back to the lukewarm thing ...

Started out today rereading chapter 5 of Crazy Love and in the midst of a day full of student meetings and leadership interviews, amswering emails, returning  (or not returning) phone calls ... been grappling with the idea Frances Chan puts out there ... that there are no lukewarm Christians ...because lukewarm = not a Christian.

Jesus' call to commitment is clear ... it is all or nothing.  It is extreme.  It is walk away from your old life if you want to follow me.  Leave the rest behind.  No looking back.  No holding back.  No delay.

It's clear.  But, I don't think we truly grasp the commitment God has called us to ... I don't think we really want to ... because it's not easy and its not always comfortable ... and it centers more on developing our character and changing us into His image than it does on making our lives easier and better.  And it looks a WHOLE lot less like the world than we would like. 

And it comes down to this ... If we love Him, we obey.  We know that we know Him if we obey.  And we will be known by our love.  If we are His ... we will obey ... and we will love.  We won't be perfect.  We won't not sin.  Thank God for the grace that covers those places.  But still ... we will obey and we will love and when we fail, we will ask forgiveness and then we will obey ... and we will love.

Let's look at Revelation 3 again (this time from the message)

"I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You're not cold, you're not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, 'I'm rich, I've got it made, I need nothing from anyone,' oblivious that in fact you're a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless. "Here's what I want you to do: Buy your gold from me, gold that's been through the refiner's fire. Then you'll be rich. Buy your clothes from me, clothes designed in Heaven. You've gone around half-naked long enough. And buy medicine for your eyes from me so you can see, really see. "The people I love, I call to account—prod and correct and guide so that they'll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!"

Do you know what I'm hearing here?  I'm hearing ... I've looked at your life and I've found you lacking.  You're doing this life on your own and you stink at it.  You're doing such a bad job at it that it makes me sick!  You act like you've got it  all under control ... and you set out to do things in your own strength that you just can't do. You need me.  It's only WITH me that you can live the life I intend for you. You try to say and do the right things ... but again, it's all in your human efforts.  And those efforts stink.  Stop running on your own and start running after me.

Hmmmmm ... thoughts too deep for a tired body and mind tonight.