Gimme, Gimme Christian

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right Spirit within me.  Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.  Restore unto me the joy of Thy Salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit.  Psalm, Chapter 51, verses 10-12.

I have a “Gimme Gimme Christian” relationship with God.  I have said these previous verses many times in church, asking God to make me a better Christian.  But the next verse says, “Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto Thee.” Psalm, Chapter 51, verse 13.
 I have focused on what I want God to do for me all these years.  I want Him to forgive me for all the sinful things I have done.  I want Him to give me a new heart and fresh start so that I can go to heaven. 

I haven’t focused on the things that I should be doing for God, as stated in that last verse, like sharing God’s love with others.  I hesitate because I think, Big risk! Big risk!  But then I wonder, do I want to continue to be a “Gimme, Gimme Christian,” focused only on what’s in it for me?

Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my walk with Christ, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verses.

Made in the Shade Christians

In this passage, Naaman is a leper. He goes to see Elisha to see if he could cure him of his leprosy. 
So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.  And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.  But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the Name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.  Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?  may I not wash in them, and be clean?  So he turned and went away in a rage.  And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it?  how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?  Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.  And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.  2 Kings, Chapter 5, verses 9-15.

Naaman leaves Elisha saying, “That’s too easy, I could have bathed in the rivers by my own town.  How could something so easy take care of my disease?” (Paraphrased) Sometimes God asks us to do simple things and we don’t trust Him.
All we have to do for Salvation is to believe that Jesus is our Savior and to try to live as examples of how He works in our lives.  We are “Made in the Shade Christians,” because God doesn’t ask us to give up everything we own, go into the airport selling flowers, to meditate for hours or to go through great personal sacrifice.  Yet many people look elsewhere for God and have been known to jump through all sorts of hoops to find Salvation that is elusive, because they are not focusing on God’s simple requirement.

Naaman eventually realized that it was worth giving the simple request a try and it paid off.  He was cured from his leprosy by doing what God wanted him to do.  I like the way God uses graphic illustrations to demonstrate the lessons He wants me to learn.

Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my walk with Christ, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verses.

Sell-Out Christian

And Jacob sod pottage [made something like lentil stew]: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.  And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.  And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do me?  And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.  Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.  Genesis, Chapter 25, verses 29-34.

Unfortunately, I can identify with Esau.  I’ve been a “Sell-out Christian,” selling out my ethics more times than I can mention for food.  Food and control are my two biggest vices.  Satan loves to dangle very subtle things in front of us to pull us into his control. 
It’s so easy to sell out our Christian ethics without even realizing it. It might be by things like spending too much time on the computer that our family goes without our presence.  The computer temporarily becomes a priority over our family.  It might be by telling only partial truths.  Of course, we always tell ourselves that we are doing it to protect others.  Do we come up with reasons why we don’t have time to pray, but spend hours in front of the TV? 

There are lots of subtle ways we sell out our Christian ethics without ever noticing.  Esau lived to regret selling his birthright.  I don’t want to live to regret selling out my Christian ethics either.  I don’t want God telling me on the Last Day, “Debbie, I have other accommodations waiting for you, because you don’t deserve a spot in heaven.  You were too busy doing your own thing to be bothered with leading your life as an example of your love for Me.”

Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my walk with Christ, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verses.

Do as I Say and as I Do Christian

He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His Commandments, is a liar, and the Truth is not in him.  But whoso keepeth His Word in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him.  He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked. 1 John, Chapter 2, verses 4-6.

I need to be a “Do as I say and as I do Christian” and be more than boastful talk.  We need to be examples for others to see how God works in our lives.
Here are some related passages:
*For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled.  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew, Chapter 5, verses 18-19.

*I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.  Blessed are they that do His Commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.  For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.  Revelation, Chapter 22, verses 13-15.

Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my walk with Christ, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verses.




So-So Christian

For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;  And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.  2 Peter, Chapter 2, verses 4 -9.

I’m reminded that God didn’t spare the fallen angels (Satan and his followers).  He did spare Noah and his family and the rest of the people in the world perished in the flood due to their beliefs and lifestyle choices.  God saved Lot and the rest of Gomorrha perished due to their beliefs and lifestyle choices.

God is definitely not telling me that it’s okay to be a “So-so Christian” and that I’ll get to heaven anyway.  I feel He’s telling me that all these people perished for their wayward beliefs and choices.  Only those who were dedicated to God were saved.  I need to be equally dedicated to my belief in God if I want to be saved too.  God knows that I won’t be perfect, but He also knows what’s in my heart and if I’m genuinely trying be an example of how He works in my life.

Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my walk with Christ, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verses.



Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)