In Christianity we place a great deal of emphasis on belief. Just believe. I agree nothing should be added to this entrance exam for the Christian life. Just believe. God is real, His Word is true, He is who He is, does what He promises and Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life, embodied. This is the gate, the only door, and the enemy’s lies have tried a million methods to draw people to doors that lead to death. We cannot neglect to contend for this faith, continuing to believe this saving truth.
But for those who have passed through death into life, and found the Door, what then? Do we keep laying the foundation or do we build a house? Most of us start to build a house of some kind – and the sad reality – it’s not the house God asked us to build. He designed for us to move from belief to love. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” This is the paradigm for every one who has entered through belief. Other reasons and motivations may be offered in scripture, such as reward or punishment, but they are secondary to the deeper driving force of supernatural love. No one escapes this spiritual law. You live for what you love which in turn drives your actions, decisions, and attitudes. Everyone loves something with all their heart, but as followers of Christ, this spot is reserved for only Him. Unless we abide in Him, we are limited only to our human form of love which is only selfishness masked in good deeds and warm emotions.
So Christian, lets examine what we love. We believe, yes. But when we walk through the doors of our churches, what do we love? Just because we have made it through the Door, don’t think we have not fallen for lies which bring shame to the body of Christ and dilute our witness for Him.
Repeatedly I have aimed the focus of my love, desire, passion, interest, study, witness, conversation, and time in directions that look “Christian” on the outside, but in the end, look past the One I am professing to serve . Jesus then becomes a vehicle to some other desirable end without realizing, HE Himself is the highest gift and goal.
Can you think of any examples? The list could be endless, but let me name some names. These are all very good things worthy of our attention, yet what if they are what we love the most? What then?
- Knowledge. As one of my favorite Christian authors who spent 14 years in a communist prison once said, “The Bible is the truth about the Truth” – which is a living God. Do we limit our relationship with God to the physical words on a page? The Bible is not God on paper, it’s PART of the vehicle (which needs the Holy Spirit to affect our hearts) to lead us TO God, to know Him. Do we divorce the facts and message from the Person? Are we puffed up in our knowledge of systems of theology, biblical languages, eschatology, doctrines and definitions? Are we more concerned with being right than being changed?
- The Gifts of the Holy Spirit. How would you feel if your children never desired to be with you unless you had a present for them? Don’t you want to enjoy fellowship with them as they mature, just because you love each other and not for what you could give them? Do they want privileges and authority under your name and resources without paying any regard to the principles you have taught them to live by? What if one of your children flaunted a present you gave them in the presence of your other children, implying they were favored and closer to you than the others, when you love them all equally? What if you blessed them with a gift for helping others and they only used it to promote themselves? Our Father, I would imagine, is just as displeased with this type of thinking in our approach to Him.
- Charitable Deeds. The Word of God says that true religion is to minister to the fatherless and the widow. I agree that compassion is a key element in a believer’s life. Jesus was moved to action by his compassion many times. But some of us take this to mean this is the only worthy goal of the Christian faith. We zealously endeavor to relieve human suffering and injustice everywhere we find it. We love love. But what happens when in all our “doing” we disregard the Source of Love? From where then does our love originate? In the goodness of our own heart? Do we then forget that to help a physical condition is wonderful, yet temporary, but to heal the spirit is eternal? Without the Source, our helping is a vapor that has no lasting value.
- Temporal Blessings. The blessings of being in Christ are indescribable, but some have created a religion around this in its own right. Why does the church often promise people all their problems will go away and every good earthly thing they desire will be theirs if they only believe? God desires to pour out his blessings on us, but do we seek Him for the bread which lasts only a day or do we seek the Bread of Life? Why do we miss the part that we are promised suffering as well? Where are the teachers calling us to “count the cost” instead of counting our stocks and bonds? A faith that entreats God only for external blessings is missing the point, and seeking what the gentiles seek after, not after the Kingdom of God.
These are only a few of the ditches I see the Church falling into corporately. Ironically, each camp often uses the misguided focus of the others to justify their own, not seeing they are no better off. The fallout from the Body of Christ not actually following Christ, has many faces and leaves many confused believers easy prey for apathy or cult teachers who have come with the solutions. What would happen if we quit pointing fingers and fell on our faces before God, realizing we have all fallen short? That would be an amazing day. I think they used to call that…. revival.
We may then say, “Well yeah, the church is pretty messed up, but I’m okay!” When you walk into church to worship, ask yourself an honest question. Why am I here? Why do I sing? Why did I choose this congregation over all others? Is it selfless love for Christ or your pride in belonging to something that’s more right than everyone else? Is it your position? Is it your desire to advance an agenda or some other goal? Is it self-preservation, because it’s required of you? (in which case you need to go back and figure out which “door” you entered in by) Are we all blind to our spiritual idols in the secure comfort of our initial belief?
God still uses us in spite of our misguided motives and misplaced devotion. He is merciful and patient. Even though we endeavor to lift up everyone and everything into His rightful place, He will still get the glory. We cannot thwart the will of God. But what could we do if we really loved HIM? Where is the church that loves Jesus above all else in this world, and all His good and pleasant gifts?
Lord, teach us to love as You have loved us.
8thDay4Life 
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