You may have heard the commercial for the credit card that says “membership has its privileges.” Well, being in Christ may as well carry the same slogan. I would add, membership carries great responsibility!
I give a lot of thought to how I live because I profess to be a Christian. My desire is to live in a way that others will want to know Christ because of what they see in me. I want to honor God with my words and actions. I want to represent Him in a way that is glorifying to His Name. There are times I am successful at this. However, even after all this time my actions and attitudes sometimes grieve God and I fear more people are chased away than are ever drawn near.
God is so good to give me a limited view of my own depravity. I get too independent and begin to live my life indulging my own thoughts, beliefs and desires. I unconsciously stray from the goal of living life to glorify God. I know this is happening when I realize what is most important to me is having my own way rather than thinking about others. I start feeding my wants instead of thinking about how what I say and do or don’t say or do will impact people for or against Christ. “I” becomes all important and all consuming. When this happens my entire perspective on everything changes!
It is amazing to me how easily I can begin to display the rotten fruit of anger and impatience and pride. This is where God is so good. He lets me see just enough to know. I see enough to realize I have gone my own way. He enables me to repent and come back to where I belong.
It is disappointing to know my heart is so deceitful and still so full of self. I still have all these wants and desires that will lure me away from Him. Oh how clearly I can see this today! I wish I could always see it! When my faithless heart wanders I know it is the same as when the serpent asked Eve, "Did God really say..."
I pray God will help me to keep my heart fixed on Him.
Scripture says, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me" (Galatians 2:20).
This demands that I no longer live for myself. Being crucified with Christ says that I have died to all the worldly passions and desires (Galatians 5:24) and means that those things are literally dead to me.
Yes, membership has privileges, but is also has great responsibilities. I cannot indulge my flesh any longer. I have been bought with an incredible price. Others may live for self...I cannot.