Through prayer and meditation lately I have discovered a truth that has been long hidden in my heart from fear of animosity. Now I come to stand my ground for the Lord that has saved my life.
Church culture.
Church culture spews nothing more than a gospel that saves once and leaves many hanging dry for an eternity in Hell. You are not saved by a prayer you pray. You are not saved by a confession you make to others. You are saved through faith by grace. I say this not to scare you but to heed you to examine yourself and see if you are in the faith.
I am not saying you must work your way to Heaven, for all works are as filthy rags. I am not saying you must profess a new prayer everyday in order to be saved. I am saying that your life should be nothing less than abundant evidence that the temple of the Holy Spirit is your body.
I have been thinking a lot about reckless abandon for Christ and how the “radicals” went about it. I like their style. Taking all things that hinder them from the Lord and giving it up.. not in the way of the monks.. but by actively pursuing Christ and leaving all else behind. I want to be radical for Christ. I want to share love through my actions and my words so that only the testimony of Christ can be proclaimed through my life.
As of today I proclaim my undying love for Him who loved me first. I want to live a life that is purely unmistakable for Him who sent me to live a testimony into a dying world. I want to sing a song that glorifies His name and give with hands covered in His grace. I want to be lower than the lowest and exalted with the redeemed.
I want nothing more than to live for God with more than words but to love deeply, adore greatly, and worship fully.
“God, I pray Thee,
light these idle sticks of my life and may I burn for Thee.
Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine.
I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus.”
Jess, that’s just what I needed to hear. Your testimony is amazing and I just pray the Lord keep doing what He’s doinf in your life. Love you girl.
POWERFUL thoughts, Jess! Thanks for posting this. “Abandon” is such a fitting title for what you express here. I’m reminded of Luke 9:23: “If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also].” (Amplified Bible) I would just like to politely nitpick & say that it’s “by GRACE through faith” (though I know what you meant) –> the order DOES matter since God did it all first & we can only humbly respond: ONCE at the point of our 2nd birth and then CONTINUALLY throughout our lives as we revisit that sanctifying awe of who He is & what He does…who couldn’t be changed by that!?