With all that I have written over the last weeks I really believe a majority, and in fact all of this can be summed up with the Heart Condition. The reality that churches are preaching sermons that appease to everyone without any change, the songs we sing to boost our feelings rather than glorify God. The ministries we create to help without actually uplifting people, the lack of a spirit led and spirit drawn service, the lack of understanding, love, obedience and worship that has creeped into the minds and hearts of Christians is the basis for where we are. The truth of the matter is many Christians do not believe in Jesus, for if they did they would live as He did.
The reality of the missing object or atmosphere of the church today is the fact that we have stopped believing. Yes, we may believe in the image of Christ, we believe in his teachings, we may believe in what he represents, we believe what he came to do, we believe in His miracles, we believe in all he does without actually believing in Him. When one believes something it is shown clearly without doubt. We believe in the nature of gravity, therefore we live knowing that certain things cannot be done due to the force of gravity; we understand that gravity is present and therefore make decisions based on that belief, and live accordingly.
We believe the sun is hot, therefore we make decisions to cover ourselves up, or to put sunscreen on for those who burn. We make decisions that way because we believe it. If we were to look at how we believe about Christ and take those same examples we would come to the conclusion that the Christ Christians believe in is not necessarily the Christ preached and proclaimed by the Disciples and Apostles in the Bible. For if it was we would live as he lived.
“Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
I do not say this to make you hurt, nor to try and gather up something for you to say or do. Jesus said we must follow Him, not follow Him but…not follow Him with….not follow Him if…..not follow Him and, but just follow Him. The cross we carry is difficult and when it becomes easy, easy to live for Christ, easy to obey Him, easy to worship, easy to die to self, we must look and discern if we are picking up our cross and truly following Him. To live for Christ is difficult and to those of the world foolish. 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
Luke 6:45 “For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”
We are shown that our mouth produces what is in our heart, and whatever is in our heart is who we are. Therefore if we take the lifestyle of Christians and compare it to that of Christ, we will see that we are not living as He did and therefore not believing in what He said. The condition of the Christian heart is that of one that has wandered away, no longer believing in the message of Christ and therefore living as we believe, that we are covered by emotions and good feelings rather than the Blood of Jesus, the perfect lamb. This does not apply to all Christians, but I sincerely believe that it is a majority. There are other reasons why Christians do not believe, but the important fact is that they don’t. I cannot pretend as though soundbites and good thinking will cut it out, I cannot pretend to know God and yet not know the needs and concerns of my brothers and sisters around me. My heart must believe, our hearts must believe. For one second we must look inward and realize the condition of our heart must be restored and we must yearn for Him with all might and passion. Let us believe in Jesus for who He is, and may those who have suffered because of our unbelief, those who have been hurt, mistreated, alienated, beaten and forgotten, I pray that they forgive us and we be forgiven for our unbelief. May God come to us.
