“Next the devil took Him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ‘I will give it all to You,’ he said, ‘if You will kneel down and worship me.’ ‘Get out of here, Satan,’ Jesus told him, ‘For the Scriptures say, “You must worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.”’” (Matthew 4:8-10 NLT)
An undone life is a life being lived out of harmony with the plans and purposes of the Lord Jesus. To prioritize our own activities and desires above the Lord’s is to misunderstand our responsibility as a child of God. Worship isn’t something we do only on Sunday or in a corporate setting, but the intent of our heart in every activity of our day. Our life will only be as on course as our heart is in tune with our Savior.
Salvation is not a solo act, it’s designed to be lived in community, in harmony with others who are on their journey with Jesus. We learn from one another, protect one another, admonish one another, pray for one another, serve with one another, as well as worship with one another. The Body of Christ is a plurality of individuals whose lives have been bonded together by the love of Jesus for all eternity.
To try to live the life of a Jesus follower without commitment to and community with the Body is like our legs saying: “I got this! I don’t need any other parts of the body!” It’s ludicrous and blasphemous to isolate ourselves from fellow believers and have the audacity to believe we can be whole in Christ! Our wholeness grows out of our friendship, fellowship, and partnership with the other members of the Body of Christ, the Church.
Brian Kay had it right when he wrote: “… the normal Christian life becomes entirely undone when it is not lived in the presence of other believers, in regular acts of worship and service.” It makes sense to ask ourselves some questions regarding our walk with the Lord. For example:
1. How invested am I in reading, studying and memorizing God’s Word?
2. How involved am I in learning the ministry of prayer – as I pray for myself, my family, lost loved ones, fellow believers, co-workers, classmates, neighbors, others?
3. What is my strategy for reaching those the Lord has laid on my heart to reach for Him?
4. Have I learned a brief, but clear presentation of the Gospel to use with those with whom the Lord puts me in contact? For example: The Roman Road.
5. As I view my daily calendar and peruse my bank account, how evident is it that Jesus is the Lord of my life? How am I investing the time and money the Lord has given me to forward His eternal purposes?
Satan is a roaring lion who is always looking for ways to derail us in our walk with the Lord. He isn’t necessarily interested in having us “backslide”, he just doesn’t want the Lord to be our top priority. “Why can’t we just fit Jesus into a neat category like, marriage, work, recreation, etc.?” Because it’s all or nothing with the Lord. He doesn’t want part of us, He demands all of us – heart, mind, soul, and body!
That’s what love demands and there’s no short cut. To believe we can go “half-in” with the Lord is like believing we can be a star pitcher or quarterback and only show up for half the practices and games. If your life is undone, it’s likely because Jesus isn’t at the top of your “To-do” list. Put Him there and you’ll find a quality of life you never dared dream was possible. It’s an amazing thing to know Jesus personally, intimately, passionately. I highly recommend it!
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 