so in sunday school at church we have been going through the book CRAZY LOVE by Francis Chan. This book talks about how much God loves us and how "crazy" it is that He would love us so much to die for us..to take on our sin so that we can live forever with Him in heaven. The fourth chapter is where we are now and it has convicted me greatly...its about lukewarm Christians. Revelations 3:15-16 says, "I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." This chapter pretty much gives examples of what being "lukewarm" is. That verse is very clear and says that if we are lukewarm we are disgusting, basically to God. Lukewarm water is not good to drink...its pretty gross...but not giving your everything to Jesus is like being lukewarm water. Being lukewarm means not really following Christ like we should..like as Christians..we are called to do...its being afraid of what other people might think of you if you mention Christ. We are not to be afraid of such things. We are commanded to follow Christ and give to Him every part of our lives...but yet so many of us just give 50% or 75% and think thats good enough. We dont do that "bad" stuff...we dont drink as much as them..we dont cuss..we dont swear..we dont smoke...but thats not following Christ...our actions arent weighed on a scale..we cant say..."well im better than her/him so im good"...no, that doesnt work. As Christians we must give 100% of our lives to Christ...living for Him daily. What does this look like? ...It looks like Jesus...go back to the 4 gospels..Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and read about Jesus' life...see how He loved people and didnt judge them for who they were or what they looked like...He simply loved them and served them. Thats what we are called to do. To LOVE people...to be servants...not to jus "pray and prayer" in hopes we would be saved from hell...but to make Jesus Lord of our lives...to give Him complete control. I think many people today have deluded thinking and believe that they are Christians simply because they prayed a prayer when they were 7 years old. Its so much more than that. Its complete and total surrender to the King....its seeing how sinful and depraved we are but then seeing how God can bring beauty from ashes and make us new and alive in Him. It's an everyday, giving up of ourselves and giving ourselves to God and letting Him work through us and letting Him use us how He wants. Be in this world...but not OF it. Love the things of God...not the things of this world.
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world."1 John 2:15-16
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