A danger for Christians is that
one can pretend to be what they are not. It is possible to go through the
motions of the ceremonies or the rituals of Christianity and yet be far away
from God. One can say with their lips what they do not mean with their lives.
It is possible to teach great truths of Scripture and assume because you have
taught them you have lived them. Furthermore, it is very possible for anyone of
us to actively and faithfully serve and be involved in church programs and yet
not know God. Just as it is possible to be free from scandals and still not be
walking with the Lord. In light of these truths let me suggest three things
that might be an indicator that you are not walking with the Lord.
Absence of confession and repentance for sin
One reality for a growing
believer is the daily realization of his sinfulness as a result of daily
beholding the holiness of God (Isaiah 6:1-9). A Christian who is walking with
the Lord is never under any illusion of their greatness or goodness; they
instead constantly cry with the apostle Paul “wretched man that I am who will
deliver me from this body of death?” However, also like Paul, they do not
remain in despair because they find comfort: “thanks be to God through Jesus
Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:24-25). A mark of Christians who are walking with
the Lord is daily confession and repentance of their sins against God and man.
A person who never acknowledges sin nor repents of it is a person whose
relationship is not right with the Lord. A red flag should go off when someone
habitually justifies, explains away, excuses, belittles or blame shifts their
sins. You cannot walk with the Lord and not be in the habit of confessing and
repenting of sin.
A general apathy towards church life
While being active in church is
not always a sign of spirituality, apathy toward and a lack of desire to be
involved in the life of the church is definitely a sign of serious spiritual
problems. It is a refusal to heed the exhortation of Scripture:
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he
who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to
love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some,
but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews
10:23-25.
It is important to note that
other people’s shortcomings and failures do not justify your apathy. If the
reason you are not involved in the life of the church is because you think
other believers are hypocrites (and they may well be), then you are clearly not
in the habit of self-examination leading to daily confession and repentance.
A critical spirit of other believers
People who do not regularly
self-examine in the light of God’s holiness often ooze with a rather disturbing
self-righteousness in which they are not only apathetic toward the things of
God, but they are also critical of those who are faithful in service. They will
tell you everything that is wrong about you, inform you of how everything you
did was wrong, and then advise on what you should have done.
“Among the seven deadly sins of medieval
lore was sloth (accidie)—a state of hard-bitten, joyless apathy of spirit.
There is a lot of it around today in Christian circles; the symptoms are
personal inertia combined with critical cynicism about the churches and
supercilious resentment of other Christians’ initiative and enterprise. Behind
this morbid and deadening condition often lies the wounded pride of one who
thought he knew all about the ways of God in providence and then was made to
learn by bitter and bewildering experience that he didn’t.[1]
Guard your
heart from a dead Christianity which simply goes through the motions. Guard
your heart from a deadly pride that thinks there is nothing wrong with you and
convinces you of being good. Cultivate the habit of seeking God and enjoying
communion with him. Do not underestimate the importance of your local church
and attending to the various means of grace. Develop genuine friendships that
will provide meaningful accountability so that you are daily walking with the
Lord.
Well elaborated and this is a tick to take note my life.
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