Men As Christ
Where Iron Sharpens Iron / Proverbs 27:17
Get Off the Fence
Luke 16:10-13:
Jesus said to his disciples: “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.”
Blog:
Yankees or Red Sox. Michigan or Ohio State. Republican or Democrat. Sheep or Goats. Picking a side has always been a part of life and it always will be right until the end. While picking a side is often a playful thing, it can sometimes become a dangerous thing. Standing-up for what you Believe in can be uncomfortable and even deadly at times. There can be risks in being associated with the losing side. Many people will refuse to pick a side sometimes because of their agnosticism to the matter at hand (e.g. I don’t even watch Football), but many times, people will avoid making a choice rather than risk making the wrong choice. And, this is when many get caught “sitting on the fence” and not planting their feet on one side or the other. If you’re a “fence-rider”, like to “play both sides of the fence”, or just like to antagonize others with your indecision, you could be risking more than you realize. Jesus shares in Luke 16 that you cannot serve two Masters simultaneously – in essence, you are not sitting on the fence even when you think you are. He called this “luke-warm” Faith. By not deciding between Him and the devil, you are still making a choice – a choice not to choose. And, that has Eternal consequences. The Reverend Billy Graham posted the following on July 19, 2011 about ‘getting off the fence’: “The Bible actually tells us what a “lukewarm” Christian is; it’s someone who’s neither hot nor cold about their faith (see Revelation 3:14-16). In other words, their faith doesn’t mean very much to them. They aren’t particularly enthusiastic about it, nor are they hostile toward it. Instead, they drift along, perhaps going to Church when it’s convenient or giving some money to God’s work — but, never sacrificing to help others or going out of their way to share Christ with someone. Instead of loving God with all their heart, they are indifferent toward Him, and think about Him mainly when they get in trouble. The Bible says a startling thing about a lukewarm faith: It tells us that God detests it. He even warns, “So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16). Does that sound harsh? It may at first — but remember: Jesus Christ left the glory of Heaven and willingly shed His blood on the cross for us. He loves us that much! How can we remain indifferent to Him?” Scary stuff. But, Reverend Graham went on to say, “If this describes you, don’t despair. God wants to forgive you and draw you closer to Himself — and He will, as you repent of your sin and commit yourself without reserve to Christ. Begin a new journey with Christ today. Then get in a Church where Christ is preached and lived, so you can continue to grow in your faith. You’ll never regret it.”
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