My husband prefers his coffee strong. His favorite at home is Tully’s Espresso. I prefer my coca cola with ice, crushed or shaved, but not an overpowering amount. If we took a poll on ice cream brands and flavors, we’d probably get a huge variance.
I prefer my Christians strong and passionate. And by strong I don’t mean able to handle anything all the time, although I think in Christ we’re all capable of that if we’d just totally surrender ourselves to His perfect will. Maybe it’s because I came out of the world, and the reality of forgiveness from sin overwhelms me.
I struggle with Christians who dance and romance worldly values, philosophies, and practices. Don’t get me wrong here—we all have our areas of weakness. No one lives in this body of flesh without fighting one lust or another, but under the guise of freedom, sin is indulged and in some cases celebrated.
Turns out my view and my tone regarding this matter of lukewarm Christianity can be offensive to some. So I will say I regret that, but it doesn’t change my position.
Belonging to Jesus Christ, knowing the brutality of the beating and crucifixion, the horror and vulgarity of my sins taken upon his purity—it’s all of a magnitude too vast for this small mind. I have no choice but to be completely humbled and emotionally eviscerated and then reconstructed with new living parts.
Someone died for me. And not just someone: the King of Kings, the Perfect One. Geez, for me?! And for you.
If that alone is not enough to stir up the emotion and passion in a person, what is? A book? A painting? A car? A cause? A film? But not the death and resurrection of the Lamb of God?
People need to quit hiding behind their excuses for not getting excited about our God. If we are real about our faith, we’re the ones with the answers. We’re the ones who know Truth, the Truth that has been and forever will be. Distinct. Real. Alive. Everlasting. WE know the Truth! So why do we act like we have to conceal it or rearrange it or dress it up or dress it down or re-tool it or re-style it as if it doesn’t have eternal staying power?
We have invested our hearts and minds in the Creator of all things, the dispenser of every good and perfect gift, the One who is and was and will always be. We’ve made the right choice. We are children of the King of Glory. We reside and abide in Jesus Christ who is seated at the right hand of the Father where He intercedes for us and defends us from the accusations of our enemy. He has given His name and its Authority to use for accomplishing His will and for establishing our needs. He has invited us into the throne room of God for citing our case in what we desire and receiving mercy and grace in return, not to mention blessings.
So, what can the world offer that even remotely compares to the treasures of heaven? I’ve sampled almost all the world has to offer. Although it’s all wrapped up in enticing packaging, and, yes, for a moment in time it’s fun to tear off that paper and bow, once it’s opened and experienced, it feels like a fluke or a trick, and the emptiness is haunting. So we continually search for more of the same to fill those holes that just keep expanding, demanding more to fill them, only we’re always coming up short, failing to be satisfied with any of it.
I am not discounting the tragedies of this life. There are innumerable ways to suffer in this body. Sin strives against saints. And this corrupted flesh does face trials of many kinds. Life is a gift, but it can be filled with pain for some. Christians are still martyred in this world after being tortured. They are the stars of our world, and will share in triumph with the martyrs of old. But the promises of heaven tell us that the tears will be wiped away, and all the suffering of this sinful earth will no longer occupy our eternal residence.
So I ask you: how can you not get excited about what you have acquired from God, what you have gained from Jesus Christ, how you have benefited from the Holy Spirit’s counsel, direction, and comfort? If you’re not excited, you must be dead.
Father, you alone are worthy of praise and adoration. Jesus, there are not words to convey the gratitude for your sacrifice, your love, your friendship. Just too deep. Holy Spirit, continue to bring the passion, the depth of emotion, the total submission into the power of God. Please, fill me up, in the Name of Jesus, Amen.