My heart has been overwhelmed with a continuous thought recently. I told many of you about the book I read awile ago Crazy Love by Francis Chan. A thought that continues to pursue me is the idea of normal christianity. When God says to leave everything and follow Him (Luke 18:22), it is not a suggestion but rather a command. When I do this very thing (and pat myself on the back for it) I am not doing anything extraordinary. I am simply being obedient in what the Lord has said. This is the normal christian life and yet somehow in modern Christianity it has become the radical. Obedient Christians are called radicals within Christian circles. This sends up a frightening red flag to me.
The word says that many will come to me on that day saying Lord, Lord look at all these things I did for you. And the Lord will say I never knew you(Matthew 7:21-23). Unbelievers are not going to call Christ Lord at this point. They never knew Him as Lord. It will be believers saying this. We need to not merely be hearers of the word but doers (James 1:22). I believe this is where we have lost it. Many of us, and I have been guilty of this as well, have sat and heard a good word whether from your quiet time, a speaker, or from church, but have not practiced immediate obedience. We've allowed that seed to be snatched away from us(Matthew 13:1-23). His word doesn't warn us of a narrow path for no reason. This truth has become more and more real to me as I've examined my own life and watched the lives of friends. Narrow is the path that leads to righteousness, wide is the path that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).
We are not going to make it into heaven by the skim of our teeth! (1 because it's not by works that I'm saved but by His grace and His grace ALONE Ephesians 2:8) We must live intentional lives sold out for the sake of Christ. That's not radical living, that's obedience to a simple call. A ho-hum attitude about Christ or life lived in direct disobedience to His word better be a life that is earnestly working out thier salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:11-13). So that when you stand before the throne in all His glory you can confidently stand in the shadow of Christ knowing that you truly are paid for by His blood. If we are not working these things out and simply assuming we are the good soil, I believe many of us will be sorely disappointed too little too late.
Let he who has ears listen (Mark 4:9).
2 comments:
Angie -
Okay, so I am a total blog junkie and somehow found yours through someone else's today and read your last couple of posts. Call me a stalker. haha. Seriously you really have a way with words! :) I am commenting because I heard Francis Chan speak at a church conference this past spring then bought the Crazy Love book. I loved it. I am still chewing on the stuff it says and considering using the DVD's that go with it for our young adults Bible study. My husband just finished reading it also. I was so excited to see that someone read it too! Such a great book and great guy. :) Good thoughts!
Hope all is well with you!! Take care :)
Ashlie, thanks so much for your words of encouragement. I disappeared from the blogging world for a bit, but now have become a bit obsessed myself. I'm not sure how I never received this comment before but I'm just now reading it. I hope you read and enjoyed Chan's book. I heard his newest book is great as well. Blessings to you and your family!
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