I was doing some work last week and I had the opportunity to talk to a friend of mine about why she had a problem with Christianity. Any religion, for that matter. What she told me ended up boiling down to this: she was sick and tired of watching today's Christians. There were people in her life that professed to know Christ, yet would do things like drinking, smoking, fornicating, etc. These people would party on Saturday, yet openly praise and worship God on Sunday. It disgusted her, and in turn helped to influence her opinion of true Christianity.

I had to tell her that I could not blame her. I mean, think about it. How seriously would you take a Ford salesman that drove a Chevy to and from work? Would you really take the word of someone advertising Burger King who only ate food from McDonalds? Of course not. Yet somehow, we as Christians often live as though our actions don't matter. I lived away from God for so long...and the entire time I knew that I was hurting myself. It never dawned on me that I was potentially sending people to hell. And yeah, that's what it boils down to. If a Christian's actions turn someone away from the saving grace of Christ and that person dies and goes to Hell...how could it not be our fault?

Romans chapter 10 stresses the importance of sharing the gospel. See, people cannot come to the saving knowledge of God without hearing about it. As Christians, we all share the responsibility of getting the Word out. I'm not saying that every one of us is called to preach, teach, or pastor a church. What I'm saying is that our actions should also be our testimony, in conjunction with our words. We are told in 1 Corinthians 10:31 that "whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God". To do anything else is sin, guys.

Now let me tell you about another person that I got to talk to this past week, one that is like many people that I talk to. This one told me that she was simply tired of falling spiritually, seeking forgiveness, living right, and then falling again. She was tired of the cycle, tired of failing God. Tired of letting Him down, only to run right back to Him for His loving forgiveness. So because of this, she was just going to stay away from Him for a while.

I don't know about you guys, but I have been there. More than one I have been disgusted with myself for doing something stupid and then having to talk to God about it. It especially got under my skin when it was the same problem, over and over again. But you know what? He still loved me. And this is something that I have a hard time wrapping my mind around. I can sin against my Almighty God...yet with a true, heartfelt repentance I can have my walk with Him restored. In fact, not only will God forgive me of my sin, but He says in His Word that He will forget my sin.

Psalm 103:12 says "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us". There is a reason that God said east and west instead of north and south. See, you can travel north for quite a while, but you will eventually find yourself actually heading south. However, you can travel eastward or westward indefinitely. When we know that we've sinned, sincerely desire to regain our communion with God, and repent...than everything is behind us. Yes, we may have consequences to our sins, but God will not allow forgiven sin to come between us and Him.

A great example of this is found in Luke chapter 15, verses 11-32...the story of the prodigal son. In this parable there is a young man who demands that his father give him his inheritance. His father does so, and the man goes out and wastes every bit on what the Bible refers to as "riotous" living. Once broke, the young man finds himself feeding pigs and even eating from the same slop that they were. He had truly found himself at rock bottom, a place where many of us today find ourselves.

It dawns on the young man that even his father's servants have plenty of food to eat, so he decides to go apologize for his actions and beg his father for a job. Now here's the amazing part. Verse 20 says "And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him".

The man's father was watching for him. Not only that, but the father didn't hold the young man's actions against him. In fact, he threw a feast to celebrate his son's return.

God is the same way. He cannot make us return to Him, but He will wait. And when we're tired of doing our thing, tired of running from Him, He will be there waiting to envelop us with open arms.

Now connect the dots here...so often we think that God is tired of us, or frustrated, or angry, so we hide. In the process we create a gulf between us and God. We become unhappy and will eventually find ourselves in the proverbial pigpen. At the same time, our unsaved friends look at our godless actions and lifestyle, and they toss the idea of Christianity out of the door.

All this...for what? God still loves you, and He is still waiting for you to come back home. What's stopping you? What is making you ignore the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit? Is it worth it? God wants to hug you and welcome you back. Will you go? Don't wait until your life hits absolute rock bottom. Cause I can assure you, it will. Get things right today.

Previous editions of this series:
* - Edition 3--Oct. 24
* - Edition 2--Oct. 13
* - Edition 1--Oct. 4

Photo Credit: Blake Fought