Unfaithful

"You adulterous people,

don't you know that friendship with the world

is hatred toward God?

Anyone who chooses to be a friend

of the world 

becomes an enemy of God."

James 4:4

Divorce rates are high, hovering around 50% and increasing with each subsequent marriage.  Followers of Christ are not immune to this trend as the same rate of divorce is reported among those professing to be Christian.  As a people, we know a little something about infidelity and unfaithfulness.  I would even go so far as to say that we have made it a way of life.

Reading through the Old Testament, I see many examples of where God says His people have been unfaithful to Him.  Apparently, the tendency to live unfaithfully runs deep among God's people.  But how have we been unfaithful?  Church attendance is trending slightly up, with 43% of Americans claiming to attend on a weekly or almost weekly basis.  An astounding 42% of Americans claim to be born again or evangelical.  Even though 74% of Christians believe that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God, only 48% read it on a regular basis.  

On the surface, it seems like I live in a country where almost half it's residents follow Jesus.  Clearly, looking at the divorce rates and the culture in general,  there is something wrong.  Could it be that we are once again, as a people of God, turning our backs on Him?  Are we praising the LORD with our mouths but our hearts are far from Him?  (Isaiah 29:13)  It seems our inclination towards unfaithfulness is affecting more than just our marriages.

Spoiled Fruit

I have a large section of strawberry plants in my garden.  The vines look healthy and have quadrupled in size since I planted them last year.  I was so excited for harvest time to come.  As I watched the little berries grow and gradually turn red, it finally came time to pick some of the delicious fruit: I could taste the strawberry shortcake.  As I searched through the plants, though, most of the ripened fruit I came across had either shriveled up or been eaten by a bird or rodent. Disappointingly, I collected only a handful of fruit that was fit for consumption.


In a similar way, I can look good on the outside, appearing to have a strong relationship with God and follow Him closely.  When it comes time for the harvest, however, my fruit may be spoiled, shriveled up or half-eaten by pests.  The fruit I produce exposes the state of my heart. Either I am for God, or I am against Him; I can't have it both ways.


I can't be motivated by a desire to succeed and also profess to desire only God's will for my life.  It is impossible for me to say that pleasing God is my driving force yet fail to love my husband and family.  If I constantly corrupt my heart with the filth of a sinful world coming through the television set yet claim to follow a holy God, who am I fooling?  


The fruit I produce will either be from the vineyard of the Lord, or it will be harvested from the dark orchard of my own flesh, depending on who is master of my life.  If Jesus is Lord, then love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control will be yielded. (Galatians 5:22-23)  


If, however, I am my own master and lord, then I will find, ". . .loveless and cheap sex, frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community."  (Galatians 5:19-20 MSG)   This sounds like a description of the culture in which I live.


Paul went on in this passage to say, "This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know.  If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom."  (Galatians 5:21 MSG)  That's what I call a sobering word of caution for the people of God living in a dark world.  Will I stay true to Him and His ways, or will I get sucked into the culture around me?  


I betray the state of my level of faithfulness to God in the fruit I am producing.

Reckless Righteousness

"It's okay for me to look at other men as long as I don't touch.  I mean, God wants me to enjoy His handiwork, doesn't He?"

"Sure my family drinks a lot, but we don't have a problem.  We could stop any time we want to.  Alcohol is just a part of the way we celebrate."

"I'm free to watch, say and do anything I want to, as long as I don't hurt anyone else."

"When I write the receipt, I'll change the amount I actually collected from you for the car so you don't have to pay so many taxes."

These are some comments I have actually heard from believers and they represent the attitudes and viewpoints of most western believers:  Since we are saved by grace, the way we live our lives is not really that important.

Unfortunately for us, this is a bald-faced lie!  God is very concerned with the way I live my life as one of His children.  As His Word says in 1 Peter 1:15-16, "So you must live as God's obedient children.  Don's slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires.  You didn't know any better then.  But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy."  (NLT)

Just because my sin is atoned for does not give me license to live my life as one who has not been set free from the bondage of sin!  Sin is an affront to God, and continuing to live my life as one who has no hope does not please Him.  In fact, it angers Him.  As A.W. Tozer said, "God's wrath is his utter intolerance of whatever degrades and destroys.  He hates iniquity as a mother hates the polio that would take the life of the child."  

Recklessly using the grace of God as His permission to continue in my selfish ways is dangerous and destructive.  If I'm serious about my walk with the Lord, I will make it my goal to live in a way that pleases Him instead of just doing what comes naturally.

My level of faithfulness to God is evident in the choices I make, in the words I say and in the thoughts I think.

Wayward Heart  

I can tell when my husband isn't really listening.  I'll be chattering away and he'll respond with, "Mmhhmm. . .okay. . . .right. . . "  I then know he didn't hear a word I said.  His heart and mind were somewhere else, thinking about work, his list of things to do, or an upcoming meeting.  His body is present but his heart is not with me.

As aggravating as that feels to me, I often do this to God.  I talk about Him, I go to church, I attend Bible study, I pray, I do all that I think I'm supposed to do; but my heart is not really with God.  Instead, I'm going through the motions, mindlessly reciting and acting out of tradition.  I can't remember the last time I had a real conversation with Him.  

God had to warn the Israelites about this same problem through the prophet Isaiah.  He said, "These people say they are mine.  They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote."  Isaiah 29:13 NLT)  

The biggest indicator of the state of my heart is whether or not I am obeying God.  If I do what He says, my heart is focused on pleasing God. If, however, I don't give a second thought to what God wants me to do during the course of a day, then my heart is focused on pleasing myself.  I must always remember that God doesn't care how my life looks to others.  Rather, God is most concerned about the state of my heart.  

Another gauge that helps to measure the tenderness of my heart is in how much I worry.  When I fret about difficulties, needs and hardships, I am acting unfaithfully.  Or, as Oswald Chambers said, "It is not only wrong to worry, it is infidelity, because worrying means that we do not think that God can look after the practical details of our lives, and it is never anything else that worries us."  

If my heart is faithful to God, or at least moving closer to Him, then I will do things His way and my worries will be gone as I rest in His peace.  

I am naturally a two-timing traitor.  Living in a culture that rewards individuality and the pursuit of my own self-interest, I must guard against infidelity toward God.  I will know when I am drifting away from Him by examining the fruit produced in my life, looking at the way in which I choose to live my life, and finding the location of my heart.  In this way I can keep from being a friend of the world, but an enemy of God.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep focused on you and all that you are doing in my life.

How do I betray the location of my heart in the way I live my life?

In what areas do I have a hard time letting go of behavior that is not pleasing to God?

My Life as a Sermon

"Preach the word of God.

Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not."

2 Timothy 4:2 NLT

"But I don't want to!"  The sound of the whining child grated on my nerves.

"It doesn't matter if you want to or not.  The chores need to be done and as a part of this family, you need to pitch in and do your part. . . whether you feel like it or not."

Maybe this sounds familiar. . .children don't always want to do their chores.  Maybe in your house the battle is over homework or a myriad of other things.  Whatever is the source of conflict, I can guarantee that where there is a will. . . there is a battle of some kind.

As an adult, I am not immune to this childish mindset.  There are many things I don't want to do.  I don't feel like cleaning, for example. In fact, I could call myself a reluctant cleaner.  Every once in a while I'll feel inspired to clean and then I'll go crazy, getting everything spic and span.  Most of the time, however, I clean because it needs to be done.  Another thing I rarely want to do is to go to the dentist.  Again, it is something that is important for my overall health, so I make a point to do it.  

Life is filled with examples of "chores" like these.  My walk with Christ is not so different.  There are things I am called to do whether or not I'm in the mood.  I can't wait until I feel inspired or in the mood.  

One of these things is that even though I'm not a pastor, I am called to preach, whether I feel like it or not.  Some kinds of preaching can't be done from the pulpit but are best observed by onlookers watching a life that is wholly committed to Christ. 

Love

She holds the hand of the leper.  He runs back into a burning building to save a child.  She prays for the one who beats her.  Love compels people do the unthinkable, the heroic, the foolish.  

As much as I love my family and would give my life for them, I don't think I really understand the depths of God's love for His people.  It is important that I let His love sink into my very being.  Unless I truly grasp the magnitude of His love, I will not fully become the one who God has created me to be.

The Apostle Paul explained this truth to the believers at Ephesus.  "I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him.  Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.  Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God."  (Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT)

It all begins with surrendering my all to Jesus.  As I do this, I will grow in His love and will experience more of His love.  Coming into contact with the love of Christ as I allow Him to invade my being, transforming me into His image, empowers me to love others as He does.  This is the fullness of life that God has given me; not to simply feel that love He has for me and soak in it, but to allow the love to flow over into the lives of others.

In this way I will be preaching a powerful sermon to people around me.  Scottish scholar and writer William Barclay put it this way when he wrote that, "More people have been brought into the church by the kindness of real Christian love than by all the theological arguments in the world. . ."

Loving others is not always easy; some are prickly porcupines and others are cuddly teddy bears.  If I have endured a difficult day and am in a hurry when God places a hurting porcupine in my path, I have two choices.  Either I can go with my feelings and turn away, or can I allow the love of Christ to show some compassion to someone who needs a kind word.  

The love of Christ is a sermon that will always preach, if I will only yield to the Preacher.

Joy

I remember trying to catch our neighbor's bunny.  Everyone gathered to retrieve the escapee.  We corralled, lured and chased, but nothing seemed to work.  As soon as we thought we had her, she would hop away.  A rabbit-loving friend of mine later told me that if we would have sat down and relaxed, the bunny would have come right to one of us.

Joy is like that elusive rabbit. Alexander MacLaren, a 19th Century Baptist Minister, said,  "To pursue joy is to lose it.  The only way to get it is to follow steadily the path of duty, without think of joy, and then, like sheep, it comes most surely, unsought, and we 'being in the way,' the angel of God, fair-haired joy, is sure to meet us."  

Following Jesus and giving control over to Him produces the fruit of joy in my life.  It's easy to pursue my Savior when things are going smoothly, but what about when all seems lost; when the car breaks down, the child becomes ill, or the breadwinner loses his job?  Maybe this Jesus-thing isn't working out so well, I may think.

Trusting in Jesus means letting Him decide where the path of my life goes, and which route it will take.  Knowing that He loves me, I can say that, "even though (I) don't see him now, (I) believe in him and (am) filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy." (1 Peter 1:8)

Joy comes when I continue on the path of faith, even when things aren't working out the way I want.  

Jesus

"We don't believe in Jesus."  The words hit hard.  This phrase came from the mouth of a father whose family is open to all kinds of beliefs.  All kinds, that is, except for the very One that brings life.  They have practiced Islam, learned about Hinduism, New Age beliefs and the teachings of Buddha.  They study all varieties of religions together as a family, but they deny Jesus and the message of the cross.

This is not a surprise.  It was prophesied in Psalm 118:22  and Peter talked about this dismissal of Jesus as he appeared before the Sanhedrin, a Jewish panel of judges.  He said that Jesus is, "'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.' Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."  (Acts 4:11-12)

The name of Jesus is powerful.  It is the salvation of my soul!  The world I live in, however, does not respect His name.  Characters in movies use His name as a curse word.  Others make jokes with His name.  Then there are those who deny His deity and power while claiming to have accepted the salvation that is offered through faith in Him. 

There is no doubt that the name of Jesus provides some controversy.  As His follower, I hold Him in the highest regard, as the source of my salvation. . . the rescuer of my soul from the depths of Hell itself.  I owe my all to Him.  Jesus is the reason for my faith, and salvation is the reward of this faith. 

Since Jesus holds such an important position in my life, can I give any less than my very best for Him?

There are many times when I would rather live my life for me, but claiming Christ as my Savior means I put Him first.

I could never imagine preaching a sermon, but the way I live my life says a lot about what I believe.  If the love of Christ overflows to others, His joy is evident despite my circumstances, and I give my all for Jesus, then the message I convey will be one that points to the gospel.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will preach a sermon with my life that glorifies God.

When do I let circumstances steal the joy God has given to me?

How do I live my life in such a way that says I have no hope in Christ? 

Before Time Began

"For God saved us and called us to live a holy life.

He did this, not because we deserved it,

but because that was his plan 

from before the beginning of time--

to show us his grace through Christ Jesus."

2 Timothy 1:9

People who have been through harrowing near-death experiences often undergo a transformation of perspective.  They realize life is short and that the things they were focusing on were shallow and meaningless.  Family takes on a higher priority, friendships are cherished as never before, and God plays a more significant role in their lives.

I don't have to wait until I nearly die to go through this same kind of transformation.  As a follower of Christ, I am called to live a certain way.  Just as the Israelites were always set apart and peculiar to those living round them, the modern day people of God are also called to be different. . . to stick out like a sore thumb. . . to be salt and light.

Saved for Godliness

God is holy.  He is set apart, morally pure and holiness is an integral part of every aspect of his character.  His justice is holy, His love is holy, His grace is holy.  God is above all things and sanctified from all of His creation.

I was not saved from the consequences of my sin through faith in Jesus Christ so that I can live my life the way I always have lived.  There is a purpose for my life that goes well beyond my life!  God's plan is not for my comfort, for my blessing or for my well-being.  God's plan is for His name to be glorified throughout the earth.  

God called me unto Himself so that I can live a holy life and thus reflect His nature in a dark and sinful world.  Peter teaches about my calling as recorded in 1 Peter 1:14-15. "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do."  

It is not enough for me to accept Jesus as my Savior and enjoy the assurance of entrance into heaven, but never change the way I live.  As part of God's adopted family, I am to be like the Israelites when God told them to, "consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy." (Leviticus 11:44)

I am saved and adopted into God's family so that I can live a holy life; different from the lives of those around me who are not saved, wholesome and decent, and this holiness should permeate every aspect of my character.  My love should look different from the love of the unsaved because it is God's love.  My gentleness comes from God and sets me apart from the harshness that is prevalent in the world.  My gracious attitude gives others a break when the world has no mercy.  

God is glorified when I live the holy life He called me to live.

Plan of Grace

Now that I claim Jesus as my Savior, my life is not my own.  I was bought at a price.  Therefore, He calls me to live a holy life, but this is not accomplished through my own effort.  I am unable to live a holy life in my own strength.

Rather, it is God's grace that is freely given that empowers me to resist temptation and submit to God.  Where God's law shows me how far I fall short of His standard, it is powerless to save me.  It is incapable of giving me the ability to follow it, thus pleasing God.  

Instead, it is His grace which enables me to change my ways and become more like Christ.  As James teaches, "He gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires." (James 4:6 NLT)  Like the desire to be my own master.  Or the longing to meet my innermost needs.  Or the urge to do things my way instead of God's way.  

Missionary leader and devotional writer Andrew Murray described grace this way.  He said, "God has no more precious gift to a church or an age than a man who lives as an embodiment of his will, and inspires those around him with the faith of what grace can do."

Grace is a gift freely given by God that makes possible the living of a holy life.

Before Time Began

Writer Kate Atkinson describes the beginning in this way.  "Before the beginning is the void and the void belongs in neither time nor space and is therefore beyond our imagination.  Nothing will come of nothing unless it's the beginning of the world.  This is how it begins, with the word and the word is life.  The void is transformed by a gigantic firecracker allowing time to dawn and imagination to begin."

Before God created time, the earth was formless and empty.(Genesis 1:2)   I cannot fathom anything eternal in nature. . . it is beyond my ability to understand.  I cannot comprehend a place without time. . . it is out of my grasp.  

This, however, does not mean that God was not able to think and plan before time began.  He existed forever.  There is no beginning to God.  As He was formulating His plan for creation, He included a plan for saving us from our sins. 

As incomprehensible as is the thought of the plan of salvation existing before time began,  it is supported in the Apostle Paul's teachings to the church at Ephesus.  "Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.  This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure." (Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT)

God's plan for my life began before time began.  

The way I live my life reflects my understanding of how I fit into the scheme of things.  Once I understand that I was saved for godliness, that God's plan of grace empowers me to live a holy life, and that this plan existed before time began, I am inspired to live as God has called me to live.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I my life today will be more holy than it was yesterday.

How do I set low standards for myself in the area of holiness?

How do these low standards reflect poorly on God and the grace He has given me?