Don’t Look to us – Look to Him
It is not a revelation to know
there are many professing Christians who bear little to nothing of a life
transformed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Such individuals can likely
be found in the very churches you attend now. Unfortunately, their witness can
have a profound impact on those around them who are inquiring about
Christianity for the first time and those who are new to the faith.
I encountered this personally on a
recent trip back home when I was talking with a friend of the family. She had
told me how the members of the church she was attending were engaging in
behaviors that were so off-putting, that it dampened her entire interest in God
and exploring her relationship with Christ any further. She simply did not see
anything wonderful about these churchgoers that gave her a reason to continue.
It’s unfortunate for this to
happen, but completely understandable as well. Just because we have accepted
Christ does not mean we become immune to the world and the trappings of pride
and other sinful behaviors. Sadly, many believers stop their own growth once they
have prayed the sinner’s prayer and walked down the church aisle towards
membership. While this is certainly not Scriptural, it is a sad reality of the
state of Christ’s church today. For some, church discipline seems to have given
way to a desire for growth at any cost. For many church members, the
once-a-week pew sitting experience (in the same spot no less) is enough in their
minds to grant them eternal salvation.
A new believer is a fragile being.
Without a nurturing and discipled path provided by the church, they are likely
to fall away.
My encounter with this individual
was profound. If you can relate to this individual through a bad encounter at a
church, I urge you to consider what I
said to her: you must look beyond the people and focus on your relationship
with Him only. He is the one who can offer you salvation, not the church. One
should not turn their back on the Son of God because of human imperfection.
After all, none of us will ever be perfect on this side of eternity. We are to
grow in holiness, but we will not achieve it…..yet. Visit other churches for
there are plenty out there who do represent Christ and the members are kind,
loving, and genuine in their faith. I’m blessed to be a part of one. We need
the encouragement of fellow believers to grow and mature in faith. It is
through our own sanctification process we can find our own ministry and thus
live a life that truly honors Him. It is also through church membership that
you can then share your spiritual gifts with others so they may grow as well.
I came across this sermon excerpt
from D.L. Moody this morning that I would like to close this post with:
Look at Him at Gethsemane, sweating, as it were, great drops
of blood; look at Him on the cross, crucified between two thieves; hear that
piercing cry, “Father, Father, forgive them, they know not what they do;” and
as you look into that face—as you look into those wounds on His feet or His
hands, will you say He has not the power to save you? Will you say He has not
the power to redeem you? Look into His face. Can you say the Lamb of God will
not take away your sins? All you have to do is to accept Him, and they are all forgiven.”
Moody, D. L. (1877). New
Sermons, Addresses, and Prayers (pp. 373–374). Cincinnati, OH: Henry S.
Goodspeed & Co.
Comments
Post a Comment