Is God Merely A Convenience to You?

A man was once asked, "Are you a believer in the Christian religion?"

"Oh, certainly!"

"You are a member of some church, then, I suppose?"

"Member of a church? No, indeed. Why should I be a member of a church? It is quite unnecessary; the dying thief wasn't a member of a church, and he went to heaven."

"But of course you have been baptized; you know the command—"

"Been baptized? Oh, no; that is another needless ceremony! I am as safe as the dying thief was, and he never was baptized."

"But surely, since you will not join a church or be baptized, you will do something in acknowledgment of your faith. You will give of your means—you will help the cause in some way?"

"No, sir; I do nothing of the kind. The dying thief—"

"Let me remark, my friend, before you go any further, that you seem to be on pretty intimate terms with the dying thief. You seem to derive a great deal of consolation from his career. But, mind you, there is one important difference between you and him. He was a dying thief—and you are a living one." - Signs of the Times, November 6, 1893; via the Signs of the Times Newsletter, May 2008.

Are you living a life similar to this? Maybe you're living a life of "religious convenience"; something to "use only in case of emergencies." Or, perhaps religion is something to impress others with (can anyone say "Pharisee?") There are even those who dare to make up, or add their own Biblical rules as they go along. (Revelation 22:18-19; Deuteronomy 4:2)

God is very specific about what He wants his children to do, or not. He does not speak vaguely, nor does He "hem and haw" around. Jesus himself spent a lot of time, both alone, and with his disciples, instructing others as to what was expected of them if they wanted to follow Him.

Early on, God gave His people the Ten Commandments to follow. These were pretty clear directives; so clear, that they were even etched into stone more than once! But people, being people, would still fudge a little (or a lot) on these instructions. As time passed, God's instructions became polluted and modified. Things became so messed up, that He had to send His own Son to repair the damage!

Don't kid yourself! You can't be a believer this month, but not next month. When life gets a little bumpy today, you can't bail out on Jesus tomorrow. Our Lord doesn't see you as a "flavor of the month," so why do you see Him this way?

In addition, the last thing that we should ever do is use our belief in Christ as a free pass, or an image booster. In all honesty, we need God more than He needs us. He loves us unconditionally, and offers us an eternal home with Him. Who else would do that?

There's no need to ever change anything that He has said, or done; especially to accomodate what we see fit. Throughout the Bible you can find examples of people who tried to change God's instructions to suit their own needs. The end result? Not very good.

It's not hard to please God. Follow His directions and guidance. Love one another, and treat each other with respect. When in doubt, pray and read His word. If you want a good example to follow, then look no further than Our Lord. Proverbs 3:6 says it best, "in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:1-2; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:3-4; John 8:12; Titus 3:5

Prayer: My Lord Jesus, I ask for Your guidance and counsel in whatever I may do. Faithfully, I know that You will keep me safe and true. Amen

Have a blessed day!

Lara