Temporary

Raise your hand if you're guilty of knowing something is true, but ignoring that truth because you didn't want to believe it or because you didn't want to admit your faults and wanted to continue to be set in your ways. I have both hands raised. I can think of multiple incidents where I act like I dont know the truth to obtain my temporary happiness. Or what about this, most famous of all is where one tries to stretch and bend the truth to where they fall under the same category and not be in the wrong. We deceive ourselves into thinking whatever our temporary happiness is ok, we're doing nothing but lying to ourselves and prolonging our lasting happiness for temporary happiness. I think we can all say that we're guilty of this and maybe this still holds some relevance in your life today.

This reminds me of the bible study "not a fan" in the series there's one part that speaks about being what is called a flexitarian. What would you think of someone who claimed to be a vegetarian but every Friday was steak day? They claim to be a vegetarian and yet they make exceptions that go against their original decision. See any similarities? This can often be us in our relationship with Christ; we claim to be a Christian but we won't fully devote ourselves to God. We even find loop holes around God's word; to me its like acting like the colonists, when they wanted to do something or get something approved they looked at the constitution and many times there would be the argument of "well the constitution doesn't say that this is ok, but it also doesnt say that this is not ok" that would leave room for the people to make a decision.

The truth is there are no loop holes around God's word; what you see is what you get, the problem is we aren't looking. I have been guilty of is not wanting to look this is me avoiding the truth for my temporary happiness, for my desire of things of the flesh and not the spirit. Sometimes I have that gut feeling of guilt, I know im doing something wrong but I tell myself that its fine because I dont know for sure that its wrong I cant be 100% sure without any evidence or proof. I could easily find in the Bible the passage that proves my sin but I dont want that to be confirmed, so I continue in my sin. This is what we shouldn't do.

We have the words of a living, breathing, almighty God to hold us accountable and to give us instruction; yet so many times we ignore the truth because we want worldly things above what God wants for us. We choose that we know whats best and decide what's acceptable for our lives when we know that we're wrong. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." When we realize we have sin in our lives we have a different view, we say that we have been a bad christian and someone who's been faithful and obedient is a good christian. This is so far from the truth!! Christians aren't good or bad they are simply Christians. Christians are all held to the same standard no sin is greater than another, the difference between who we view as good and bad are that the "good" ones live out a public life for Christ; no they aren't perfect, but they love God and they do their best to obey Him and share Him, they have an active walk with Christ. On the other had one who we would view as a "bad" christian doesn't have an active walk with Christ, they dont repent their sins, they have priorities that they have set higher than God, etc.

Many of us would fall into the "bad" christian category and we continue to be a "bad" Christian because we have the wrong mentality -we take advantage of knowing that God will always forgive us. It is okay to ask God for forgiveness, BUT it is not okay to go into a sinful situation knowing that God will forgive you. What you don't think about is the dissappointment He will have at seeing you -for one- sin and two -thinking that sinning is okay just because He will forgive us. God did not die for you so that you can sin whenever you want and then call on Him in your time of need, He is not a genie and not a janitor that will continuously clean up your messes.

Matthew 7:21 says "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of Heaven , but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven". You can't be a flexitarian and a christian. You cant choose which rules of God that your going to obey and which ones you aren't. We need to walk in accordance with what we believe, conform to what's right, be consistent in our faith, and be constant in our commitment to the Lord. We need to start today, chose today to chose Christ.