Scripture Buffet

 

When we fail to be in God's Word, we tend to create our own litmus test as to how we are doing spiritually.  Our obedience is measured against our personally tweaked moral compass rather than God’s moral absolutes.  We take certain Scriptures we want to give ourselves wholeheartedly to and others we conveniently pass over because they don't appeal to us, require too much of us, or they are a challenge to our personality.  We deceive ourselves when we think we can pick and choose.  God isn’t into serving buffets.

"Man does not live on bread alone, but on EVERY word that comes from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4

In all truth, as obedient as we may be in the Scriptures we handpick, we are still living a life of disobedience.

 

"For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws." James 2:10

 

Please don't misunderstand me.  I am in no way sitting over here in a ditch saying we are saved by our works or that our works define our Christian faith.  We need the Holy Spirit working in us to be able to live a life pleasing to God.  It is nothing we can do in and of ourselves, BUT it is our responsibility to align ourselves with the Holy Spirit.  It is our job to cooperate with His working in us to make adjustments in us that line up with what God desires from His children.  If we truly desire to serve God, our actions will line up with our confession.   

 

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." John 14:26

 As we point fingers and whisper about others, is it possible we are lacking in areas that are just different?  OF COURSE WE ARE!  We have to get our eyes off of judging others.  We have to quit comparing our lives to them and look at our lives in comparison to the Word - the whole Word.  It is one thing to be concerned for a fellow believer.  We should be!  If what we call “concern” is manifested in gossip, slandering, making fun of individuals, blasting insults about them, we can be assured that we are operating out of a spirit of pride and judgment.    A heart of love and true concern for the falling of another person will not shun or condemn the person, but will reach out to them, grieve for their condition, and fight for them in prayer.  

We are saved by His grace.  It's all about what Jesus did and nothing of ourselves.  We all need His continued grace and mercy each and every day because we all fall short.  In different areas?  Yes.  Other's faults tend to look worse in our eyes when put next to our own, but this is not how it is for God.  He sees all sin the same.   Sin is simply put as missing the mark.  When we hoot and holler that we hit a portion of the target and our neighbor here lost his arrow in the woods… the truth is, we both missed the bulls-eye.  We all need the same innocent, perfect shed blood of Jesus to cover us.

I think if we start viewing it as God does, the time we spend gossiping and throwing stones at others can be used instead to seek Him with our whole heart.  It becomes "How am I measuring up to Jesus?" rather than "Look at him. I can't believe he calls himself Christian."  

If we are seeking Him with our whole heart, we will have His heart.  We will view others differently.  We will love them differently.  We will reach out to embrace, not to crush.  We Christians are all foreigners TOGETHER in the earth.  It's time we stick together, spur one another on, and build one another up in the faith.  Our strengths are different.  Our weaknesses are different, but we are all on the same team.

Lord, we need our eyes opened, our hearts humbled, and our spirits hungry for Your Word. Jesus is the Word made flesh and we know apart from the fullness of Your Word, we limit ourselves in knowing You.   All too often times we create a god in our own image that suits our ways and our lifestyle.  We want to serve You, the ONLY true and living God.

We ask for Your help to stay focused; that we wouldn't let any church tradition or teaching bind us up from searching You out more; that there'd be no sin we'd rather hold onto than You.  We refuse to let this flesh of ours rule us - whether it be what we consider big sins of adultery, homosexuality, murder, stealing, and the like or what is categorized as small sins: "white" lies, dishonest gain, “managed” addiction, gossip, filthy language, etc.  Help us to realize that sin is sin.  It cost Jesus the same price for each and every one of them.  He paid a debt we could never pay.  How dare we think we can take it for granted and okay "little" sins in our life as if You don't see.  May our eyes be opened, Lord, to see our lives; our hidden lives how You see it.   Just as Jesus told the people, "You must leave all and follow Me," may nothing in our lives be too precious to let go of for Your sake, Lord.  Please shine a light on those things we are holding onto tighter than we are You.  Amen.