Hey mamas, sisters, and friends! Hopefully I can get back into a somewhat regular posting since my last blog, Writer’s Block and Nominal Christians. It feels good to open up my laptop and start typing again! It is continually on my heart and mind to talk about Jesus Christ my Savior! Afterall, that’s the greatest command: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your MIND” (Matthew 22:37). I am truly a born again Christian, who has surrendered my life to Christ (it wasn’t always like that). My life before Christ was broken, full of intentional sin, and living for myself. Now I stand here today, about 9 years since I was baptized, sharing the sanctification and process of living for Christ.
Living for Christ in a lukewarm culture looks like this: standing firm on the Rock when the rain comes crashing down. If you are a follower of Christ, then you have devoted your life to be “all in” on Jesus no matter what comes your way. Saying you’re a Christian is a lifetime commitment that will be seen in your fruit (Luke 9:23, Matthew 7:15-20). In today’s culture, there are many people who are living the “lukewarm” life–meaning they are neither hot nor cold. In other words, a lukewarm person may have one foot in the world and one foot in the Word. They are trying to please both the world and God. The bible explicitly states in Matthew 6:24 that, “No one can serve two masters…You cannot serve God and mammon.” Culture wants you to believe differently. Culture lures you in with all these false promises and temptations that lead you to nothing but emptiness. How do I know that? I used to be there…I was ignorant to the teachings of the bible and just followed the standard of the world. That is a scary way of living that leads you straight to hell. Don’t believe me or you’re unsure? Pick up your bible, dear friend. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” –John 8:32
My blog is used to bring others to Christ! And to talk about motherhood and biblical living. I have such a passion for sharing the ONLY truth that matters. Just because I’m a Christian, doesn’t mean Christianity is true. What do I mean by that? Christianity is true whether you’re a Muslim, Buddhist, atheist, etc. The principles, doctrines, and nature of Christ and the Bible are true for EVERYONE. Culture wants to tell you otherwise…Culture wants to tell you that it’s okay to have “your own truth.” How does that make sense? If everyone could believe whatever they wanted, then what is the concept of reality? What is society? What are values? What is a tree? Where are people basing their standards from? Society has grown to separate values from facts. People have their religious beliefs that go in the values box, and then things of the science nature deal with facts. This isn’t how it always used to be!! This modernist way of thinking has led to the demise of Christianity. Instead, it used to be that values and facts were of the same identity. Religion was the facts. Of course there were always some people who were the outliers, but instead, in today’s culture being the person who says, “The bible is the absolute truth and I live my life based off of it” seems almost obsolete. If you read my last blog, I linked several articles that talk about ~65% of Americans today identify as Christian, but only 6% of those ~65% actually live out their life with a biblical worldview. Like I said…it’s almost obsolete. But you know what? This is exactly how God has orchestrated His plans. Christ is coming, friends! Each day is another day closer. We will not know when Christ’s second coming will be, but living my life for Him is a testimony as a believer. We must always be prepared and ready! Read the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. If that doesn’t convict your spirit to be prepared for Christ and to live for Him, then I would encourage you to pick up your bible more.
I think something that makes many people lukewarm in today’s culture is that very point: people AREN’T reading the Word of God! I don’t understand. A Christian should be submerged in God’s Word all throughout their week. Of course there are seasons when maybe you don’t read as much as you want, but that’s just the nature of one’s flesh and/or spiritual warfare. Something my husband and I have been doing for the last 3 years is mark the days we read our bible on the calendar. It is a phenomenal way to hold yourself accountable. Some days it can feel like checking off a box, but most days it’s a blessing to acknowledge my time spent with God. Afterall, your relationship with God isn’t based on a feeling. If it was, then you could wake up on Tuesday and feel on fire for God, but then Friday comes along and you might say, “I’m just not feeling it today. I’ll pick back up on Monday.” That is a prime example of culture’s way of Christianity and how they want to make a person’s faith based on subjectivity.
Going back to the values vs. facts statement, being a Christian and the bible is objective truth. It does not change based on how someone thinks or feels (which is subjectivity). For example, we can all agree that a tree is a tree, right? That is objective truth. Christianity is objective truth no matter who or what you are. Go look at all the other religions and they will crumble when compared to the facts of Christianity (go watch this four minute video that asks Is the New Testament Reliable?) In culture, nominal Christians or people that identify as Christians but don’t have a life that shows it, are ignorant to the objectivity of the faith. Once again, I used to be that person. They want to live out a subjective faith that tells you this (going back to the tree example): “See that tree over there, I don’t think it’s a tree. I feel like it’s actually a dog. And if you think it’s a bird, then that’s okay too! As long as you have your truth and I have mine, that’s okay.” This is subjective thinking and it does not align with biblical thinking. So if you live a subjective faith as a “Christian”, what does your bible look like? If you take out the parts you don’t believe/don’t agree with/question the truth of, then what you have left is in fact not a bible at all. It is your own made up religion of quote “Christianity”!
You cannot claim to be a Christian and affirm sin (things that go against God and His commands). For example: you cannot claim Christ and support abortion. You cannot claim Christ and support homosexuality. You cannot claim Christ and dabble in new age practices. You cannot claim Christ and only believe the New Testament, and refute the Old. You cannot claim Christ and be an evolutionist. You cannot claim Christ but not believe in hell. You cannot claim Christ and hate the Church. You cannot claim Christ and say everyone goes to heaven. How do I know these things? Because these statements oppose the very nature of biblical teachings, which are found in the bible.
All these examples I shared can be people saying they’re Christians, but they are abiding and going along with the lukewarm culture of today’s Christianity. The above statements are not biblical and do not align with the bible. Let me quote from Revelation 3:15-22, “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth…As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.” Christ is warning against spiritual complacency. Time and time again, we are given warnings like this. I encourage you to go read the full scripture. It is a calling to those who do not know Christ. Let those who have an ear, let him hear!
Mamas, sisters, and friends–to those living out a faithful life following Jesus Christ, I implore you to fight the good fight of faith that Paul teaches us in 1 Timothy 6:12. Keep showing up for Christ even when others tear you down. Keep reading your bible even on the days you struggle with your faith. Keep praying to our Lord that He will give you wisdom when your flesh doesn’t “feel like praying today.” To quote Paul again, “we are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed–always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you.” As a bible-believing Christian, I know earth is not my home. This earthly life is only my preparation to live eternally with my Savior and King! That is why Paul says death is working in us–we are only living to die. Whereas the non-believer only has this temporary life; death will be the end for them as they perish in hell for eternity.
Praise be to God for His awesome Word that ALWAYS stands true. 2 Timothy 3:16.
If you find yourself uncomfortable reading this post, then engage these convictions and truth by opening up His Word. Pick up your bible and ask God to give you wisdom (James 1:5). He is always there–waiting for you to come to Him. CHOOSE to fully live for Christ in a lukewarm culture.
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