The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet. The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him. But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, And darkness will pursue His enemies.
Nahum 1:3, 7-8 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/nam.1.3-8.NKJV
We serve a righteous, holy, perfect God. He calls us to “be perfect as I am perfect”. He offers us forgiveness and healing and tells us to “go and sin no more”. He tells us that if we “sin willfully after having received knowledge of the truth that there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgement”. He tells us that “the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God”.
Over and over, He tells us that we are to pick up our cross and bear it, to follow in His footsteps, to turn away from evil and darkness, to love Him with every fiber of our being. And as if the price that He paid on the cross is not enough, as if the free gift of grace and freedom from sin is not sufficient, as if He “owes us” more – so many are not interested in a holy, righteous, upright, repentant life because we would rather have our sin and pleasure and things of this world.
Foolish, foolish men and women – lost and stumbing in the darkness – drunk on the temptations and idols of this world – speaking a name in prayer with their tongues to deceive themselves while proving their true loyalty, their true master, in the lives they live. Are you just playing religion? Are you just playing church? Are you just lying to yourself and others about who it is you serve? Do you not know the deep darkness of your soul? Do you not know that you are far from God? Do you not know that you are still dead and condemned in your sinful service and slavery to that other master?
Turn back to the Lord while there is still time. Do not be lukewarm or complacent or comfortable in the salvation that you are running this race to one day receive. Do not think that because you cannot be plucked from the hand of the Lord that you are allowed to remain in your wickedness. The enemy has no power over you – you are free indeed to make your own choices and decisions – you are no longer controlled by demons that overpower you – your struggle is against your own flesh nature – your trials are opportunities for His Holy Spirit to be manifest into this world through you as His will being done on earth as it is in Heaven – so you no longer have an excuse for your deciding to turn away from the Lord and run back into the darkness.
That sin of your past, bring it to your one and only advocate in Christ Jesus, and accept forgiveness and freedom – true freedom, to no longer be a slave to sin. Walk in a new life with Christ as your Lord and Savior. He is not your Savior if He is not your Lord. You cannot serve two masters. Choose today who you will serve, because if Christ has freed you, you are free indeed, Christian. Awake. Arise. Surrender your life as a living sacrifice – the inevitable result of true belief, of grattitude, of discipleship to Christ. Walk as a new creation, filled with the Holy Spirit of Christ who lives in you.
Trust in Him. Seek Him diligently in scripture, in prayer, in fellowship with other believers, in a dedication to learn His ways and followin His footsteps. Find Him manifest in your abundant life of love and service to others.
If He is not manifest in your life. If you are still living and serving darkness. Open your eyes to the truth of your blindness. Recognize your need for Him. He is waiting for you, friend. Leave the slip of the pigs and the vomit of the dogs and return to your Father’s house today.
Harold J. Ballinger 