I believe there is a group of Christians who love the Lord and love having sex out of wed lock. I believe there is a group of Christians who love the Lord and love to get drunk. I believe there is a group of Christians who love the Lord and also love to curse. I categorize these guys as the “cool Christians.” They’re under the impression that God’s grace is sufficient (which it is, though not to be abused) and that since his forgiveness abounds, there is plenty to go around for the sins that they’ve made a place for in their lives.
Though absolutely none of us in the faith are perfect, accept through Christ and his sacrifice for us, this is more than just picking on a group of people who dabble in sins too taboo for the church to really deal with, this is about the sincerity of our hearts and living in an inbetween place that just doesn’t exist.
I was listening to Pastor Ben Stuart on youtube speak about this awkward inbetween place that people have created in dating and courtships and I realized that it expands so much further than dating. You can check out what he had to say about it in the link down below.
We’ve created this in between place that we find to be acceptable, not because we’re pursuing a righteous lifestyle but a hedonistic one. We’re trying to figure out how we can live the lives we want and serve God completely and it’s creating a crazy divide of inner turmoil, where our flesh wins out more often times than not.
In the book of Revelation 3:15-16, Jesus says “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold, I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”
Jesus would rather someone have no idea who he is, living life on his own accord, not putting on appearances or living unrepentantly (though in retrospect he desires for all men to be saved), than to have his sons and daughters torn between sin and serving him. It puts us in this lukewarm place that never satisfies the need for a moment of sincerity or repentance. It’s as if we’re living in complete disregard of what we know is right.
The Bible says that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, Jesus. So if you’re feeling condemned, don’t. The Holy Spirit may convict us of our actions or even arrest our hearts in the very moments of our sins, prompting us to want to stop our actions immediately, but the Holy Spirit is the perfect gentleman. He will never kick you while you’re down, or make you feel as though you will never be good enough. It’s not his job to make you feel as though you will never please the Lord, but to help you live life and life more abundantly. If you’re feeling low and oppressed by feelings of guilt and worthlessness, it’s most likely the enemy (Satan or one of his imps) trying to keep you in a dark place, to make you feel as though there is no hope on the winning side with Christ. That’s one of the biggest, nastiest, lies that I have ever heard and there will always be victory, peace and joy in the presence of Christ.
I imagine that being a “cool christian” is fun for a time (though it’s costing us so much more than we could ever imagine), I mean we’ve all fallen in to this category at some point or another whether our sin of choice was listed or not. And for those who feel as though they’re just one good repentance session away from getting back on track you may be right. The problem lies therein you feeling as if you have all the time in the world. Jesus could come back as you read this sentence, as you climb out of bed with your boyfriend or your new friend from the club. He could come back before you stop habitually lying and cussing and masturbating and slandering and whatever else and then what will you do?
I’ll never forget the passage in the Bible that explains that people will cower away in fear of the Lord when he returns. That would be my worst nightmare. When Jesus returns I want to run into his open arms so excited that he’s here to pick me up! Living on earth is overrated when you’ve accomplished everything that God desires you to. (I’m really hoping I can accomplish everything that he wants me to before I pass away from this earth!)
Just ask yourself this one question: Am I living in a way that would cause me to run in to the open arms of Jesus when he returns or will I cower in fear, afraid to show my face for the way that I’ve chosen to live my life?
If you don’t know whether or not you could confidently face the Lord, I encourage you to repent right now and mean it. It really is as easy as saying yes to God and no to your flesh, it’s in the moments where we’ve given an opportunity to turn back where things may get a little tough. But the Bible says that God will always provide a way out of temptation so what’s our excuse? Give God all of you today, and watch your life shape up to the perfect will that he has for you!
Amber D. Avery
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Pastor Ben Stuarts video clip: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oxxWTXuilbs
