He was actually referring to an actor who was portraying the role of Christ in a popular drama series. And I will say, the actor really does a great job ‘acting’ in this well-written scripted role. And it was this follow up statement he made that I want to address here today.
As I said, having only met this man for the first time, I have no idea of what is in his heart or how he lives his life but he alluded clearly to the fact that his own life was not worth pointing to. He used the expression: “Don’t look at me, I’m a mess.” Instead of looking at me, look at this character role an actor is playing if you want to see what Jesus looks like.
The other individual who I have known longer seemed to nod or echo in agreement a common assessment amongst Christians today that-‘ Yes, he too was a sinful mess but thanks be to God for what Jesus did for us.’. I have a feeling some of you reading this today might be nodding in agreement whispering a ‘yes’ or ‘amen’.
Let me say up front that I am not here to judge either of those two men or anyone who might be in total agreement with this mindset. And while I do understand where they were/are coming from, as many, many professing believers would also chime in and agree with this statement…something hit me in an odd way. I would liken it to eating a bowl of oatmeal or something soft and your teeth then bite down on something quite hard and rock-like and you pause because you know whatever that was, should not have been in there.
So are you ready to be made to feel uncomfortable with this post today? Possibly even offended? I hope you will bear with me on this as I honestly believe it is the crux of what God is trying to awaken us up to in this time we are living. As always, please give this prayerful consideration and follow up by studying the scriptures I offer up as well.
IF you have been a ‘believer in Christ’ for a ‘significant’ period of time, and you too would admit that while as much as you love and believe in Jesus, your life is “still a mess’, can I humbly ask you….’Why’?
Why is your life still…a mess, to the point where you cannot utter the same invitation that Paul stated when he wrote to the Corinthians to “Follow me as I follow Christ” (11:1) Another translation reads: “follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.” Or how about this one: “Be imitators of Christ as I am of Him.”
Paul would use this same phraseology when he wrote to the Ephesians admonishing them to “Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, (Eph. 5:1-2-Amp)
Suppose you hired a cleaning crew to come clean your home where you had hosted a large party the night before that had left the place nearly uninhabitable. You were quoted a price for the 8 intensive hours of effort it would require to get the house back to normal. What would your reaction be if you popped in to see the progress after 7 hours and upon walking in to inspect, it was clear the house was ‘still a mess’? Would you be concerned? Would something ‘seem off’ to you?
Or would you accept any flimsy excuse the crew might offer up as to why the house still looked pretty much the same as it did when you left. Maybe some work was evident but no way would it be completed in the remaining hour.
Friends…I think this is the problem with the condition of the church today.
Jesus is coming back for a church that has been ‘washed’ and made clean and is ‘pure and blameless…without spot, stain, or wrinkle’. (Eph. 5:26-27)
And the church at large is quick to admit: “Oh…don’t look at me, I’m still a mess!”.
I don’t know what excuse that cleaning crew might have offered up to you, but here’s the common one so many believers are quick to toss up: “Oh…don’t look at me, I’m a mess but thank God for Jesus because of what He did on the cross…His work is complete and all I need to do is profess my faith in Him and I too reap the benefits of what Jesus did for me.”
Folks…here is where this gets … difficult. Here is where the big ‘disconnect’ has occurred. Yes, Jesus took His last breath uttering the phrase: “It is finished”. And He died…was buried…and of course three days later the stone covering His tomb was rolled away and He walked out of the grave. He finished…what God sent Him to do. He came and laid His life down for us and showed us the way to be reconciled back to God our Father.
But simply saying you ‘believe in your heart’ and ‘uttering with your lips that you believe Jesus is the Son of God’ does not mean the work IN YOU is ‘finished’.
(I know, some of you just spewed coffee all over your screen.)
If that was the case, then why would Paul have expressed that “having confidence of this very thing, that he who has begun in you a good work will complete it…” (Phil. 1:6)
IF the work in you was already ‘completed’, then why would Paul express concern and even have ‘birth pains’… “Until Christ is formed in you”? ( Gal 4:19)
If everything was ‘settled’ when you ‘professed Christ as savior’ so many years ago, then why did Jesus say “Those who endure to the end shall be saved”? (Matt 24:13)
Or how about this address to the Church at Sardis in Rev. 3:2-3 “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect/complete before God.”
Take a look at Col. 1:21-23; 1 Cor 15:1-2; James 1:25. My goodness, while you are looking these up, take out your highlighter and mark Hebrews 3:7 – 4:10. We are warned to ‘fear lest we fall short’ of entering in to His rest like those who fell in the wilderness due to unbelief and disobedience.
Here’s the heart of the issue: IF we are Not abiding in Him, then no work is being done.
“Why do you call me Lord and not do the things I say to you?” (Luke 6:46). IF we are abiding in Him, then the blueprints of scripture suggest clearly that you are ‘walking just like Jesus walked’ and ‘do not sin’. ( 1 John 2:6 & 3:6). Romans 8:29 tells us clearly, as does the whole chapter support, that those who are no longer living for the flesh but being led by His spirit are the true sons of God who are being conformed to HIS image and likeness.
Paul had to speak sternly to a group who were ‘still carnal’ in their faith, and should have been partaking of the ‘meat’ yet were sadly still ‘on milk’. (Heb 5-6) He had strong words of warning to them to get it together or else.
I know we were ALL a huge mess before we came to Christ. But **News-Flash** - He came to clean you up. And not with a light dusting either.
Recently, a dear friend/brother in Christ sent me a text with something God had made real to him while studying that morning in the bible. He wrote: “A Christian claiming no good in me is denying the Spirit’s work in us. Or, has not died to the sinful nature at all.”
Why would anyone else want to ‘follow our Jesus’ if we profess to still be a ‘mess’ or ‘sinner’? Is that not an indictment or black eye on the ‘finished work of Christ’ who came to make us a new creation? IF you are still a ‘mess’ like the house you popped in on in the example I used earlier, may I point you to 1 John 2:18: “Beloved, even now, it is the final hour…”
Like the sleeping virgins in Matt. 25, God is trying to awaken us…there is still unfinished business or work to be taken care of…and it is not in Him. It’s in us. Matt 25:10 reads: “Those who were ready went in with him (bridegroom) to the wedding and the door was shut.” Yes….this is as serious as it sounds.
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