Bloated Believers

            “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”         James 1:22

            “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?” Proverbs 24:11-12

Confession: I have not obeyed God’s Word as I should have. I study the Bible and thirst after knowledge, I hunger for the salvation of others, but I have not done anything to make it happen. I have stored up for myself spiritual food and not given any out to those needing it most! I am a hypocrite. I am a believer yes, and I have faith, yes. But my actions do not demonstrate a faith in the Creator of the Universe. In order to know Jesus for who he is, and learn to call him Lord and honor him as such, one must become a disciple. A believer of Jesus knows of Jesus and has learned about salvation and repentance and sanctification. A disciple of Jesus may not necessarily know a lot about all those things, but what he does know he acts on, without hesitation. Brother Yun puts it this way: “True disciples are often misunderstood. They are viewed as unstable fanatics. Often the same governments that tolerate the existence of mere believers will stop at no end to eradicate any disciples from within their borders.”

            Our state of existence as Christians in America is very comparable to overweight and unfaithful servants. God has given us work to do: harvesting the lost souls of this world, and we are busy stuffing our minds and hearts with more spiritual food than we could ever need. How can we be so selfish storing up for ourselves knowledge of God and not sharing it with the world? James 3:13 says: “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” Why do we need to any more English versions of the Bible, or commentaries, or life-application books or journals, when we can’t even obey what we are commanded to do? I’m saying “we” because this clearly applies to me as well, and I am just as guilty as anyone over in the US of the same hypocrisy. But let us not forget what we are called to do: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” –Romans 12:1-2 And “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” –James 1:27 And “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” -2 Timothy 2:22 We must come out of our sick state of being, and begin running the race set out before us. “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to receive the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it for a prize that will not last, but we do it for a prize that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run as man running aimlessly; I do not fight as a man beating the air. No, I beat by body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-27