:12). Therefore, it is important that I live accordingly.

Stay Connected.  It started to wither quite dramatically.  One day the zucchini vine was flourishing, the next it was wilting.  I couldn't understand what was happening.  The leaves looked untouched by disease or pest and I was watering and fertilizing regularly.  Then I read about an insidious beetle that attacks at the base of the stem, eating away until it is severed in two.  While the upper part of the plant appears intact, it has been separated from the roots and is at risk of dying.  Sure enough, by the next day it was a goner, another victim of the vine borer.  

This zucchini plant is like me.  If I am separated from Jesus who is my source of love, power, grace, mercy; everything I need in order to survive and produce fruit that matters, then I will cease to operate in this world as His disciple (John 15:5-8).  I can identify myself as a Christian, be fully convinced that I'm a follower of Christ, but there will be no evidence of His presence in my life.  I'll look no different from the world and will join the ranks of the "carnal Christians" who live by the flesh, not by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-18).

Since I am so weak and susceptible to sin, it is vital that I stay connected to Jesus.

Humble Myself.  Humility is highly favored by God (Proverbs 3:34).  But pride is natural to my nature and glorified by the world.  Since I'm naturally inclined to place myself at the center of the universe, either thinking I'm better than I am or less than my true worth, I'd better make it my habit to humble myself before the Lord (Romans 12:3, 1 Peter 5:6).  Nothing really depends on me; my skills, know-how, or character.  Instead, everything hinges upon God and His mighty power, His unshakable character.  All of His creation is truly at His mercy.

Therefore, in order to keep from falling out of His grace upon which I am totally dependent, I must stop trying to run out ahead of my Shepherd, instead keeping right beside Him.  When I really understand how needy I am, I will never want to venture from my Source.  And when I am at His side, aware of my own brokenness and, by contrast, His holiness and sovereign power, my footing will be sure, minimizing the risk of falling away from the path of righteousness (Matthew 7:14).

Since I am so dependent upon God, it is important that I humble myself before Him lest I think it depends on me, hastening my fall.

Christ and Him Crucified.  It all comes back to the cross.  No matter how many times congregations or individual believers have tried to make their foundation something else, the true cornerstone of the church is Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:20).  And it is only through His sacrifice on the cross that we are welcomed into His presence as children (Hebrews 4:16  1 John 3:1).

In response, I must never lose sight of the cross where I've been redeemed.  When my life becomes more about my worth, the things I do to impact the world, my comfort or reputation, or any of the countless distractions I center my attentions around, I'm building upon something inferior to the solid underpinning of the cross.  As Paul said, "For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2).  Apart from the cross, I have no hope at all.  I must never lose sight of this truth and make it the basis of my faith.

While my faith can easily fall off its intended foundation, keeping my eyes fixed upon Jesus and the cross where He secured my salvation will ground me upon the Solid Rock.

There is no one who is immune from sin and its temptations.  Since I'm so vulnerable, it's important that I stay connected to Jesus, constantly humble myself before God, and keep Christ and Him crucified as the basis of my faith.  When I do so, I will have a better chance of standing firm until the end, by the grace of God.  Because it really is true, no one is immune from falling.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust in Christ and Christ alone. 

When do I build my faith on other things, like my own worthiness, my effort, or my dedication?

How am I losing my connection to Jesus as I go about my days?