Even though I'm sure it's something that I don't need to say, I'll start by admitting that I am a deeply and inherently sinful person. Despite how much the Holy Spirit does His work in my life, for the duration of this lifetime I will remain a depraved man who commits sins daily and craves sinful desires. I think something that tends to be forgotten among established Christians is that they are not immune to temptation. I can memorize what Scripture says about the total sacrifice of self for the glory of God and understand what it means to fight against the sin in my life with accountability, confession and repentance. I can even actively practice these applications daily, growing in my relationship with Christ and continuing to follow after His image. But, I have to confess that despite all this in the hidden parts of my heart, I can be envious of the unsaved.
Clearly, I don't mean to negate the magnitude of Christ's sacrifice for us nor do am I downplaying the great mercy of salvation. In truth, I am a person that deserves condemnation. The knowledge that I am able to escape judgment for my sins is an incredible concept. I am blown away at the thought of it and I would never want to ever be accused of underestimating the depth of God's love for us. But, I am still sinful and I desire the things of this world. Though it is joy to serve my Lord, there is a part of me that wants to throw it all away and live a life of depravity. Even when it comes to something as simple as sleeping in on a Sunday, the desire to live the life of an unbeliever presents itself as more appealing than every aspect of the Christian life when I'm in an envious mood.
Being a Christian is difficult. It requires time and discipline and despite all that. When you say that you're a Christian, you are acknowledging your are hopelessness in worldly matters and that you depend wholly on the Holy Spirit for strength. At times I find myself envious of the unsaved who are "allowed" to live however they want to without the standard of Christ held to them. I won't deny there are times I wish I could indulge in the deeply sinful lives of the unsaved and enjoy instant gratification. When it comes to doing daily devotionals, I can be envious of those without knowledge of Christ who don't have to devote time to reading the Bible or spending time in prayer. Christ promised His followers that anyone who followed Him would have to bear his own cross. Compared to the life of one of His disciples, the life of a heretic would be so much easier when you look on the exterior of things. Psalm 73 echoes perfectly that feeling of envy for the wicked, those of the world don't have to worry about the honor of God and are able to live completely for themselves. During those times of envy, the lifestyle of a Christian can seem so confined and limited comparatively. Meanwhile, those who disobey God seem to live good lives, prosperous and happy. Ostensibly, it may seem as if not following God's commands isn't such a bad thing after all.
This feeling of envy is responsible for much of the worldliness that is found so widely in the church today. Christians want the best of both worlds. They want to claim the assurance of salvation without having to give up all those enticing things that unbelievers can hold on to. Compromise is among the greatest threats to the contemporary church in this day and age. I'm sure that many of you know of, or might even be, one of those people that think being a Christian doesn't necessarily require living a sanctified life. These people falsely think that the self-identification as a Christian is enough. In their eyes, as long as you go to church each Sunday, what is done during the other six days of the week doesn't matter to God. Or, while God would prefer an obedient and reverent child, He will also accept the disobedient one because He is merciful and forgiving.
Because of this remaining lust for worldly pleasures accompanied by a compromise of what is offered to God, sin is able to creep into the church. How many people go out drinking, come back completely drunk on a Thursday night, and sober up to go to a Friday service the next day? Or, how many people swear at church and their speech is tolerated by those in attendance because hey, at least that person came today? What it all comes down to is that we as Christians want the grace of salvation but also all the "fun things" that nonbelievers get to play around with.
Man is able to serve only one master. Either it will be the true God, or the world whose lord is Satan. And though we will often be tempted by the frivolous and carefree life of the unsaved, the Gospel is so much greater than all that. It is only because we forget the magnitude of salvation that the world becomes a seductive alternative to our walk with God. God will not withhold any good thing from those who follow and obey Him (Psalm 84:11). When we sin or desire to sin, it is because at that moment we believe that God has withheld something good from us and we are simply doing our part to "rectify God's mistake". But don't be mistaken; it is only in proper fellowship with Him do we receive what is truly good.
Do you ever find yourself hungering for worldly pleasures? Do you find yourself compromising parts of your Christianity to leave room for "hidden pleasures"? Can you give a testimony of an example from your personal experience where God gave you more than the world ever could?
Comments (9)
this too, is a hard teaching.
and now -a little sleep; a little slumber.
I think the biggest mistake we can make is thinking that the purpose of life is centered around ourselves. It's a mindset that is especially prevalent in America, that we are most important, and therefore we're entitled to indulge in our every desire. Consequently, millions of people become short-sighted and forget how to live a meaningful life that isn't centered on "things," or bodily pleasure. I find that very sad.
God bless conservatives, clueless as always. Seriously it is not what we put in the body that causes sin but what comes from our hearts. One of your examples is just petty and silly. Cussing is not illegal in scripture. As a matter of fact there seems to be quite a bit of it. I realize most of what you say is purely Christian culture. What makes non-believers so much fun is that they actually enjoy their lives. Heaven forbid that Christians do the same.
"These people falsely think that the self-identification as a Christian
is enough. In their eyes, as long as you go to church each Sunday, what
is done during the other six days of the week doesn't matter to God."
This is simple conjecture on your part. The reason why we know it's enough is because we believe in something you have a harder time accepting. We know in our hearts that the love of God is more powerful than our righteous or unrighteous behavior. Since we believe that we don't take our sin that seriously because it puts the focus on us when our energy would best be served focusing on God. Once we put it on us we focus on our behavior as if that will make us righteous. Our behavior is best served by letting God pour through it and change it even when we sin. That's something is not compromise but human nature and there is nothing to feel guilty about because of the cross. I wonder how much do you hate yourself ? Or do you spend more time focusing on Christians that cuss, party too much....? If you do I would recommend partying and celebrating your life more.
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That's fun, the picture is the logo for Saints and Sinners, the tattoo shop where my friends and I get work done.
There is something Keith Green said that really struck me and has had a strong effect on me over the years: "Jesus didn't die on the cross to save you from hell; he died on the cross to save you from SIN." This is an important difference. When you realize that it's not hell but SIN that we're looking to Jesus to save us from, it puts a whole different perspective on the compromise thing. Chew on that awhile and see how it changes things.
Another thing: I have found it much more productive to simply pray to God about what I'm tempted about--even if I'm not quite ready to say to God "I don't want to do this"; sometimes the prayer is "God, I want to do this so much even though I know it's wrong"--I find prayer and just handing it over to God immensely more effective at changing me than trying to avoid sinning, or trying to be good. Remember, God is more powerful than your own efforts.
Finally, I had thoughts similar to @Pashe@xanga - I get the impression that you're more worried about minor things than major things. What does the Bible spend the most time talking about? Not the things you mentioned.Christians need to be wary of Talmudic Jews and their crypto's such as the Jesuits. How many Christians falsely believe Jews are the chosen people and think the state of IS-RA-EL is the Kingdom of Israel? Please read the Talmud to understand Jewish mentality towards Christians and their hatred of Christ.
@gmx0@xanga - How do you think so?
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