Watered Down Christian

Watered Down Christian

2 Timothy 4:3(NIV)
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

I think we may live in a time like this now.  It seems to me that in recent years and maybe it has to do with all the media and technology we have at our fingertips(smart phones, tablets, laptops, TV's, etc)  today, that many in our world are living their own version of Christianity, meaning they do what they want, live how they want, and support what they want, and then try to label it as God approved. "God loves everyone", "God wants everyone to be happy", "God would be ok with what I'm doing or how i'm living", well last time I read by Bible that's not how God operates.

First, yes God does love everyone, He created each of us after all, but "LOVE" does not mean enabling, approving, or looking the other way while a person sins and goes against God's Will or Word.  God is love, but love always means correction, discipline, holiness, purity, righteousness, and obedience. God's love is not a license to sin or live whoever we want or do whatever we want or believe whatever we want and then namedrop God on it like He approves of it cause God loves everyone.  God does love us all, but His love will not hurt others, have negative consequences, approve of sin, or go against His Holy Word. Truth is many don't read their Bibles, yet try to use it to defend themselves? Kind of hard to do when you don't even read it or study it.

Secondly, this delusion that God wants everyone happy is as false as it gets. God wants us to have JOY and joy is only found in a faithful obedient relationship with Him. God did not create us and send Jesus to die for our sins so we can be "happy" on earth.  What we really are trying to say is I want to have no rules, live how I want, do what I want, because I think that is what makes me happy and I want to feel good about myself so I want to say God wants me happy to justify it.   If you truly want to be happy, then stop trying to make God follow you and start following God.  You are either for God or against Him, there is no in between.  Happiness is a temporary feeling/emotion and comes and goes and isn't meant to rule or guide our life.  Why I believe God didn't create us to be miserable and unhappy, He also didn't create us and send Jesus for us to live however we want with no set of morals, values, boundaries, and most of all guidance from His Holy Spirit or Word.

Finally, this false idea that God is ok with how you are living and what you are doing and what you are approving of, is another lie from the devil. It's call justification.  If we were honest with ourselves, we'd realize we want to do what we want and act how we want and live how we want, but at the same time we want the benefits of salvation and not going to hell.   We really are trying to mold and shape God around our lives instead of molding and shaping our lives around God.    We have too many opinions based on our own ideas of influences out there from friends, books, professors, media, or wherever you get your opinions from. I feel like many of us have our minds made up what we want to believe and we seek to find sources who agree with us or support what we believe or want to believe, to again back up an justify our beliefs, behaviors, lifestyles, etc..

Sadly, there are even churches and preachers who share this mentality and have watered down the gospel and the Bible to grow churches, make people ok with their sins, and continue the cycle of not following the Bible, being obedient to God's will, or guidance from the Holy Spirit.   So, what we have is a bunch of watered down Christians, who really are only part-time Christians, or putting on a form of Christianity that suits them or really not Christians at all, but living a lie to themselves.

We have got it all wrong. While God is a God of love, He is also a God of right, holy, and truth. That does not mean he's old fashioned or rigid, it means He has a standard and we need to follow His standard of right, holy, and truth found in His Word not our own. That isn't love, love is truth, obedience, respect, honesty, purity, and faithfulness to God, His Word.   Joy not happiness is what should guide us.  Happiness is mostly worldly and seeks to only please ourselves, our wants, our wishes, and live how we want and has little to do with God. God provides joy to those who truly surrender to Him, wish to obey Him, worship Him, and follow His Word even if there are some tough spots in it we struggle with. It doesn't matter what we think or want if it goes against God's Word its wrong plain and simply no matter how you try to twist it. In the end you will never be happy or find happiness or live at peace when you try to live against God and His Word.

Finally, if you want God to be "OK" with your life and how you are living, it's not complicated, but difficult to do, we must truly surrender ourselves to God to follow His Will. We must allow God to work in our lives through His Word and Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts, attitudes, convictions, values, morals, behaviors, and lifestyles. We must actually read and study God's Word and instead of trying to read it to justify our beliefs, behaviors, or lifestyles how about reading it and simply following or doing what it says and don't add to it or take away from it or twist it to fit your life, but instead let God fit you into His life.  We must be open to God's leading by being sincere and honest before Him. If we are, God will speak to us, convict us, show us, and lead us through His Word and through His Holy Spirit if we are truly saved.

Stop trying to be a "Christian" and yet live however you want, doing whatever you want, and sharing that watered down message in the world, and start actually being a Christian. The Word Christian means "Christ-follower" and too many people are wearing the name, but not following Christ, but their own selfish lifestyles, agendas, opinions, and desires.   Being a Christian is hard work, it takes discipline, time, effort, and a willing spirit to grow. You can to be faithful to read the Bible to know what it says and what God expects, you have to be faithful to His Church(the ones actually preaching the truth of the Bible), and you have to be willing to let the Holy Spirit guide you to truth and righteousness.

After all, we are talking about eternity here. Heaven and hell.  I would not be willing to gamble or risk my eternity for temporary, worldly, selfish pleasures or happiness here.  I know many of us have tried including me and I learned as I hope you have or will, you can't have the best of both worlds. You can't have 2 masters, and you can't please both God and yourself.    Don't water down God's Word, or your faith. Live for God.   Find Joy in the Lord.  Find peace in the truth of God's Word.  God loves you, but His love will correct us when needed. God is also "OK" with us when we are allowing Him to lead us and not just trying to take advantage of His grace.