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:

 “You hear people talking about the imperfections of Christians, and making this an excuse for not accepting Him. They point to some of them and say they have done this and that; but, my friends, it is impossible to find a perfect Christian. They will not be perfect till they arrive in the kingdom of the Master and they are washed in the blood of the Lamb. Lift your eyes from off these puny Christians—from off these human ministers, and look to Christ. He is the Saviour of the world. He came from the throne to this earth; He came from the very bosom of the Father. God gave Him up freely for us, and all we have to do is to accept Him as our Saviour.

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.