Surface-Christianity
Romans 10:21 "But of Israel he says, 'All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.'"
The man whom God used as a vessel to bring me the gospel message was an automotive mechanic at a Tire Kingdom shop, where I too was an employee in my early adult years. He told me that God was patiently sitting at the edge of His seat holding out His hands to save my soul. This statement was very different from what I was taught in the past; it was as if God wanted a personal relationship with me or something. Why hadn't I ever heard of something like this before?
You see, I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church where I was taught to say certain prayers, regularly attend Mass, pray the rosary, and attend confession/penance in order to maintain favor in God's sight (for more on this, visit http://voiceofvision.org/assets/articles/rome.pdf). In other words, I was taught that I had to do works in order for God to bless me with salvation and give righteousness to me. Despite doing those things, I remained oblivious to the fact that I was still "a disobedient and contrary people." How could this be? Wasn't I pleasing God and doing everything He wanted?
Little did I know, my idea of maintaining favor with God held a close resemblance to that of disobedient Israel in the Old Testament. Being sure to circumcise their sons and conduct sacrificial rituals, the nation of Israel thought they were doing precisely what God wanted, just as I thought for myself in earlier years. Yet, God still referred to them as a "disobedient and contrary people."
When it really came down to it, I was practicing a kind of surface-Christianity; looking good on the outside and reeking with sin on the inside (cf. Matt. 23:25). The fruit of the Spirit, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control" (Gal. 5:22) was still absent in my life, whereas my inner nature still patterned after the flesh with sexual immorality, pride, impurity, enmity, idolatry, jealousy, sensuality, envy, etc. (Gal. 5:19-20).
The spiritual condition of your heart is what God cares about, not works (cf. Matt. 7:21-23). Nonetheless, a person's spiritual identity determines what the general pattern of works will be in their life (2 Cor. 5:17; Col. 3:1-17). In order to please God, He must first pour His grace upon you which enables you to respond with a saving faith (Eph. 2:8-10; Heb. 11:6), not just an intellectual faith like the demons possess (James 2:19).
Is God "sitting at the edge of His seat" and holding out His hands to you? He reaches out to you because of His own benevolent character; it is who He is (1 John 4:8). Are His hands reaching towards a disobedient and contrary spirit? Whether or not you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, today is the day to repent of your sins (and continue repenting) and strive towards a living faith upon which God will not turn away His face (Heb. 3:12-13). The only time you are guaranteed in life is the present. Do not die in your sins, but rather turn to Christ for a transformed and everlasting life (John 3:16).
The man whom God used as a vessel to bring me the gospel message was an automotive mechanic at a Tire Kingdom shop, where I too was an employee in my early adult years. He told me that God was patiently sitting at the edge of His seat holding out His hands to save my soul. This statement was very different from what I was taught in the past; it was as if God wanted a personal relationship with me or something. Why hadn't I ever heard of something like this before?
You see, I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church where I was taught to say certain prayers, regularly attend Mass, pray the rosary, and attend confession/penance in order to maintain favor in God's sight (for more on this, visit http://voiceofvision.org/assets/articles/rome.pdf). In other words, I was taught that I had to do works in order for God to bless me with salvation and give righteousness to me. Despite doing those things, I remained oblivious to the fact that I was still "a disobedient and contrary people." How could this be? Wasn't I pleasing God and doing everything He wanted?
Little did I know, my idea of maintaining favor with God held a close resemblance to that of disobedient Israel in the Old Testament. Being sure to circumcise their sons and conduct sacrificial rituals, the nation of Israel thought they were doing precisely what God wanted, just as I thought for myself in earlier years. Yet, God still referred to them as a "disobedient and contrary people."
When it really came down to it, I was practicing a kind of surface-Christianity; looking good on the outside and reeking with sin on the inside (cf. Matt. 23:25). The fruit of the Spirit, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control" (Gal. 5:22) was still absent in my life, whereas my inner nature still patterned after the flesh with sexual immorality, pride, impurity, enmity, idolatry, jealousy, sensuality, envy, etc. (Gal. 5:19-20).
The spiritual condition of your heart is what God cares about, not works (cf. Matt. 7:21-23). Nonetheless, a person's spiritual identity determines what the general pattern of works will be in their life (2 Cor. 5:17; Col. 3:1-17). In order to please God, He must first pour His grace upon you which enables you to respond with a saving faith (Eph. 2:8-10; Heb. 11:6), not just an intellectual faith like the demons possess (James 2:19).
Is God "sitting at the edge of His seat" and holding out His hands to you? He reaches out to you because of His own benevolent character; it is who He is (1 John 4:8). Are His hands reaching towards a disobedient and contrary spirit? Whether or not you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, today is the day to repent of your sins (and continue repenting) and strive towards a living faith upon which God will not turn away His face (Heb. 3:12-13). The only time you are guaranteed in life is the present. Do not die in your sins, but rather turn to Christ for a transformed and everlasting life (John 3:16).
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