“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” Mark 12:30
Years of dating had finally culminated in the marriage of a couple much in love. Immediately after the reception and all the ceremonial customs, the husband longingly awaited the time he and his wife would be off together on their honeymoon.
He was taken by surprise as the bride announced, “You go back to our apartment, and I will see you in awhile. I want to spend some time with some of my old friends that I haven’t seen for awhile.” Off she went. Sad and bewildered, he returned alone to their apartment.
Several days later, she returned to him. “I thought you loved me, and we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. How could you have left me?” he sobbed.
“Oh, you’re making a lot of fuss over nothing. Of course, I love you; but we have our whole life to spend together. I don’t see my friends that often. By the way, we’re going out again, and going out clubbing tonight. I didn’t think you’d mind. I should be home before long,” she concluded.
“Clubbing? I thought you wanted to spend your life with me, and change your old ways. Why are you going out again? Aren’t I enough for you?”
Unfortunately, scenarios like the fictitious story above do happen. More often, tales like that exist spiritually in many Christian’s lives. People realize they need to be saved, and they get saved. After they have the confidence that they will miss hell, they return or get too close to the old lifestyle they had been convicted of and asked Jesus to deliver them from.
They promised, when they trusted Christ alone for their salvation, that they would be faithful to their new Lord; but soon they drifted away from obeying Him and made excuses for doing so. Reasons for not reading the Bible came between them and the Lord. Explanations for not praying, attending church regularly, or doing anything spiritual were easily offered.
Many would shake their head if the above account became a reality for someone they knew. Those same people do not see the connection, when they do a similar deed to the Lord they had trusted for salvation; and one they had promised to cherish and obey.
A new life in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17) promises to be one that will be much different than the one we had tried living before salvation. If you are saved, come away from the old ways, and live the new life as God has commanded. You promised to be faithful to Him, and live a life exclusively with and for Him. Isn’t He enough for you?
I believe it’s about commitment. Are we committed to our Lord and Savior? There is no and, ifs, or buts about it. It’s a requirement from God. We must obey.
Deuteronomy 10:12-13
And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
An adult convert has a lot to change. I look at my family members that I pray for to be saved and wonder at all the things that will change in their life. They are good people by the worlds standards. They have friends that are the same as they are. BUT , the truth is that no one truly washed by the blood stays the same. Further, when they progress and the Lord begins to sanctify them, they will become peculiar in the worlds eyes..thereby alienating them from their old life.
I have seen adults have an experience with Christ and not be able to do the hard stuff of putting away the old man and the old life. Some of you would call them carnal christians, I would call them lost…..No matter the terminology, my point is that for a lot of adults this is a very very difficult process. Some lose family connections, etc… These are things we, as Christians, are familiar with.
Parent’s, please take your children to church as soon as they can go…. and keep them there every time the doors open. Make Christ the center of your life. Let them see you praying, reading the word, and living out your christian walk in front of them. Do everything in your power to make sure they do not end up being the adult I described above. Have them sell out to God early in life. The world may pull on them, but most of them make it.
I believe everyone who gets saved goes astray at one time or another and if they claim otherwise then they fib .
Reminds me of the Israelites during the days of the Judges! Israel would be unfaithful to God and commit spiritual adultery and turn their backs on Him, yet when they cried out to Him, He was faithful to save them, only for them to turn around again and forget about Him again! It also reminds me of the devotion yesterday about being “lukewarm” for Jesus!