Draw A Line In The Sand
Have you ever been torn between two opinions, choices, or even thoughts? Sometimes, making a choice can seem overwhelming. Sometimes, you want someone else to make it for you.
Many years ago, a song became popoular that was called “Torn betwee two lovers”. It went onto say, “loving you both is breaking all the rules.” It suggested that one could be commited to two people at the same time, “have your cake and eat it too, theology”.
We are in an hour when many believe that you should not have to choose anything. We are in a day of acceptance, tolerance, and prosperity. Everywhere I go, I see signs like this, “live, laugh, love”, or “eat, drink, and be merry, for we don’t know about tomorrow”. This logic has even found its way into the church. We have mixtures of Christianity & Islam, called Chrislam, and mixtures of Judaisma, Christianity, Catholicism, and Protestantism. We now hear the New Age using scriptures about the power of life and death in the tongue.
If we are to accept everything, judge nothing, and beleive that each person can choose right and wrong for themselves, with no absolutes, every sermon and belief that we have known, has to change. We must water down the Bible, our sermons, and our life-styles. This is why we are no longer hearing many sermons about sin, compromise, hell, or holiness. These subjects would involve some very black and white preaching, with conviction. It would also cause others to think we are judgemental, intolerant, ignorant, and out of touch with society. It’s hard to grow a church, gain popularity, and have lots of money coming in, under those conditions. Therefore, many are feeling the pressure to tone down the message. No one likes to face unpopularity, missunderstanding, rejection, and possible persecution.
Slowly, but surely, the vision, call, and passion give way to the survival of big business. Preaching becomes motivational speaking. Truth becomes half truth, taken out of context. Morality is left to the individual imagination. No one is challenged, confronted with sin, or warned of eternal judgment. Everyone is happy. People believe that they will end up in heaven. Others feel that even if there is some kind of a hell, they will be having a party with their friends there.
This has become modern, American, “church as usual”. However, God says something different. Here are some pretty obvious scriptures about a separation between light and darkness, as well as, living for God or this world’s system. Matt 6 : 24 says, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” This suggests that one of the problems with choosing Christianity is caring too much about our natural lives on this earth.
2 Corinthians 6:14 says, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” Ephesians 5:11 tells us, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 1 John 1:6 says, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:” Another very imortant scripture is 2 Corinthians 6:17 “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you”.
We have to make a choice. Joshua 24:15 says, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Also, 1 Kings 18:21 says, “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him:…..”
To be torn between lifestyles, is very dangerous. If we serve God, let’s serve Him and not be ashamed. Let’s serve with passion and vision. Let’s commit all the way. Let’s lay down our lives and begin to live and make desicions for eternity.
If we believe healing is for us today, let’s not speak anything else. We play the Christian games and talk out of both sides of our mouths. Then, we wonder why the promises of God seem to alude us.
If we really believe that God is our Saviour, Healer, Deliever, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, then He is worth laying down our lives for, and serving Him completely. Let’s quit saying we want Him, yet we want the world. Let’s quit saying that He is our source and has our hearts, yet withholding from Him our finances. Let’s quit saying our lives are forever changed by His great grace, and yet we continue to live like the world. Let’s quit saying “you are my Lord” and then living like I am my own lord. Let’s jump in all the way. Today, who are you going to serve completely?