“Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. Such people claim they know God, but they deny Him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.” (Titus 1:15-16 NLT)
Would you believe me if I told you I’ve made 5 eagles in a single round of golf? If you’re familiar with golf you’d probably laugh and tell me it’s never been done, but I’ve done it more than once…on my Xbox 360 Tiger Woods golf game (on easy mode 😊). But to translate that proficiency from a golf game to an actual golf course would be impossible for me. I’ve never in my life had an eagle and very few birdies.
What’s my point? Profession is a lot easier than practice! Even as a believer, it’s so much easier to profess intimacy with our Savior than to practice it. The fact is, intimacy with anyone, pure, spiritual closeness with another human being is rare. Please don’t confuse physical intimacy with heart intimacy even with another human being.
Profession of our faith should only grow out of our practice of spiritual disciplines that flow from a heart being transformed and conformed to our Savior’s likeness. That transformation begins the moment we yield our life and allegiance to the Lord Jesus, confessing our sin and seeking His forgiveness and the infilling of His Holy Spirit.
But it’s a journey that continues until we draw our last breath and are translated miraculously into the Lord’s holy presence. We’ll never be perfect, in the sense of flawless and sinless, in the same sense as Jesus was, as long as we’re in these human bodies, but that shouldn’t prevent us from constantly seeking to be better and more Christlike in every avenue of our being.
Mark Driscoll was on to something when he wrote: “Christianity is about what you practice, not just what you profess.” We must be very careful we don’t “oversell” our walk with the Lord. May the Lord protect us from professing that which we have not yet learned to practice in our walk with Him. What does that mean? What might that look like?
Just because I no longer struggle with ongoing lustful thoughts doesn’t mean I never have a lustful thought. What it means is the Lord has taught me to immediately shift my thoughts to something wholesome and good. He has given me verses, choruses, or hymns to which He will immediately redirect my thoughts. Or I’ll shift my thinking to my beautiful bride and the joy she brings to my life in so many ways.
Wherever you are in your walk with the Lord, I have two directives from the Lord. First, don’t give up. Regardless of how many times you fall, keep getting up. One day, I promise you, it will get easier if you’ll continually take it to the Lord and seek His help and strength. And, secondly, seek Godly friendships with others who have overcome what you’re seeking to overcome in your life. Someone who understands how you’re struggling and can empathize with your pain and failure.
Too often we want to feel superior, like we’re some kind of “super” Christian when the Lord delivers us from our sin, but His desire is just the opposite. He wants us to contribute every victory, not to our strength, but to His; not to our efforts, but to His work in and through us.
Constant practice puts “meat” on the bones of our profession and gives us greater and greater opportunities for praise, adoration and worship of our King.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 