Part Two
Contrasts
Remembering that everything in the Kingdom of God is just exactly upside-down of what the world teaches, even our own churches tell on themselves by the messages they preach. Are we raising up disciples or are we only another representation of a world system masquerading as a “church”?
The Gospel of Christ is referred to as a “mystery” in the Bible. That’s because you can’t understand it at all unless God himself shows you by His Spirit, and you can’t fake it with real Christians who know what it means to be “saved”. Christians know the Lord’s voice – and another they will not follow. The Lord said that many will say to Him “Lord, Lord… didn’t we…” and with one of the most chilling responses I’ve ever read, Jesus answers “away from me, I NEVER KNEW YOU”. You will never get to heaven by knowing how to maneuver within the Christian community. You may fool a few naïve people, but you will never fool God.
When Paul came to the saving knowledge of Christ, he was completely undone. Everything he had thought was right, was wrong. The day Paul had held the garments of those who stoned Stephen (a true bondservant of Christ), he thought he was doing God a service. But when God spoke to him, he said “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute ME?” What Paul’s religion had taught him was wrong. Paul had participated in killing the true bondservant of God because his religion blinded him to the truth and the saving knowledge of Christ.
It’s a scary thought, isn’t it? Is it even possible to be that deceived today, that we would do diabolic things and think we are doing God a service? It should be a lesson all of us apply to ourselves, yet we most often think of others when we hear it.
Dieing to self is a term that is tossed around all too easily in Christiandom. Yet, dying to self is one of the requirements of being a bondservant of Christ. In much of today’s modern Christianity, we hear so much about “fulfilling your purpose” and “how to live your best life now” and many other self-focused teachings. Most of it stands in sharp contrast to what is really important in the Kingdom of God.
Modern Christianity wants you to have “self” esteem. Jesus wants you to esteem others more highly than yourself. Humility is not something that is valued in today’s society, even in churches. The humble are considered weak and the mantra we have heard over and over is that only the strong survive.
Yet, Paul said “let the weak say I am strong.”
Paul, who was a true bondservant of Christ, when he wrote to the Galatians said: “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Being crucified with Christ and dying to self are so comprehensive that it’s hard to talk about these topics without writing an entire book – and many people have. But the point I want to make in this series “On Being a Bondservant of Christ” is that we must return to the teachings of Christ in His Word to make sure our hearts are right with God. No longer can we afford to appease the flesh with easy things that sound spiritual, but aren’t. The time is short. Jesus is coming soon! I want to be ready!
(to be continued)
Love,
Lori
On Being a Bondservant of Christ – Part 1
On Being a Bondservant of Christ – Part 3
On Being a Bondservant of Christ – Part 4
On Being a Bondservant of Christ – Part 5
On Being a Bondservant of Christ – Part 6
On Being a Bondservant of Christ – Part 7
On Being a Bondservant of Christ – Part 8
On Being a Bondservant of Christ – Part 9
On Being a Bondservant of Christ – Part 10
