Scripture References:
Matthew 7:13-26
Luke 14:25-30
Acts 3:19 and 2:38
2 Peter 3:9
Recently a lot of people have noticed that although I’ve always grown up in the church and been a religious person that something lately has been different about my walk with Christ. I’m much more vocal about my walk, my convictions, and my love for Christ and people wonder what changed. What changed was that when I really studied the scriptures out I realized that my life did not line up with Biblical standards and I was professing to be something that I truly wasn’t.
Matthew 7: 16-20 states “16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produced good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes just as you can identify a tree by its fruit so you can identify people by their actions (NLT).”
That is pretty cut and dry. Now that the scales are off my eyes one of my biggest problems with churches today is that people gather Sunday after Sunday and leave unchanged and think they’ll make it to heaven off their routine religion. The above scripture states it plainly. YOU CAN IDENTIFY PEOPLE BY THEIR ACTIONS. Therefore your actions should show me what your lips do not have to say. So I beg the question. Are we truly friends of God or are we just merely acquainted with him?
Matthew 7:21 tells us that not everyone who cries out Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. It goes on to say that only those who ACTUALLY DO THE WILL OF THE FATHER IN HEAVEN will enter. I love that passage because it speaks about how people will say they cast out demons and performed miracles in his name, but Jesus will say “depart from me, I never knew you.” Let me paraphrase.
Acquaintance: But Jesus I was at church every Sunday. Lord I reposted the scriptures and I even thanked you when life was going good. I pastored a church. I served on the missionary board. I sang in the choir and even led worship.
Jesus: I don’t know you bruh.
Seriously though. It is the biggest slap in the face to God to claim to have encountered him and yet 5 out of 7 days in the week (I’ll give you Monday too) are spent with Jesus as an after thought. We still continue to give in to the same sin. We still continue to ignore the things our Spirit is convicted about. We neglect spending time with him daily. How can you claim to know someone you barely spend any time with? The reality check is that the people crying Lord Lord won’t be atheists, murderers, and rapists. They’ll be your sanctified aunty and your Bible toting pastor.
We have to get to a place where we no longer settle for a mediocre relationship with God but have a burning desire for something more. Hence the title of my blog being a RADICAL relationship. God is so much more than your 9-5, your degree, and your relationship. God has planted purpose in you and given you everything you need to fulfill that purpose (2 Peter1:3). By no means is this sacrificial life easy all the time because it is a constant fight against the flesh, but man is it worth it. Luke 14:25-30 tells us not to begin until we count the cost. That means know what you’re getting yourself into because this is a high calling.
Today choose to say no to merely being acquainted with Jesus and decide to become a true friend of God. Think about your closest friend and what makes your relationship with that person what it is. Your relationship with Christ can be just as real. Let’s stop limiting God to our Sunday morning and our routine scriptures on our Bible apps. Choose today to repent (change your mind) about your life and truly live a life that pleases God.
Yours in love,
Shell
Feel free to drop comments. The comment link is usually located at the top of the page. Additionally, if you have any questions or private comments feel free to email me > qwaller13@gmail.com
Also! Check out this youtube video that speaks to this topic beautifully. The Church Is Small
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