Convenient Faith Or Committed Faith

“Insidious” would be a good word to describe Satan’s attack on the believer.  Webster defines the term to mean “characterized by treachery.” As we go through each day of our lives, it is so easy to forget, amid the comfort and ease of our homes, cars, toys, etc., that we are involved in spiritual warfare against a cruel and deadly enemy.   It seems, however, that in our culture of material plenty Satan’s strategy is more to ease us away from a committed relationship to Christ than to hit us with a head-on assault.  He knows that we won’t renounce our faith. We are too biblically grounded for that. What He does know is that we can easily fall in love with our comfortable lifestyle. Such adoration of ease and comfort can drift into camouflaged idolatry.

I’m not saying that because a person drives a car or lives in a nice house that he has “sold out” to Satan and the world.  However, we need to be continuously guarding our hearts and mind so that our first pursuit is always Christ and not the world or anything that it has to offer.  Our cars, our homes and everything that we possess need to be seen as tools to serve God and not ends in and of themselves. After all, name one thing that you have (things, friends, family, health, etc.) that hasn’t been given to you by God.  However, true to Satan’s form, he likes to take what God has provide and corrupt it so that it becomes something bad.  As a result, we are tempted to begin thinking of these things as MY car, MY house, MY friends, MY time and MY money.  I’m pretty sure that this may qualify as a form of idolatry that jeopardizes our walk with Christ.

It is dangerous to a healthy walk with Christ to live one’s life as a routine. Simply going to church, saying prayers before meals, and holding to the right core beliefs is not enough. The Pharisees were good at that.  Christ wants so much more for you and me.  Christ didn’t die on the cross to start another religion. He died to have a relationship with us that makes us alive spiritually and brings meaning to each and every day of our lives.

Satan wants you to enjoy a good religious life.  He doesn’t mind your going to church and even praying. He doesn’t even mind when we get behind Christian action groups and push conservative political groups.  What he does mind is seeing individuals having a vibrant and loving relationship with the Savior on a day-to-day basis.  Satan hates it when a believer stands with the apostle Paul and says, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)  Satan hates to see committed Christians.

It is important for each of us to consistently evaluate where our hearts are so that we are right with God. I believe that the Lord was addressing the “convenient” Christian in Revelation 3 when speaking to the church in Laodicea when He says, “So because you are lukewarm…I will spit you out of My mouth.” (v. 16).  I’m sure that none of us want to face this rebuke.  So let us enjoy the rich relationship that God intends for us in Christ and let us join Paul in a worthy quest when he said in Philippians 3:12 “I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward-to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.” (The Message). Years ago, we use to be encouraged with this truth when we would sing a chorus, “I have decided to follow Jesus.  No turning back. No turning back.” May each of us experience the joy and fulfillment of living a life committed to Christ.

Pastor Doug Denee