Make Sure You’re Pursuing the Real Thing  

I read an interesting report recently about the diamond industry. It seems that more people are choosing to purchase the manmade versions of that precious stone rather than the natural ones. The manufacture of those imitation gems has progressed to the point where their appearance is virtually identical to the real thing. Additionally, they are less costly. Therefore, a person can get a significantly bigger stone for the same price if they opt for the type produced in a laboratory. As a result, many people aren’t just settling for these lookalike diamonds, but they actually prefer them over the genuine article.

Unfortunately, people are doing something similar when it comes to the Christian faith. They’re not only settling for something less than the real thing, but they even prefer those alternate versions. They’re forsaking God’s way while embracing inferior imitations concocted by man. Those variations can look very similar to the original. They may contain many of the same religious facets. They may even sparkle more spectacularly and be more pleasing to our senses than the one fashioned by God. However, that doesn’t make them real or more valuable. Flashy speakers, heart-touching stories, awe-inspiring performances, and the proclamation of popular half-truths and falsehoods are often covers for a faulty type of Christianity.

The Bible warns us about times when “they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (II Timothy 4:3-4). People will turn to that which is false because they won’t want to hear the truth. While some will be deceived into going the wrong way, others will intentionally reject what’s real in favor of some fanciful alternative.     

Just like with manmade diamonds, another attractive aspect of these variations of the Christian faith is that they tend to be less costly. Their “truths” tend to go with the flow of popular thinking today rather than against it. Therefore, its adherents are less likely to face ridicule or get canceled by our culture for standing up for their beliefs. Jesus instructed His followers to count the cost before embarking on this journey of faith with Him. He indicated that it would be a costly venture. It would involve bearing a cross, hardships, self-sacrifice, and facing persecution. Many today are choosing a form of Christianity that reduces those risks. They seek to have religion without a real relationship with Christ. They want to receive His blessings without fulfilling the accompanying responsibilities. They want some kind of connection to Christ but without the commitment He calls His followers to make. They want to turn to Jesus without turning away from the ways of this fallen world. They seek forgiveness without repentance beforehand or a changed lifestyle afterwards. They want the precious gem of salvation without paying the price of forsaking sin.

Don’t misunderstand. We can’t purchase salvation. It’s a gift of God already bought through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. However, when we receive this free gift of grace, it does come with a price. It will cost you your old life. It will demand that you forsake all to follow Jesus. It will mean putting Him first in your life and loving Him above all else. Too many today aren’t willing to pay that price, thus pursuing these cheaper alternatives.

Let’s make sure we’re in possession of the real gem of Christian faith. Don’t forsake God’s Word for man’s ideas. Don’t trade in your real faith for a fantasy. Don’t reject what’s true and valuable for that which is false and cheap. Count the cost and choose to follow Jesus.

 

Create Conditions for Spiritual Growth  

For some of us, mowing lawns has become almost a full-time job this summer. No, we haven’t become professional landscapers. It’s simply that the weather conditions in our region have been very conducive for the healthy growth of whatever greenery may be adorning our yards. I’m not complaining, especially when we hear about the droughts in many parts of our country and the flooding in other areas. I’m thankful that we’re not having to deal with brown, sun-scorched lawns or having to clean up from damage caused by rising rivers. Instead, we’re experiencing the right combination of warm temperatures and frequent precipitation so as to promote abundant growth in our vegetation. It makes for some extra work, but it’s a good problem to have.

When conditions are favorable, growth tends to happen. The same holds true when it comes to our relationship with the Lord. How would you honestly assess your spiritual growth? Are you in a dry season in which it seems your soul is slowly withering? Or have other things been allowed to flood your life to the point that your walk with God has been drowned out? Or are you experiencing a healthy season in which you’re steadily growing closer to God and can see the fruit of Christlikeness bursting forth in your life in greater ways? Of course, the main factor in growing is that we need to be connected to our only source of spiritual life – Christ Himself. We need to possess the gift of eternal life which He came and sacrificed His life for us to receive. The Bible pictures us as branches connected to Jesus the Vine. We have to be trusting Him as our Savior and have His Spirit living in us in order to be alive spiritually. Where there is no life, there can be no growth.

If we do have life in Christ, how do we cultivate the right conditions for growth? First of all, we need the nutrients and water provided for us in God’s Word. “Desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (I Peter 2:2). We should be spending time reading, studying, and listening to good expositions of the Bible. We ought to receive it, not as man’s word but as God’s Word. We should go beyond hearing and understanding it, but also allowing it to change us. Let God’s Word shed light on you, your soul, and the world around you. Feed on it. Obey it. Let it accomplish God’s purposes in you.

We also need the warmth of fellowship – both with the Lord and with others. Spend time in prayer, not just occasionally but on a regular basis. Look at it not just as a chance to ask God for what you need, but also as an opportunity to simply be in His presence, to worship Him, to praise Him, to thank Him for His blessings. Yes, cry out to God about your concerns and needs, but also listen to Him and enjoy His fellowship. We also need to be around other believers in order to help each other grow in our mutual faith. We’re not meant to exist on our own – we’re part of the Body of Christ.

Finally, we need to keep moving. “Exercise yourself toward godliness” (I Timothy 4:7). Such training not only includes the spiritual disciplines mentioned above, but also serving the Lord in some way. Shortly after that exhortation to exercise, it says, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you” (I Timothy 4:14). Use both the natural talents and the spiritual gifts you’ve been given to minister to others.

Growth doesn’t just happen. We’ve got to pursue the right conditions for it. Try it and see what God does in your life.  

 

We Can Face Trials with Calm Assurance  

Recently I watched an old movie titled “Stars in My Crown”. Although it was billed as a western, the setting was actually more in line with the Old South. The story was about a preacher and the positive impact he had on a small town. At one point there was an outbreak of typhoid fever in the area. One of the main characters, a young boy, became infected to the point that there was uncertainty as to whether or not he would survive. Such a potentially sorrowful event might normally stir up some concern among viewers. However, I had no apprehensions about the fate of the young boy as I watched the story unfold. Why was that? Was it because I lack compassion? Was it due to the fact that I really hadn’t gotten emotionally involved in the film? Why would I not feel some measure of anxiety or concern about the possible demise of this likeable character? It was because I knew that somehow he was going to get through that ordeal. How did I know? Because that boy was the narrator of the story, looking back at and retelling those events from his childhood. Therefore, unless he was recounting these memories from heaven, he would have had to have lived in order to be able tell the tale.

 When we go through trials and challenges, we can have a similar attitude due to our faith in God and in His promises. We don’t have to get overly concerned or anxious about the outcome. We may not know all the details of exactly how those situations are going to play out, but we’re confident that somehow we will indeed make it through. Why? Because through faith we have certain assurances about the final outcome. Getting there may be tough. The experience might be filled with pain and grief. It may not happen as soon as we had hoped. However, we know that when all is said and done that we will end up in a good place.

For example, no matter what difficulties enter our lives as followers of Christ, we have the promise of Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” If we truly believe that, then we can relate to whatever comes into our lives in similar fashion to how I reacted to that boy’s illness in the movie. We don’t have to get too worked up about it, because we know that in some way God is going to work even this experience out for our good. Granted, the ordeal may not be easy or pleasant. Nevertheless, we can go through it with the calm assurance that God is working through it in a way that will result in our being benefited.

With that kind of faith, we can even face the valley of the shadow of death with some degree of confidence rather than fear. If the Lord sees fit to spare our lives and give us more time in this life, that will be great. It will give us more opportunity to live for Him and be a light in this dark world. However, if we don’t survive physically, we still win. We get to go be with the Lord, which Paul affirmed is even better (see Philippians 2:19-24).

As those who know the Lord and believe His promises, we have a great advantage over those who don’t. We know how the story ends. Through faith, we don’t have to let the trials of life overwhelm our spirits with fear and anxiety. We can rest in the knowledge that God is with us, He’ll see us through, and one way or another it’s all going to turn out well.

 

Let’s Get Back on the Road to Holiness  

One day recently we went to visit our daughter and her family. The entrance to their subdivision has two one-lane roads separated by an island in the middle. One road is for entering the subdivision, while the other one is for exiting. However, on this occasion the entrance lane was blocked due to roadwork being done. Therefore, we were directed to drive the wrong way in the exit lane while a worker made sure no traffic was approaching from the opposite direction. I drove in and out of the subdivision several times throughout that day, having to take this unusual detour each time. Late in the day as I turned into the subdivision one last time, I once again headed into the exit lane. Only this time a worker frantically waved me down and stopped me. I hadn’t noticed that they had actually opened up the entrance road again. I had grown so accustomed to going the wrong way that I had failed to notice that the right way was available.

I’m afraid that a lot of individuals, as well as the church as a whole, have become so used to going the wrong way in some matters that we can’t even recognize the right way anymore. While there may be many examples of this, I believe one area involves our being a holy people and a holy church. The Bible tells us to “pursue…holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). It also states, “as He who has called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (I Peter 1:15-16). While it may not be unusual for us to declare that God is holy, we also need to recapture the idea that this concept should describe us as individual believers and as the church. We are called to be a holy people.

What does it mean for us to be holy? It means that we are set apart, different, and devoted to God. It also carries the idea of purity or of being like God. I’m concerned that we’ve lost that sense of being different from the world around us. Too many professing Christians aren’t pursuing being more like Jesus or don’t even think it’s a possibility. We may talk about the fact that God sees His born-again children as holy because He sees Christ’s holiness in us, but we lose sight of the other truth that there should also be a real change taking place in our character and conduct. That scripture in I Peter doesn’t tell us to be holy in our standing in Christ, but to be holy in our conduct – to be more pure, loving, and righteous in the way we’re actually living out our lives each day.

I believe the message of holiness is lacking in the church today. The important message of forgiveness is often there – that when we stumble and fall, if we repent, we will find a loving God ready to forgive us. However, we need the equally important message that we’re not just called to be forgiven, but to be cleansed, transformed, and be more like Jesus. I’m concerned about the constant idea being communicated that we can’t help but sin and that we’re not any different from those around us who don’t know Christ other than our being forgiven for all the bad things we do.

We’ve been called to holiness – to have a pure heart that translates into holy conduct. Let’s get on the right road and pursue letting God transform us more into the image of Jesus. Let’s seek to be the glorious, holy Bride He intends for His Church to be.