A Necessary Exchange

There is much talk of spiritual deadness and personal stagnation today, so much so that it is now a part of normal Christian conversation. How different the New Testament times seem, when Christianity was new and the presence of the Holy Spirit could be felt and visibly justified in the lives of the believers. I would like to pass my imperfect judgment on the issue. I do so, not with arrogance, but as humbly as I know to do.

It seems the differences between those very-much-alive converts in the New Testament, and the typical washed out Christians of today are two-fold. Firstly, the believers then were regenerate, born again followers of Christ. Today most believers believe enough of the Scriptures to enter into hellfire with some Bible knowledge. They are “believers,” but not converted. They are lost. But it is not these people that I concern myself with now.

Secondly, and this point is the focus of this writing, the believers then lived their lives in a different manner than we do today. The difference is simply a question of focus. And our focus is wrong.

Our focus is on pleasing God. Our focus is to serve Him by doing what He commands. Our focus is to make less of self and more of Him. Our focus is on ourselves, and we are blind.

The true focal point for the Christian is the person and character of God. For fellowship with Him we were created. For this we were redeemed. To add ourselves into our focus, as if somehow we were worthy of sharing in the glory of God, is a serious error. The direction of our entire walk will be affected by this, and we cannot accomplish the things we would hope. There is, however, a way to victory.

A focus on God’s character evokes the proper response in the believer’s life. Whether the conscious will is involved or not, realization of certain facets of God’s person will cause a definite, certain reaction in a worshipful heart. When a child receives a long-awaited gift, his reaction is involuntary. The parent who gave the gift is responsible for evoking the foreseen response, because the child could not respond differently to this act of kindness and love. Even so, the life that has tasted any part of the awe-inspiring person of the LORD cannot choose its own method of response. The response is involuntary.

I will say concerning the vast number of moderately successful Christians, that consecrated people have a host of imitators, but the imitators miss the mark altogether. They have no heart for God. The godly man responds without deliberating, for he is drawn along by his enraptured conversation with God. The imitators successfully mimic much of this holy walk of creature with Creator, but not perfectly, for a spontaneous action can be mimicked only deliberately, and the mimicry is soon known.

The answer to the whole matter is this. There is life in a fascination with God, but continual dying and ultimate vanity in a self-regulation of self. Focus on self is deadly.

How is your life? If your soul is not engulfed in fellowship with and worship of God, your very face will betray the fact of your self-focus. Your determined “I will” must be forsaken for the pure “He is.” He is holy. He is lovely. He is good. And your life follows these things, because where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

I do not say that you should exchange your “I will” for “He is.” Rather, I say that you should seek the face of the God of heaven, whom you claim as your Father, and see this exchange accomplished by Him. What He does is not undone by the feeble efforts of man. What He does, He does well.

This is the way of life.

What do you think of Christianity?

“And they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4.13)

If the Christian life is not the pursuit of Christ, then what is it? Is it a proper doctrinal statement? Is it a pure standard of holiness? Is it separation from error? Truly, one could be a Christian and have none of these. Not that we could say the Christian is not separated from sin, or doesn’t in some manner understand the holiness of the Lord, but to follow Christ is an action all its own.

The apostle Peter, the believing thief on the cross, the Christian martyrs, C. H. Spurgeon, A. W. Tozer, and you can all be followers of Christ, though none of you have agreed on all doctrine, holiness, and separation. Some Christians live in obscurity, some know little at all, some are incredible scholars, and some stand out among many for a mighty work for God, but all Christians have fellowship with Christ in the work which He has performed for them. No one is more saved than another, and none is more important in the fellowship of the saints. Truly, none is important at all except that Christ had redeemed him from sin. This makes him a child of God, and a fellow-heir with Christ, and this is the worth that he carries – not in himself, but in the heart and mind of God.

Now, to the contention.

Why, then, have we made the Christian life a code of ethics and policies that is made subjective to the opinions of both the judge and the one being judged? If we accept the sufficiency of Scripture for all matters of faith and practice, is such a situation even possible? Or, put another way, do we really think that the work of salvation, which is accomplished by God in an instant, can be made even more perfect by people who meddle, from Scripture, like tireless busybodies, trying to perfect the face of human righteousness, while routinely forsaking the preaching of the righteousness and holiness of God that can save men’s souls? And, brethren, is it not enough that we rule over each other’s consciences, but that we also have to extend our laws to the unconverted? Who made us a judge over them?

I ask you to consider this question. What do you know of God? Can you only quote Bible language about God, or do you also have the witness of the Spirit that burns in your heart and brings your mind, will, and emotions into conformity with Christ? To know what Jesus would do is not enough – we must know who He is. We must see Him in His glory, as did the Old Testament prophets, and the apostles, and surely we have received more of His Spirit than they did. There is no excuse for only a basic working knowledge of Bible doctrine when Christ’s own Holy Spirit is within us. Christians have actual communion with Christ! And the washing that occurs in fellowship with Him is the true mark of Christianity that cannot be misrepresented or duplicated another way.

You say you are a Christian. I ask, do you follow Christ? And what evidence do you show that you actually know Him? What verified the lives of the early Christians will verify or disprove you as well.

Go and find some discernment! Repent of your crippling attempts at righteousness, and work in the Scripture to see whether you are in the faith or not. Find Christ in all His glory, in all His beauty, and you will not be content to meddle long with the lives of others. Do you want to be useful to God? Seeking a ministry is not of primary importance. Seek His person, and your usefulness is in His hands.