John 13:35
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
I remember a time before I truly knew Christ. I was seeking Truth, but I didn’t know where to find it. I thought that all there was to Christianity was going to church on Sunday, maybe even on Wednesday too, singing songs at church, and trying my best to not sin. I had hardly seen many people live out a true Christian walk until my second year attending Texas A&M. I was lost for far too long, and I’m so thankful that I had friends who God used to bring me back to Him. But what if they hadn’t? What if those people believed that Christianity is about living a lukewarm life for Jesus, accepting Jesus at an alter call when they’re seven years old, and thinking they’re Christians because they went to a private school growing up? What if they didn’t seek a deeper relationship with Jesus every precious day they’re given? What if they didn’t have a burden for lost souls like mine was? I’d be just that — lost.
The other day, my friend invited me to use a free day pass to a new gym called TruFit. I took him up on the offer and we began our search for it. The man he had spoken to on the phone told him to go to the parking lot by the McDonald’s on Texas Ave. We went to the parking lot and searched all over, but couldn’t seem to find it until I looked over and saw a sign for TruFit on a small mobile building. He parked and went in to speak to the representatives. Obviously, this wasn’t the gym, but rather an office for TruFit. They directed us to the location of the actual gym on Longmire. We drove around Longmire for what felt like forever before the woman in our car (me) decided to ask for directions. I talked to a worker in a GNC store and he pointed us to the parking lot across the street around AeroFit. Cool. We went and found AeroFit, but no TruFit. We, again, searched all over without any sign of TruFit. We thought the AeroFit might actually be TruFit, but we figured they would have a sign that says “TruFit.” I suggested we try to find the TruFit located in Bryan, and he agreed. We pulled up to another AeroFit and realized what had happened. Our speculation was correct, but he wanted to make sure. He went to talk to some workers outside the building who told him that this location is currently closed, so there’s no way we can access that gym. We decided to just go back to the AeroFit on Longmire, but by this time it’d been 2 hours of searching. I became really weary from not eating much that morning, but decided to just hit a few reps on squat. It didn’t take long for me to get dizzy from a caloric deficit, so we called it a day and left. This event wasn’t in vain, though, because it taught me about the world of the lost and lukewarm Christians.
People who are of this world in search of something to fulfill them are lost, just like we were while looking for TruFit (the Truth). Worldly people turn to drugs, sexual immorality, excessive amounts of alcohol, money, success, or any other worldly pleasure to [unsuccessfully] satisfy their need for Truth. They become so separated from God, that their sins kill them spiritually, if not physically. Galatians 6:8 says, “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” When you seek satisfaction from the world, you lose your soul little by little until it’s gone. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Lost people are exchanging their souls for this world — money, fame, “freedom.” Their hearts are yearning to be filled and not become empty again, but they always do. John 14:13-14 says, “Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'” Jesus is all we need, whether or not we actually realize it. If you feel empty, depressed, lonely, scared, or unsatisfied with what the world has to offer, turn to Jesus. If you have the gospel hidden in your heart, seek out these lost sheep. You have what they need.
How will the lost find their way if they don’t have anyone to seek direction from? Those of us who know Jesus are supposed to be the Light of the world, the city on the hill that can’t be hidden. We’re supposed to have a sign on our foreheads in bold lettering proclaiming “TRUTH” so that no one can miss it. It should also be appealing. We should have hope, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, peace, joy, and LOVE through sorrows, tribulations, conflict, and everything else the enemy launches at us. Our lives should look different!! People should feel the fear of God when they’re with you because His presence is in you. The gym I was looking at hardly looked like a gym at all and it was labeled AeroFit. We call ourselves Christians on the inside, claiming we know the Truth, yet the life that others see is labeled something completely different, and they can’t tell by looking at us. Atheists think Christianity is a joke because we don’t portray ourselves as the body of Christ. We fight with each other. We aren’t generous, but we love our money more than we love those around us. We judge others and edify ourselves, or we envy others and hate ourselves. We’re prideful either way. Where is the Jesus inside us? Where is the Truth? Where is the Love? Who have you pointed to Jesus? Who have you invited into your life just so you could love them without seeking anything in return? Are you sure you even have the Truth for yourself?
Matthew 7:16-17 says, “You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You need never confuse grapevines with thorn bushes or figs with thistles. Different kinds of fruit trees can quickly be identified by examining their fruit.” People will be able to tell if you’re truly a Christian or not by the fruit you produce, or the way you live your life. If they can’t tell without you having to tell them, then are you truly a follower of Christ? Matthew 23:25-28 says, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” Are we what we say we are? You call yourself TruFit, but you’re actually AeroFit. You say you’re saved, but you’re not acting like it. Titus 1:16 says, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.” God wants us to be on fire for Him! We can’t be both cold and hot, making us lukewarm. We can’t just hear the Word on Sunday and feel good about ourselves for checking it off our list, then continue to live the same life we lived the 6 days leading up to Sunday. That’s detestable in God’s sight!! You can’t buy a day pass at the gym and call it a year-round membership. You must first buy the membership, and continue to renew it. Let me ask you, are you a member of God’s Kingdom? Have you humbly asked the Lord for forgiveness of your sins and asked for His help with repentance? Are you ready for the eternal membership?
A genuine relationship with God is like having a 24/7 gym, and if you want to gain strength, the only way to get it is to work out. Work out your spirit by picking up the cross and carrying it everywhere you go. It’s heavy and it hurts. No pain, no gain. Romans 5:3-4 says, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” We gain heavenly treasures through our suffering. Yes, salvation is a free gift, but you freely give your life back to Jesus in return. Our lives as Christians are actually a possession of God’s so that He can use us to recruit others into His family. If we’re not in tune with the Spirit and allowing God to be the Lord of our lives, then are we really Christians? We have a responsibility for the souls of those Jesus calls us to disciple. Matthew 28:20-21 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Don’t allow people to stay lost while they’re searching for the Truth. Hold up your sign and point them to Jesus. Their eternities depend on it.
Romans 12:12
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Disclaimer: I am not speaking against TruFit or AeroFit. Their staff members were very helpful and I was pleased with their service. I do not own the cover photo. Art by Delores Develde.
It's a Colorful Life 