How Well Do You See Jesus Today?
The very first thing that salvation does, according to Jesus Christ Himself—the Author of salvation—is that it opened our eyes to see the real world, the spiritual dimension, God and His Kingdom and His Word. Those were Christ's words in Acts 26:18: ‘to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.' NKJV
So we were saved to see Christ, love Him, and offer our lives back to Him. But unless we are careful, we can allow the Lord to get blurry.
What Can Keep Us from Seeing Jesus in Daily Life?
Jesus answers that question in one of His most sobering postcards, the one to the final church called Laodicea. It was a literal church in the first century, and may well be a prophetic look at the very age in which we live. Here is what Jesus says to each of us who live in these dangerous times of great comfort, wealth, security, and freedom of unlimited choices.
"Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'—and do not know that you are … blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments … that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see" (Revelation 3:17-18).
Jesus is warning us to be careful of three grave dangers, and especially for those who are 50+, these dangers are more virulent than melanoma or staphylococcus (both MRSA and VRSA). Here are three deadly spiritual pathogens:
Pathogen 1: Un-Forsaken Desires
These sins of old age (which can also occur at an earlier age) can erase Christ's "Well done!" Remember Solomon: he began by sacrificing thousands of animals and building the most beautiful worship place for the Lord, but he failed to finish well. He got to heavenyet so as by fire. (In today's language, we'd say that Solomon got into heaven "by the skin of his teeth.") What are these sins of old age?
The Lust for Comfort and Convenience: This sin is epidemic. We continually lust for comfort. A life consumed with a lust for comfort and convenience like that won't finish well. (Rev. 3:17-18)
Greed for Recognition: Older people usually want to receive recognition of some sort. In fact, it seems that almost everyone lusts for the applause of others. We must beware of seeking approval from people and instead seek approval only from God. (Matthew 6:2, 5, 16)
Covetousness for Security: Our whole country has become security-obsessed. People want to know how to best secure retirement funds, how to secure college education funds, how to get job security, and how to secure their homes and other possessions. We are caught up in the pursuit of security, and are wasting valuable time and energy to protect things we cannot keep. (Isaiah 31:1)
These sins of old age—the lust for comfort, greed for recognition, and covetousness for security—can erase Christ's "Well done!"
Pathogen 2: Un-Recognized Exception-ism
What is exception-ism? It is thinking that your life is an exception to God's Word. Thus you excuse yourself from doing anything for heaven because of things like your past, pain, poverty, or poor self-image.
Think carefully on this: you will never be in the future what you are not becoming today. If you are not responding to and obeying God's Word now, and you feel like you're always an exception, that attitude will stay with you till the end.
Pathogen 3: Un-Mortified pockets of pride
"Un-mortified pockets of pride" means allowing pride to grow that can make you secretly, inwardly proud of your intellect (thinking you are smarter than others); or proud of your achievements (thinking you are better than others); or proud of your goodness (thinking "I'm not as bad as others").
Sin, in the light of sin, never does look bad, but sin in the light of God's holiness always looks bad. Pockets of pride in your life can erase Christ's "Well done!"
As we turn back to Titus 2, note again the description of the men who will not waste their lives. Those special men in Christ's Church will be:
Invest the Rest of Your Life With God
God is on the lookout for those who have ears to hear His Word, eyes that see His plan, and who are surrendered, yielded, sold-out, full-hearted, true-seekers of Him.
This article was excerpted from Dr. John Barnett's series, God's Man for the 21st Century. For more resources, visit our website at www.DiscoverTheBook.org. Or to read the rest of this article, Grace Energized Men: Don't Waste Your Life, click here. Content provided by OnePlace.com.
Originally published March 22, 2011.
