Silver And Gold

As I read Proverbs Chapter 17 during my devotional time, God drew my attention to verse 3 which says, “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests hearts.”

One of the many problems with what we call the church today, is that most of us never make it through the refiner’s pot.  Many never even make it to the pot itself.  Our Americanized version of Christianity implies that our relationship with Jesus should be at our convenience, completely unburdened by any personal sacrifice on our part because we are saved by grace, no strings attached.  But that is not what Jesus taught.  Jesus said that being His disciple would come at great personal cost to us.  That we must be willing to forsake all to follow Him:  our family, our children, our plans, our culture, and even ourselves, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26).  He said the crucifixion of our self would be required to follow Him and be His disciple, “And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27).

You see, when Jesus spoke to first century hearers of “carrying your cross”, what they heard was “you must carry an instrument of your own death….daily.”  This would not have been an attractive component of what Jesus' teachings were calling them to do.  What Jesus was basically telling them was, “Follow Me to your own death, and I will give you new life, but that new life will cost you everything.”  At Luke Chapter 14, verse 28, Jesus tells His followers that they must count the cost to follow Him, then at verse 33 He tells them what that cost will be, “In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” (Luke 14:33).  Notice that Jesus is not saying here that we must simply be willing to give up everything to follow Him.  He is saying that those who do not give up everything they have, cannot be His disciples.  Jesus calls His followers to a radical devotion that has been largely lost within what we call the church today.

For the most part, what I see in the church today, is a congregation of people who want to follow a Jesus that doesn’t require anything from them.  They want to follow a Jesus that would never place them in a refiner’s pot, much less, ever lead them into the furnace.  I see people comfortable in their commercialized version of Christianity, worshiping the Jesus that they are being taught about by other people, rather than the Jesus they are personally pursuing themselves through prayer and careful study of scripture.  For the most part, those within the church today are following someone else’s version of Jesus rather than the real Jesus of the Bible Who says things like, “He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.” (John 15:2).

I guess the question we must ask ourselves is, are we silver or are we gold?  Or are we just a branch that should be cut off because we are bearing no fruit for God with our life?  Are we a branch that is even willing to be pruned by the refining pot, so that the salvation we have received by His grace will be a fruitful branch for His kingdom?  The refining pot will come at a great personal cost, it will be painful, you will grieve the loss of many things that you never realized you were holding onto.  One of the hardest things God ever asked me to do was to let go of what I aspired to do for His kingdom and submit to what He aspired for me to do.  How many of us are truly willing to let go of everything, no matter how much we have reasoned in our heart to continue to hold on?  How many of us have convinced ourselves that we are approaching the cross with empty hands, as we ought, only to look down and see them holding on to something we are trying to bring with us? 

As I meditated on the refiner’s pot versus the furnace, I realized how few people actually give themselves wholly over to Christ.  The refiner’s pot serves to prune a person, but the furnace utterly destroys them.  Pruned silver versus pure, untarnished gold.  The furnace leaves nothing of the old person remaining, everything is lost in the furnace, burned away into oblivion, leaving only a purified soul, flawless, whole and complete.  Our great aversion to the refiner’s pot should serve as an acute reminder of how desperately far away each of us are to the spiritual wholeness that comes by the furnace.  The refiner’s pot should remind us that no matter how righteous we think we are, there is always more work to be done in us.  As Christians, we should never be comfortable where we are at in our spiritual growth, but rather, we should long for the refinement that brings us to the spiritual wholeness that is promised by our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

The more you truly, personally know Christ, the more you will long for the refinement that comes at great personal cost.  The more you truly, personally know Christ, the more you eagerly anticipate, “the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Tim 4:8).  

“If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as one being snatched from the fire.” (1 Cor 3:12-15)

“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” (1 Peter 1:7)

“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.” (Job 23:10)

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.” (1 Cor 9:24,25)

Harbinger Emotions

Sometimes God puts challenging people in our lives to remind us that, without Him, we are broken too.  Lest we get too puffed up in our spiritual growth, sometimes God will place people in our lives to serve as a reminder to us of everything we have been forgiven. 

In 2 Corinthians, Chapter 12, Paul spoke of a, "thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me." (v. 7).  We are never told what Paul's thorn was and although many speculations abound, it could have been anything from a particular emotion he may have struggled with, or a particular person, or both, or neither.  However, in my own personal experience, it is my emotions and the people that incite those emotions in me, which seem to be my thorn of torment, reminding me of my own weakness toward sin.

It is no casual confession for me to say that many times, the people that seem to torment me the most, are those who have the very same flaws that I have overcome or may continue to struggle with myself.  To which God must continually remind me, I would never have overcome those flaws if not for His grace and His grace alone, which is the very same thing He reminded Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” (v. 8).

For example, when I feel like someone is manipulating another person for their personal gain, I feel contempt.  I feel great contempt against manipulation because God has placed in my heart a raging desire for truth.  Thus, in my quest for truth, my contempt against all things non-truth is a thorn in my side because it is an emotion that can easily and seamlessly turn into resentment, bitterness, rage, criticism, condemnation and grudge-bearing, all of which are sinful.  Contempt, which is disapproval tinged with disgust, is not necessarily a sinful emotion in and of itself.  It is quite likely Jesus felt contempt when He overturned the money changer's tables in the temple (Matt 21:11-13).  However, my personal temptation towards contempt is a messenger of Satan in my flesh, reminding me of my own personal proclivity towards sinful emotions. 

Jesus had full mastery over His emotions and although He may have been superficially tempted by sinful emotions, He never, ever indulged in them because He was utterly sinless and always in control of His thoughts, emotions and behavior.  I, however, am not, therefore, for me personally, contempt is a harbinger of other emotions crouching at my door (Gen 4:7).  It is a thorn that pierces my flesh to remind me that I am vulnerable to temptation, which makes me vulnerable to sin.

Why make such candid, intimate confessions and expose myself?  Because when we expose our flaws, we give the enemy nothing to work with.  When we acknowledge and confess our sins and areas of weakness, we shine the light of truth upon any potential foothold for the enemy in our life and rob him of the opportunity to do his work in secret.  I feel very strongly that this was one of the many reasons that Paul himself was so candid in his confessions about his own shortcomings.  He was simply exposing any potential within himself towards sin, and in so doing, fully submitting himself to God to work in those areas in his life.

We all have thorns in our flesh.  For some of us, those thorns may be harbinger emotions that easily and quickly lead us to sinful emotions crouching at our door.  For example, admiration can be a harbinger of lust, immoral arousal, covetousness, envy, dissatisfaction or ingratitude, all of which are sinful emotions.  Confidence can be a harbinger of pride, insensitivity or narcissism.  Harbinger emotions are thorns in our flesh, messengers of Satan to remind us of our own sinfulness, our own weaknesses, and our desperate need for Jesus every moment of every day.  They are thorns of temptation which serve to sharpen us, refine our flesh, and drive us into the arms of our loving Father Who is mighty to save and always eager to pour out His endless grace upon us.

"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor 12:7-10)

Our Form Of Godliness

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1)

As I meditated on this scripture this morning, God impressed upon my spirit that rather than dwelling in the shelter of the Most High God, Who so many of us claim to worship and follow, we are, instead, dwelling in the shadow of the world.

Jesus reiterates in the New Testament, that to truly be His disciple, we must abide in Him:  “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch is not able to bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither you, unless you abide in Me… If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.” (John 15:4-10).

Far too many of those who claim to belong to Christ, are living spiritually fruitless lives because they are not dwelling in the shelter of the Most High by reading, studying and living according to His word, fellowshipping with other mature Christians, nor spending significant, heartfelt time in prayer seeking His presence and will for their lives.  But rather, our thoughts, desires, likes and dislikes are all shaped by the world.  Instead of being products of the life-changing, transforming power of the Holy Spirit, we are products of our culture.  A genuine relationship with Christ is supposed to free us from all that.  When Jesus said, “Follow Me”, He was calling us to an act of surrender that would lead to our freedom.  But truly, “All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.” (Isaiah 53:6).

The foundation of the Gospel is repentance that leads to salvation.  Jesus’ first recorded words in the Gospel of Mark, when He begins His earthly ministry, are:  "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15).  Jesus preached the Gospel by saying, “Repent.”  To repent means to turn away from one thing and turn towards another.  And Jesus said to be His disciple, we would have to do it every day, for the rest of our lives (Luke 9:23,24).  Despite all our efforts to repackage the Gospel, to make it “culturally relevant”, or more appealing and “seeker sensitive”, the foundational message remains the same.  We have confused “relatability” with “appeal”.  Jesus never sought to make the Gospel appealing, but He did seek to make it relatable.  People are affected by the Gospel of repentance and Lordship salvation because they can relate to it, not because it appeals to them. 

On the contrary, the Gospel, in and of Itself, is wholly UN-appealing to sinful men.  The Gospel accuses us of treason against God and convicts us of our guilt as sinners condemned to hell.  The Gospel forces us to look at our desperate, lost condition, magnifying the warts of our flaws and weaknesses.  It is an eternal reality-check that reminds us that we are but clay vessels, broken and shattered, useless and dead in our sins.  Yet at the same time, it gives us the single, solitary answer to our wretched condition:  Jesus Christ.  The hopelessness of our condition is remedied through our surrender to follow Christ, Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6); The Light of the World to those who live in darkness (John 12:46); The Gate for the lost sheep (John 10:7-9); The Fountain of Living Water to those thirsty for truth (John 4:10; 7:38); and The Bread of Life for those hungry for righteousness (John 6:35,48,51).

However, the transformation to newness of life offered by Christ can only come when we truly follow Him.  And to truly follow Him, we must repent and turn away from the brokenness and sinfulness of our world and culture.  We must die to our self so that Christ can live in us to do His work through us.  Salvation in Christ is the free gift of grace offered to all mankind, through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord of our life (Eph 2:8).  Which begs the question we must all ask ourselves:  Is my faith in Christ simply an intellectual awareness of Him, or have I truly let go and surrendered to Him as Lord?  Is my faith based on an ideal?  A denomination?  A concept?  Or do I truly know Christ as a person?  Can I recognize His voice over my own?  Do I have intimate knowledge of His commands and teachings?  Do I long to apply His words of truth to my life?

The Apostle Paul warns young Timothy of the characteristics of many of those who will call themselves Christians in the last days.  Among those characteristics, he says that they will be “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” (2 Tim 3:4,5).  Of this verse, Arno Froese asks, “What power are they denying?”  To which he answers, “The power of turning a sinner into a saint; the power of turning a saint into a sacrifice; the power of the Gospel to take away my rights, my self-assertion, and replace it with total servitude to the Lord.  That is the power of the Gospel being diminished and denied today.”

Snotty Tissues

As I sit at my computer this morning and cry, I ask God to write something beautiful.  Something that will spiritually feed me and others.  I ask God to write it because I often get to points in my faith where I simply don't have any words.  Overwhelmed with weariness, all I can do is cry.  I cry because I am a sinner.  I cry because I don't have the answers.  I cry because this world is broken.  I cry because I want to serve God with my life, but I'm still not sure what I'm supposed to be doing.  I cry because I don't want to get it wrong.  I cry because I don't want to be prideful when I get it right.

The reality is, we are all a mess and we all need Jesus every second of every day.  Some days will seem more desperate than others.  It is on those days that we are reminded of just how fragile and insufficient we are to fight this battle in our own strength.  I can't tell you how many times I have just wanted to throw my hands up in the air and walk away-- frustrated, disgusted, defeated.  But then I remind myself of Jesus' words, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm and endures to the end will be saved." (Matthew 24:12,13).  I remind myself that I fight this battle because it is a battle worth fighting. 

I have cried out to God so many times, asking Him why He made me the way He did-- a woman with the heart of a lion, with the resolve of a steel beam, with the determination of a mule.  He made me in such a way that all I know how to do is fight and stand firm.  Just like a vase was made to be a vase, or cup was made to be a cup, I only know how to do what I was made to do.  The devil screams in my face that there is no place for such a woman in the church, he beats me over the head with scriptures that say a woman is to be silent and gentle (1 Cor 14:34; 1 Tim 2:11,12).  I am not quiet, nor gentle, so I often find myself wondering where I belong.  The devil knows our weaknesses, so he sweetly whispers in my ear, "You don't belong anywhere." 

I may not know my end-game purpose and I may still be figuring out my place, but the one thing I do know is that the devil is a liar.  I also know that God is perfect in mercy and perfect in love and I cannot base my relationship with Him on my feelings and misperceptions.  God's word says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4).  The desires of my heart are to change lives, save souls and pierce people's hearts with the truth of God's word, and I believe that God will use me to do that, even if my only weapons are a box of Kleenex and a pile of snotty tissues.

Jesus never promised us that our commitment to follow Him would be easy.  On the contrary, He warned us that the world would hate us (John 15:18; John 17:14; 1 John 3:13), that we would have many trials and sorrows (John 16:33), that our hearts would be troubled and to not succumb to fear (John 14:27), and that we would endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of heaven (Acts 14:22).  But God has promised that we wouldn't have to fight alone (Deut 31:8; John 14:16-18) and that we would be more than conquerors through our great, mighty and capable Savior Who loves us (Rom 8:37).

"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;" (Psalm 37:3-7)

"For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God. You will pray to Him, and He will hear you;" (Job 22:26,27)

"Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken." (Psalm 55:22)

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation." (Psalm 68:19)

"How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. How vast is the sum of them!" (Psalm 139:17)

The Only Thing

One of the questions I have been asking my group of ladies that regularly attend weekly Bible study is, "Is God's Word enough?"  I asked them what their motives are for coming to our church, why are they here, what are they looking for?  Because if we go to church for any other reason besides fellowship that honors God, worship that honors God and humble service that honors God, then God's Word will not be enough.  Unless our motives for going to church are purely centered around seeking God and Him alone, then His Word will not be enough for us.  I put it to them this way:  If our building burned down and we had no music, no pews, no TV monitors, no kitchen, no coffee pot, no nursery, no air conditioning, and all we could do was meet together in the parking lot, would they still be drawn here to assemble together with other Christians simply to worship together, discuss God's Word and learn? 

We have this erroneous idea that we need to look for a church that has a lot to offer us, like we are shopping for the best insurance plan or retirement package.  Like, God somehow owes us the most pleasant worship experience He can muster based on our entertainment-idolizing culture.  Our lives are filled with the empty busyness of daily mundane necessity and the deceptive vanity of selfish pursuits, therefore we reason that anything we expend our "free" time upon must give us the most bang for our buck. 

Yet, on the other side of the world a room full of spiritually hungry Christians meet in a room that possesses a lone, bare light bulb and twenty to thirty metal chairs.  Forsaking all, they meet at the peril of their own lives, craving each other's presence, hungry for God's Word, thirsty for righteousness, compelled to seek each other out, drawn together by the Spirit within them that has sealed them for the day of redemption.  For them, God's Word is enough.  For them, God's Word is everything.  For them, God's Word is the only thing.

"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by Whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." (Eph 4:10)

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Heb 4:12)

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work." (2 Tim 3:16,17)

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." (Acts 2:42)

"The congregation of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned." (Acts 4:32)

"Join one another in following my example, brothers, and carefully observe those who live according to the pattern we set for you. For as I have often told you before, and now declare even with tears: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,.." (Philippians 3:17-20)

Paradox Mine

I live a paradox.  I have an irresistible compulsion to speak the truth of God's word and nothing else gives me greater fulfillment in the depths of my soul, however nothing else causes me greater distress and social chastisement. Believe me when I tell you that I have no grand delusions of self-righteousness, I am acutely aware of my own sinfulness and shortcomings.  However, sometimes the narrow path of truth can be lonely.  When you preach grace you fill a church, but when you start preaching righteousness people lose their minds.  I've estranged family members and lost friends because of my relentless pursuit of God and His call upon my life.  I have counted the cost to follow and serve God, He will always be first in my life, regardless of the consequences, because that is the kind of radical devotion Jesus actually demands from all of those who call upon His name as Savior and Lord.

A few weeks ago during a conversation with the interim pastor for our church, he said, "I preach sin and hell."  Like, he wanted to make sure that we wouldn't be surprised by such a thing.  I can honestly say that the only thing that bothered me by his statement was that he felt it was necessary to make us aware that he preached the full counsel of God.  I felt great compassion for him because I wondered, was there a time somewhere along his tenure as a pastor that he was given grief for his dedication to the full Gospel of Christ?  His question only made me love him more because that is something that I can totally identify with.  His question only made me even more thankful that it was him who God has sent to pastor our church during this time of our loss.  

When we claim Jesus Christ as our Savior, what do we think He is saving us from?  Jesus didn't die to forgive us for our sin, He died to save us from it.  Scripture tells us, "Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2 Tim 3:12).  How many of us are being persecuted for our desire to live Godly lives in obedience to scripture?  The stark reality of Western Christianity is that most of the persecution comes from those within our own faith.

As I pondered these things in my heart today, as I wrestled with God-- on the one hand, compelled by His Spirit to preach righteousness; on the other hand, compelled by my flesh and my own reasoning to make my case for compromise-- I felt Him lay on my heart:  "You need to be preaching righteousness like I'm coming back tomorrow." 

Indeed.  We should all be preaching righteousness in eager anticipation to stand before the great and terrible judge.

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad. Therefore, since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is clear to God, and I hope it is clear to your conscience as well." (2 Cor 5:10,11)

"Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.  For our God is a consuming fire." (Heb 12:28,29)

"Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36)

"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, Who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom:  Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires." (1 Tim 4:1-3)

"Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head... He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God... And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God, the Almighty." (Rev 19:11-15)

 

A Spoonful Of Toilet Water

As I was making my 18 month-old's bottle this morning, I wondered, "How much turd-laden dirty toilet water would be okay to put in here?  A teaspoon?  A half-teaspoon?  A quarter-teaspoon?  Five drops?"  How much dirty toilet water would you say is okay to put in my baby's bottle?  Most sane people would recoil in horror and say, "Absolutely none!"  For you to understand why I thought this, let me give you the context of what I was thinking about prior to my musings about how much dirty toilet water would be okay for my child to consume.

As Christians, our faith demands that we, "'Come out from them and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" (2 Cor 6:17).  Notice that verse doesn't say, "...says Kalli" or "...says the Baptists" or "...says the Catholics" or "....says the Pentecostals".  That verse says, "...says the Lord."    Yet for a vast majority of contemporary Christians, we have no problem being double-minded or having a divided-heart when it comes to walking out our faith.  We have no problem allowing the dirty toilet water of the world into our lives. 

How much of the world is it okay to bring into our new life in Christ?  Five rated-R movies?   Two pornographic images?  Three afternoons of gossip?  Four drunken weekends?  Ten songs glorifying sex, drugs, broken relationships or rebellion?  How many times must I hear, "That's legalistic....I'm only human....it's only a t.v. show....we're going to make mistakes..."?  No, a mistake is something you do by accident or because of overwhelming weakness.  God gives us grace for our mistakes and weaknesses.  God gives us grace for our ignorance as we are growing in spiritual maturity.  Rebellion, on the other hand, is something you do with full knowledge and understanding that what you are doing goes against the basic tenets of your faith.  God may give grace toward rebellion for a time, solely at His discretion.  But for the most part, rebellion forfeits God's grace and brings a person into judgment, saved or not.  In all circumstances, rebellion requires repentance, confession and forgiveness:

-"If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and raging fire that will consume all adversaries." (Heb 10:26,27)

-"Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God's seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil can be distinguished: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother." (1 John 3:9,10)

-"Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God--I say this to your shame." (1 Cor 15:34)

What do we do with verses like that?  Where do they fit in our comfortable, excuse-laden version of Christianity?  How do they reconcile with our buddy-version of God, Who winks at our sin and is utterly devoid of fearsome wrath?  Here's the deal:  We can claim the Christian faith all we want, we can make excuses, we can continue our lame attempts to justify our behavior, but after it's all said and done, the Lord we claim to worship and serve said that it is our faith which manifests itself in obedience that makes us His:

-"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (John 14:15)

-"Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me." (John 14:21)

-"If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make Our home with him." (John 14:23)

-"If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and remain in His love." (John 15:10)

-"By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments." (1 John 2:3)

-"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." (1 John 5:3)

-"And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments." (2 John 1:6)

Wow Jesus, You're so legalistic.

Our obedience doesn't save us, but it is our obedience that distinguishes the authenticity of our faith and sets us apart from the world as belonging to Christ.  Our obedience does draw us closer to God, our obedience does serve to protect us from the fiery darts of the enemy, our obedience does help us to hear God's voice more clearly, our obedience does make us a sanctified vessel fit for use in God's kingdom to bear Him fruit, "God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity'... Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the Master of the house, ready for every good work. Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Tim 2:19-22)

Do you belong to Christ?  Then live a lifestyle of repentance, daily turning away from iniquity, daily bearing your cross to your own death, daily seeking God's presence and asking Him to fill you with a hunger for obedience and a thirst for righteousness.  We must daily surrender to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to pull us out of this world, because even a little leaven (or toilet water) works through the whole batch of dough, "You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?.. A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." (Gal 5:7,9).  Pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, because that is what it truly means to be a Christian.

"But just as He Who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written:  'Be holy because I am holy.' Since you call on a Father Who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives in reverent fear during your temporary stay on earth." (1 Peter 1:15-17)

"Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:7,8)

"But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him." (1 John 3:5,6)

"We know that anyone born of God does not keep on sinning; the One who was born of God protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him." (1 John 5:18)

"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." (Rom 6:14-18)