Full transparency, the title of this post is a quote I just heard but I can’t remember where from. Let me know if you know where it’s from.
The quote was something along the lines of many “Christians” Fluent in church but gospel deficient. It hit hard, realize how true this really seemed. And also how much it stung that most of the conversations I have with non-believers who are opposed to my faith isn’t because of what I believe, but because of what they’ve been lead to believe I believe from the “church.”
The church is a huge part of God’s plan for us as believers, but unfortunately, it has often not done its part in carrying out the commission that God gave to it. People do and go to church for literally thousands of different reasons. But it seems that in those thousand reasons, there’s an astonishingly small percentage that have to do with the gospel of Christ.
This has caused so many people do be full of churchy knowledge. “I know all the Bible stories,” yet people who don’t know the true gospel. People who haven’t truly been moved by a relationship with Christ.
A relationship with God is what brings the most joy, yet so many are content to live outside of that. On the surface of it to gain some benefits, but never diving fully into the joy of the Lord.
I have often done this. And sadly, still often do. Instead of remaining fully in Him, I get caught up in the things of this world and maybe just wanting to know the right answers at the right time so that I can look good. That is a far cry from what we are supposed to be as Christians. It’s not, nor is it ever about ourselves. It’s about the gospel of Jesus Christ and bringing glory to God. But that’s not something that’s to be a burden. In fact, it’s is to our greatest benefit and joy to serve the Lord and live for Him.
Not that we serve Him because he needs us to do it. God needs nothing from humans, yet he chooses us to glorify him and experience the joy that comes from Him.
Yet another quote I read yesterday resonated with me too.
“The Sermon on the mount and the ten commandments are the doctor’s prescribed health regimen, not the employee’s job description”
To follow the Lord and to surrender to Him is to experience the greatest joy imagineable.