Sin, That's The Only Thing I Know How To Do!

I was reading Brother Lawrence the other day and came across a statement he made regarding sin. When asked about sin he said, "That's the only thing I know how to do!" As I read on it became clear that he was recognizing and accepting that sin was in his basic nature. We don't have to be taught how to sin. From birth on we are being taught something. How to walk or read, hold our spoon, and drink from a cup. Basic skills we need to get along in this world. But nobody has to teach us how to sin. We know that from birth. We get angry, rebellious, and envious or display any number of behaviors that are sinful. We do this without any help from anybody. Yet, we have a difficult time accepting that we are by nature sinful creatures. We deny, hide, run from or make excuses for our sinful behavior. Finding it difficult to accept our humanness we put on masks that we wear before people and before God. We think that if He really knew us He would reject us. This inability to accept our basic nature keeps us from God. That is the tragedy. We think that because of our sinful nature, God will reject us.

Andrew Murray in his book Absolute Surrender wrote, "Why is a lamb always gentle? Because that is its nature. Does it cost the lamb any trouble to be gentle? No. Why not? Does a lamb study to be gentle? No. Why does that come so easy? It is its nature. And a wolf - why does it cost a wolf no trouble to be cruel? Because that is its nature. It doesn't have to summon up its courage, the cruel nature is there." You can be cruel to a lamb and it will remain gentle. Or, you can be gentle to a wolf and it will still be cruel. If God's second greatest commandment is, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself," don't you think He understood we were sinful creatures and that we would always be sinful creatures? Do you think that knowledge keeps Him from loving us? Often, we cannot accept our own sinful nature and thus we find it difficult to love ourselves. If we cannot accept ourselves we cannot accept others. Even more tragic is that we cannot accept love from God. If I can understand and accept that it is in my nature to sin, then I begin to do those things that help deal with the sin. Instead of the sin keeping me from God, it drives me to God.

I have discovered that accepting my humanness and knowing that I am going to sin, make mistakes and fail, helps me to quickly deal with my sin and humbly go before my Father where I know there is acceptance and forgiveness. We did not need anyone to teach us how to sin, but we do need God to teach us how to love and accept ourselves. Let's determine to not let our basic nature keep us from God but drive is to God.

It's Easy To Fake Christianity!

"Our experience of Christianity must go beyond just being another interpretation of the Bible; it must expand until our faith in Jesus and our love for Him becomes a lightning rod for His Presence." (Francis Frangipane)

A lightening rod attracts. It says throughout the Word that we will do the works that Jesus did. If we examine what Jesus did we clearly see that He walked in holiness and power. He spoke and people were transformed from death into life; he prayed and people were healed. People were attracted to Him. They saw what he did and they listened to what He said. The Truth that He spoke changed those who heard it. He didn't have to fake anything; He was what He spoke, the Truth. His faith was extraordinary, His life was anything but normal. He did not have to make excuses for God, pretend He was something He was not, or pump up His faith. He was as real as it gets. He did not fake anything.

We however, can easily fake Christianity. Francis Farngipane wrote, "If we have been indoctrinated to believe that the Kingdom of God, and Christianity itself, does not really have to work, or if the absence of holiness and power fails to trouble us, something is seriously wrong with our concept of truth."

If you are not drawn to holiness, if you do not see power manifest, if your prayers are not answered then it would seem logical to ask why things are not working for you. Perhaps it's something as simple as being "normal." Sadly, many Christians have no higher goal, no greater aspiration, than to become normal. Their desires are limited to measuring up to others. We like familiarity, we like routine, and we don't like to step out of the boat and walk on the water because it's scary and we might drown. Peter didn't hesitate to step out of the boat, but once he realized where he was, he became afraid and wanted to get back in the boat because it was familiar, it was safe in the boat. There is nothing wrong with the familiar but the familiar is often too comfortable and by nature we like comfortable. Staying comfortable with those things that are normal and familiar keep us from experiencing that which is extraordinary.

So, rather than move into a place of faith, expectancy and obedience, a place where we are drawn closer, week by week to knowing and loving Jesus Christ we stop obeying and we start faking. Think about this; "If Christ is within us, we should be living holy, powerful lives. No excuses!" Christianity is not just accepting some doctrine, but is living daily in the reality of Christ's presence in our homes, schools and jobs. Lets purpose to press in until we "…lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:12) When we settle for anything less than the fullness of Christ in our lives we begin to fake Christianity.