For years, I was one of those guys who changed my own oil on all our vehicles. I had the ramps to drive the car up on, the pail to collect the old oil, the wrench to loosen the filters and the container to store the old oil. I even had a few old shirts and jeans that I wore when I took care of the dirty job that it was. I say ‘dirty’ because I rarely could get the task done without having grimy engine oil run down my arm because I was unable to get that plug out fast enough.

I have not changed my own oil for years as it dawned on me at some point in time that it was well worth it to drive in to one of those stations and pay someone else to do it. Granted, one of the reasons I did it myself for so long, like many people do...was money was tight for the longest time, and you just do what you have to do to save money. What is funny is even to this day, when Kathy, my wife, wants me to start getting rid of old, worn out shirts or jeans, I remind her that I might need to use those for ‘changing the oil’; which is usually met with a blank stare...that 'look' most husbands are familiar with.

I’ve changed a lot of oil over the years on numerous cars and trucks that we had and no doubt I saved some money given we had up to four drivers at one time living at home with each driving their own vehicle. And I do remember one car, in particular that we owned was a little blue, 5-speed Nissan that I got to drive back and forth to school when I was finishing up my college degree out at Commerce many years ago. I only bring this up because I think of it often when wanting to make the point I am working at getting to here today. :- ).

In order to unloosen the oil filter that was positioned in an awkward place to get to, like many often are, I found myself having to wrestle with the wire that connected to the oil pump to the indicator light on the dashboard. I finally just used to unplug, or disconnect it so to avoid fighting with it every time I changed that silly filter. When I was done screwing a new filter back on, I would just blindly, reconnect that wire and went about my day. I can tell you for sure, that I always made certain that I reconnected that thing because the oil pressure indicator light would not work if/when disconnected. Which means if I was driving down the road and lost oil pressure all of a sudden, for whatever crazy reason...I would have no way of knowing until the engine just locked up and shut down. Honestly, that thought used to haunt me. I’m no car mechanic but that is no small repair job if that happens. Here’s a PSA as an added bonus this morning in case you did not know this, but if your oil pressure indicator ever lights up telling you oil pressure has or is going down dramatically, pull over as fast as you can. Funny thing is...that has never happened to me once in all my years of driving.

Why so much time writing about changing my engine oil today? Well, as mentioned, I think of that car often and the little wire connection ritual I went through as it makes for a great analogy which I am about to share with you here now.

It is easy to make a profession of faith, claim to ‘trust’ and ‘believe in Jesus’. One can go through ‘many of the motions’ that accompany those who call themselves ‘believers’ or ‘Christians’. And if we are not careful, we can truly spend years ‘walking in a form of godliness’ that Paul writes about in 2 Tim. 3:5-7 and yet, not truly be ‘abiding in Jesus’. Which means we will come up short on 'bearing much fruit' and experiencing His power working in us to truly transform us.

What is alarming to consider is that many people probably started out, early on in their conversion, doing just that...abiding in Him. That would explain why they were overflowing with all that peace and joy as they sincerely had ‘given their hearts to Jesus’. But somewhere along the way, for a variety of reasons, (and I would point to misinformed teaching) people ‘drifted’ away from doing that very thing, abiding in Him. It’s an easy thing to do, you know...to ‘drift’. We are even warned about that in Heb. 2:1 and exhorted for all the more reason to ‘’give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard...lest we drift away”.

Drifting is a serious thing that happens to us and I say ‘serious’ because it is so...subtle and gradual. (Almost like losing oil one drop at a time, perhaps?)  You hardly even know it’s happening. I’m sure some of you have been out on a small boat or even an air mattress on a lake at some point in time and maybe you were distracted untangling some fishing line, or looking at your phone or even closing your eyes as you soaked in some sun rays...and when you looked up...you had...drifted much further away from where you...’thought you were’. Am I right, or am I right?

Do you recall one of the warnings Jesus issued to the church at Ephesus in those seven letters we read in Revelation 2-3? He was commending them on some ‘positive’ things that were happening or had happened among them, citing their being tested and persevering and having patience...(2:2-3)...but then here comes the ‘nevertheless’: “I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent...or else...”. (4-5)

This happens far more often than we probably care to admit. And the part about not even realizing it, until it is almost too late...it’s sort of like what happens if we get ‘disconnected’ from Him. That’s the scary thing that happens; almost like when the ‘oil pressure indicator light’ on my car no longer works because I had ‘disconnected it’. How would you even know if you were losing pressure...maybe even losing ‘oil’? And what is ‘oil’ a type or picture of in scripture? (Holy Spirit).

To ’drift’ or start distancing one’s self from Jesus in following, or abiding in Him, is not a good thing. You see, apart from Him, there is no life, not to mention no fruit. (John 15:1-5; 5:40). And that would explain what happens to many, many new young believers who are not taught what it means to abide in Him. “Just keep coming to church”, we told them; “Just keep reading your bible and pray harder”, we encouraged them. All those cute ‘one liners’ we dole out mindlessly...’a chapter a day keeps the devil away’ and nonsense like that might 'sound good', but you know as well as I do how lifeless even that can become.

It does not take long before that ‘light’ goes out as a person’s walk of faith flickers and darkens over time. And then they wonder why they don’t have that same joy and peace that radiated from them early on. Meanwhile, good ole ‘Deacon Downer’ chuckles to himself almost wanting to remind them “I told you that would happen”. Do you know why such people exist in churches today? They let their own light go out long ago and are jealous when they see a new convert ‘light up’ like that. They would never admit that I suppose, but I guarantee you I have been around long enough and have witnessed that on more than one occasion.

Do you know why the psalmist pleaded in prayer...”Restore to me the joy of Your salvation”? (Ps. 51:12). He lost it due to sin. (3-4). Why do you think the writer of Hebrews warns us passionately to “beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an devil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened...through the deceitfulness of sin.” (3:12-13)

That’s what ‘sin’ does...in such a subtle way...it hardens our hearts over time. It desensitizes our ability to respond to the Holy Spirit. I know you know what I am talking about here. How many times have you felt prompted to turn your eyes/ears/hearts away from something that was taking in things you knew full well you had no business ‘drinking’ from, and yet...something in you still longed for whatever it was you were feasting on. “Not now, Jesus...I’ll ‘get right’ later. Right now...this is what ...I want to do.” And why do we call Him, ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do the things He says? (Luke 6:48)

So over time, ever so slowly, we lose that joy and peace we once tasted of and walked in. Then sadly, you know what we end up doing to replacing it? We get busy with ‘works’...helping God out and doing all kinds of things...’in His name’. Maybe this would be a good time to go read, once more...not only Matt. 7:21-23, but also 1 Cor. 13:1-3. And getting ‘busy for God’ becomes a ‘default setting’ for us. It is what ‘religious’ people do when the don’t sense that divine peace and joy...that is supposed to not only be overflowing from us continually, but ever increasing and abounding.  What did we learn when Jesus visited the home of Martha and Mary? (Luke 10:38-42)

It just happens. And it actually can ‘take the edge off’ just enough...that we blindly think God has ‘blessed us with peace again’; when in reality, we start to experience that ‘false peace’ I talked about yesterday that the prophets of old warned us about might happen.

All that to say...if one is truly abiding in Jesus...you will know it every single time when you say something or do something...or even ‘think’ something (welcoming and entertaining thoughts) that does not line up to scripture and wholesome and godly living. You will...’bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ and casting down imaginations...’ (2 Cor. 10:5)

Have you ever stopped and gone back and re-read some of those things that Paul brings up that ‘should not even be named among’ professing believers there in Eph. 5:3-5? Maybe you should go look those up right now. Because so often, I’ll hear other professing believers say or do something and the first thought that comes to my mind (and I am not judging...simply observing fruit that comes from the abundance of the heart as their mouth speaks)...is “wow...it would appear that ‘wire is disconnected from the oil pump’. Because if it was connected...it seems like all kinds of red lights would be coming on.

To know Jesus...is to abide in Him. To abide in Him is to know His peace. When you sin, even in the slightest way...you immediately will sense a loss of that peace. This is how He chastens us. (Heb. 12) When you do sense that, you go before Him immediately and ‘search your heart’ (Ps. 51) and He is gracious enough to show you where you messed up. If you love Him, you’ll repent and turn from it. And the hedge comes back up and peace is restored. This is...the walk of salvation...and this is...the ‘path of peace’ that has eluded so many professing believers.

Know Jesus? Know Peace! No Jesus? No Peace! Hmm...that might make for a good T-shirt, you think?