Your 3rd grade child comes home from school in a less-than-joyful mood one day. When you inquire as to what is bothering them, they sheepishly inform you their ‘whole’ class got marched down to the principal’s office today to be ‘disciplined’. Apparently, the teacher had stepped out of the room for a minute or two to confer with a colleague after leaving a stern warning with the class to continue working quietly on their assignment, and anyone who acted up would be dealt with in a ‘quick and serious manner.

It did not take long before the entire class ‘acted up’ and things got loud and unruly quick; which prompted the teacher to cut her visit short as she stormed back into the room to bring order. As promised, she then lined the class up and marched them down to the office where they were indeed ‘disciplined’. Many of the kids returned back to the room, whimpering in tears. Notes were sent home to the parents informing them as to what had transpired. Lessons learned, you thought to yourself and good for the school for reinforcing their rules regarding bad behavior.

But then you learn later, that there was one child who was not taken down and disciplined for the upheaval, even though this child was just as guilty and involved with the chaos that ensued. It was the teachers own child. And that struck you as being a bit ‘off’. Come to find out, this teacher had indeed shown unjust partiality with their child that day, even though they were just as guilty as the rest of the class. So how would you feel about that?

Is it possible that many believing ‘Christians’, some of who would have been the first to march back to the school and demand an explanation for this ‘blatant demonstration of injustice’ ...actually believe this is how God ‘deals with sin’ when it comes to ‘His kids’, thinking that we are no longer ‘punished’... ‘because Jesus took our punishment on the cross’? Yeah....I’ll give you a moment with that one, and you might read Hebrews 10:26-31 while you’re at it.

Truth be told, despite popular thinking/teaching in many churches today that is contrary to this...God’s ‘kids’ no longer practice sin (1 John 3:6; 5:18). Yes...you read that correctly. Romans 8:14 tells us plainly, just who God’s ‘kids’ are, and they are the ones who are ‘led by the Spirit’.  Galatians 5:16 brings to light that those who are indeed ‘walking in the Spirit...will not be fulfilling the lust of the flesh (nature), which is what ‘sin’ is. Those who continue living in this manner remain ‘hostile towards God, will not be subjected to His law, and will NOT ... enter the kingdom of God’. Once more -His words, not mine. (Rom. 8:7-8; Gal. 5:21; Matt. 7:23).

Paul even warns us to ‘be not deceived with empty words...for because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience’ (Eph. 5:6). You see, God’s children are ‘obedient children’ and do what is asked of them. (John 14:15; 1 Pet. 1:14; Luke 6:46)

I have to admit to you...there are times I feel like those flight attendants on airplanes who give those ‘safety talks’ and demonstrate procedures before the plane takes off. I’ve ‘heard it a million times’, and usually I am asleep before the plane ever lifts off the ground. It’s easy to ‘tune out’ things we figure we have heard ‘more than enough’. I’m sure my postings here may be coming across like that for some, yet...I feel no ‘release’ to move on to other ‘topics’. I know my ‘assignment’ here and will continue to ‘sound the alarm’ as long as I feel compelled by His Spirit to do so.

While many unsuspecting church members anxiously await the arrival of a ‘rapture bus’ (my term), there is already an awaiting ‘ark’ bidding any and all to ‘enter by the Door’ (John 10:7; 14:6). I continue to refer to this ‘ark’ because Jesus made the case that the times leading up to the end would be like the days of Noah (Matt. 24:37-39) and there was only one door leading in to it where the ‘family’ would find peace and safety in the midst of the coming storm/flood. To be ‘in the ark’...is to be “in Christ”, and there is no other place where you will find peace and safety. It would seem that being ‘in Christ’ looks very different than what many have come to believe it ‘looks like’ (Gal. 5:24; John 13:34-35; Matt.24:12). Join me tomorrow?