Can we take a moment here and ‘pull the curtain back’ from our hearts and maybe reveal something we all have wrestled with?

Meet me on the other side of this next verse which I will encourage you to read aloud, softly to yourself and I will then elaborate:

“As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts...be holy in ALL your conduct as He is holy...because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’.” - Peter (1 Pet. 1:14-16)

What if...just maybe...we don’t...’want’... to be ‘holy in all our conduct’...all the time, just yet?

Take a moment with that one, if you would please.

Is it possible this might be the ‘elephant in the room’ that we have not really wanted to address? -this idea of ‘wanting’ to be ‘holy’ which can only happen if/when we are truly abiding in Jesus. And whether we want to agree with or believe this or not, a lot of this boils down to our ‘want to’ factor.

I’ve heard on more than one occasion, where people I have known who have been ‘believers’ for many, many years say this very thing-where they don’t always ‘want...to abide’ in Jesus. And I totally understand where they are coming from because that is how I lived most of my Christian walk. That might come as a shock to some who read this ‘confession’, but it is true.

And here is probably the most significant thing I have learned these past three years since God ‘called me out of my tomb’ and began a new work in my heart: This gospel only works IF...we come to Him with All of our heart; and I mean...all of it.

Anything short of that...leads you down that wide path that many are traveling on which leads you in a ‘form of godliness but denies the power’ to work in you. (2 Tim. 3:5; Matt. 7:13)

This may be a painful read for you today if you dare to be honest with yourself and even more importantly...with God. But the sooner we deal with this ‘elephant in the room’, the sooner healing and revival might come to you as well. Do you want to abide in Jesus?

It’s one thing to ‘say’ you do. It’s another thing to actually take up that cross and begin to follow Him. “Many profess’ to want to know God and abide in Him, but by their actions and the way they live out their lives actually shows how they deny Him. (Titus 1:16). That’s probably why Jesus made it known that “not everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven but those who do the will of My Father in heaven...” (Matt. 7:21)

Do you recall how back in the OT when God led the people out of Egypt and took them into the wilderness (where their hearts were tested Deut. 8:2), God made it known what this walk with Him involved and how they were to obey Him in all things. The people lifted up their voices and were all in agreement saying...”yes...we will do all these things that the Lord has instructed.” (Ex. 19:8). And we know how that played out.

The story recorded in 3 of the 4 gospels of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus typifies, I believe, where so many sincere believers find themselves today and where their hearts are at: They have no problem ‘running to Jesus, kneeling down before Him and expressing a desire and interest in eternal life’. (Mark 10:17). They are even quick to remind Jesus of how they have ‘done all these things’ since they were young, sort of like those people we read about in Matt. 7:22. (Mark 10:20)

So when Jesus takes them at their word and draws closer to them, which is what we are told God will do when we draw near to Him (James 4:8), something remarkable begins to unfold. Coming to the light has a way of exposing things in our hearts/lives that are not always pretty. Do you remember what Peter said when he had that first ‘aha moment’ with Jesus? He begged Jesus to depart from him given his sinful condition. (Luke 5:8). But let’s read on to see how Jesus responds which should encourage all of us: “And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” (10)

Remember, Jesus did not come to condemn us, nor shame us. (John 3:17). He came to save us.

But let us not overlook the most important truth in this exchange with Peter and those who were with him. We read “So when they had brought their boats to land, they - forsook all - and followed Him.” (Luke 5:11)

They. Left. Everything. Behind. And. Followed. Jesus.

Going back to the story of the rich young ruler...May I ask: was he willing to ‘forsake all’? No doubt, he seemed to have lived a ‘good life’, knew the commandments and showed respect to Jesus. He came so close to ‘entering in’ but then...he balked. The light of God’s presence revealed something in his own heart that he was not ready to surrender. And he knew it. Which is why we read how ‘when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.’ (Matt. 19:22)

Let me tell you upfront, this is not about forsaking boats and possessions. That’s not to say at some point God might test your heart if you are prone to being materialistic and filled with greed and covetousness, but Jesus is more interested in dealing with the real issues at hand and removing those things that defile our hearts. (Mark 7:18-23)

And truth be told, many of us tend to follow the path of that young ruler when God’s word begins to expose those areas in our heart and we discover that we are simply not quite ready to ‘give them up’. This should come as no surprise to us given what Jesus shared about the condition of men’s darkened hearts: They simply won’t come to the light because their deeds are evil and they love the darkness more than they love the light.’ (John 3:19-21)

We just don’t seem to have that ‘want to’ factor working for us. And I would go as far to submit to you the reason why: The majority of us have been taught that we don’t have to come to Him with ‘all our hearts’ and that we can continue to live with that excess baggage and God is just fine with it. You know, you can “accept Christ as Savior” without having to surrender to His Lordship. (Luke 6:46). We’ve simply not been told the ‘full story’ of what this gospel entails; or as Paul said: “I’ve not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.” (Acts 20:27)

So you are not quite ready to give up and turn or repent from those things that defile your heart? Ok...that’s fine but let no one deceive you with empty words for because of these things, the ‘wrath of God’ comes and you shall in no way be allowed to enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Eph. 5:5-6; Gal. 5:21; 1 Cor. 6:9-10). His words, not mine.

Funny how hearing that truth can put things in perspective and change your ‘want to’ all of a sudden. I believe that might have something to do with the ‘fear of God’ which is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge. Oh, and what was Paul’s admonition there in 2 Cor. 7:1?

All of a sudden, that greed and pride and lust (or any of those evident deeds of the old man) lose their appeal when you begin to see the ‘bigger picture’. The fact of the matter is, one cannot truly begin to abide in Jesus until they are ready to surrender all to Him. Trust me on this one. That’s not to say you can’t be a part of the crowd that tags along when it’s convenient and Jesus is feeding bread and fish to the multitudes; but that is not abiding in Jesus.

It honestly amazes me to finally discover this truth that has been quite liberating for me, personally. He changed my ‘want to’. He asked me to turn from all of that which defiles, and in turn replaced it with a joy and peace that is inexplicable. I want...to please Him in all things now. And one simply cannot do that if they remain carnal and want to hold on to any of that carnal flesh nature. (Rom. 8:7-8)

Jesus said that “IF...we love Him, we’ll do what He says”, as in ‘keep His commandments’. Once we fully turn to Him, it is then that we begin to experience the power of this gospel working in our lives. I read a great quote recently by Leonard Ravenhill that said “Everyone wants to be clothed in power but nobody want to be stripped of self.” Jesus was not endued with power until after He demonstrated and proved that God has ALL His heart. (Luke 4:14)

When you truly begin to abide in Jesus, something significant changes. It is no longer a matter of ‘having to do these things’, rather you ‘want’ to do those things that please Him. And it really is not a struggle to obey when you are surrendered to Him. Remember how Jesus called out those Pharisees in John 8 telling them they were ‘children of the devil’ and they ‘wanted to carry out his desires’. (44). Yeah...that is pretty blunt.

And yet...and yet...and yet...listen to what Jesus poses to that invalid who was incapable of ‘walking the way he was created to walk’: Jesus asked him: “Do you want...to be made well?” (John 5:6) Again, one more time, please read that question Jesus asked that man.

Do you know how those who abide in Jesus are ‘supposed’ to be walking? Just like He did. (1 John 2:6).

Are you going to be like that lame man in John 5 and offer up petty excuses as to why that is impossible to do? Or do you want ...to be made well? And guess what? It does not take a life time of struggling to learn how to do this. Jesus told that man to ‘take up your bed and walk’. “And immediately...the man was made well.” (8-9)

So where is your ‘want to’ this morning?

 I’m going to ‘close that curtain’ back up now and let you have some time alone with the Lord. Good things await...to those who ‘want’ true transformation.