Convenient Christianity

I have recently seen a few examples of what I like to call "Convenient Christianity". To me, Convenient Christianity is when you want to obey God and take the Bible literally when it is convenient for you... e.g. you have wronged someone and they refuse to forgive you, but when the tables are turned and they come to you for forgiveness, you should immediately put down your guard and forgive with open arms; well, because "you are a Christian". Sometimes we will act like this without even realizing that we are acting this way because our flesh naturally wants to do what feels right and denying God, to our flesh, feels right.

This is why the people of this world call us hypocrites. This is why they say that the Bible is a lie and contradicts itself. This is why they deny Jesus Christ. We are not living out our witness. We are not bringing justice, truth, and peace to a lost and dying world. We are not showing these people the love of God. We look at each other with such high standards and when it comes to ourselves we can always come up with an excuse. This is why Jesus says in Matthew 7:3-5 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

The truth is that we, as Christians, should be the ones to go to the person that we have wronged and ask them for their forgiveness. Come what may, they may not forgive; however that is not of our concern because that is a heart issue between them and Jesus. The truth is, also, that we should forgive everyone that asks (and those who don't, for that matter) because the sword of the spirit is truth, and that is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17)... and what does the word of God say? "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins" -Mark 11:25. It also says that Jesus died for us that NONE should perish. That means that he gave his whole being on this earth that EVERYONE should have forgiveness. So, really, who are we to keep the forgiveness that Jesus gave us from others? Yes, this makes us hypocrites. This causes others to go to hell. Because we are double-minded. We fail to do what God asks us to. We are the blind leading the blind.

Thankfully, God has given us His grace and loves us above and beyond our failures. Jesus has offered the Ultimate forgiveness and an eternal life in paradise with him, the lover of our soul, to everyone who will believe upon his name. Jesus makes us blameless in the Father's sight. We are forgiven because he was forsaken and we are accepted because he was condemned. His love has covered over a multitude of sins; now the question is: can ours?

I pray that the Lord will bring me to a such a place in my walk with Him. That He would forgive me of my fleshy decisions, sins, and transgressions. That I would be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires (James 1:19&20). I want to be blameless in His sight. I want to have a heart so refined by His purifying fire that I will be completely at peace within my soul. All I can do is just pray that the Lord will do such a mighty work in such a wretch like me. Thank you father that you are faithful, even when I am faithless!