A Post By a Former Lukewarm, “Sunday Christian.”

Today’s Monday Men’s post is about something that, unlike my posts about Facebook or smoking, usually does not get very many people interested.  But I am still going to write about it – because it is far more important than Facebook or smoking.

For my entire adult life I have been a Christian, but I have not always been a “living Christian.” My lifestyle was no different from the unbeliever. I was not involved in church life, if I was involved, it was begrudgingly done. I smoked like a chimney, drank like a fish, cursed like sailor, I was selfish, sinful and what I like to call a “Sunday Christian.” Oh but I never took the Lord’s name in vain, I never worked on Sunday, and I could tell you the basics of the Christian faith, I could recite Lord’s day 1 of the Heidelberg Catechism, I could recite the 10 commandments and the apostles creed so I must have been a good little Christian…right?  Wrong. I was the epitome of a Lukewarm Christian – the one God would spew out of His mouth.

I know your works: You are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

I have been asked by both believers and unbelievers alike, “What changed in you?”  “How come you are so different now?”  I have even had Christians accuse me of having insincere motives saying that no one changes like that.  I do not take it personally, because I see in them where I was just a half decade ago. I did not believe that anyone could be that way either. No, I did not decide in myself to change – and even if I did choose to change, I would not be able to maintain a change by myself. I am far too weak and sinful!  No, I did not change myself.   God was always there, guiding and leading me, so it was not God that changed either.  My churches Form For Baptism states:

When we are baptized into the Name of the Father, God the Father testifies and seals to us that He establishes an eternal covenant of grace with us. He adopts us for His children and heirs, and promises to provide us with all good and avert all evil or turn it to our benefit.4

When we are baptized into the Name of the Son, God the Son promises us that He washes us in His blood from all our sins and unites us with Him in His death and resurrection.5 Thus we are freed from our sins and accounted righteous before God.

When we are baptized into the Name of the Holy Spirit, God the Holy Spirit assures us by this sacrament that He will dwell in us and make us living members of Christ, imparting to us what we have in Christ, namely, the cleansing from our sins and the daily renewal of our lives, till we shall finally be presented without blemish6 among the assembly of God’s elect in life eternal.

Third, since every covenant contains two parts, a promise and an obligation, we are, through baptism, called and obliged by the Lord to a new obedience. We are to cleave to this one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to trust Him, and to love Him with our whole heart, soul, and mind, and with all our strength.7 We must not love the world8 but put off our old nature9 and lead a God-fearing life.10 And if we sometimes through weakness fall in to sins, we must not despair of God’s mercy nor continue in sin, for baptism is a seal and trustworthy testimony that we have an eternal covenant with God.

God never left, he never forsakes his promises.  So what happened? I had essentially forgotten about the Third part – my obligation.  So, how did I change? God happened. He changed me.  He spoke to me through His word, and awakened in me a Love for Him and for my neighbour.  But it does not stop there.

The change persists by living in the Word and living in Prayer.  If we do not live in prayer we have no power. Let me say that again – If we do not live in prayer, we have no power.  God does not tell us to pray at dinner time.  God does not tell us to pray at bedtime.  Or at the beginning of meetings, or first thing in the morning.  Let me clarify, all these are good times to pray, but it seems too often that these are the ONLY times we pray! In fact, this is what he wants of us;  

Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Pray continually!  THIS IS GODS WILL FOR YOU! Pray always! LIVE in prayer, Live in communion with Him, rejoice!  Give thanks in EVERYTHING!  Do you understand now?  That change in me has nothing to do with my strength; rather it has everything with HIS strength! Do not expect great things to happen in your life, or your kids’ lives, or your spouse’s life or for renewal in the Church, or for anything if you are not fervent in prayer!  This is God’s will for you and me.

Said of the evangelist Charles Simeon by a close friend:

Never did I see such consistency, and reality of devotion, such warmth of piety, such zeal and love…Invariably he arose every morning, though it was the winter season, at four o’clock; and after lighting his fire, he devoted the first four hours of the day to private prayer and the devotional study of the Scriptures…Here was the secret of his great grace and spiritual strength. Deriving instruction from such a source, and seeking it with such diligence, he was comforted in all his trials, and prepared for every duty.

That is beautiful.  4 hours devoted to prayer and devotional study of the scripture.  That puts me to shame.  I get about an hour per day of devotional time.  What about you?  Yes Simeon was a minister of the word, whose vocation was to live in the Word.  But look at your life – how much time do you waste with video games or TV or reading trashy novels or sitting on Facebook?  Enough, I bet, to spend at least 1 hour per day in prayer and devotions.

Let’s look at Charles Spurgeon:

He taught his people to pray, doing so far more by his example than by any preaching. People heard him pray with such reality that they became ashamed of their own mere repetition of words.” Throughout his entire ministry many hearers remarked that they were moved by his preaching, but yet still more affected by his praying. D. L. Moody after his first visit to England, being asked upon his return to America, “Did you hear Spurgeon preach?” He replied, “Yes, but better still I heard him pray.” A close friend of Spurgeon’s, commented on his prayer life, “His public prayers were an inspiration, but his prayers with the family were to me more wonderful still. Mr. Spurgeon, when bowed before God in family prayer, appeared a grander man even than when holding thousands spellbound by his oratory.”

Men, do you want to change?  Do you want to be a living Christian and not just a “Sunday Christian?  Are you where I was just a few short years ago?  It is so simple. Read the Word and pray.  Pray continually. Memorize scripture.  Invest in the relationship with your Heavenly father, your family will thank you.  You will not become “holier than thou;” on the contrary, if you are sincere in prayer and in devotions before God you will become even more humble, aware of your sins, relying on the strength of Jesus Christ.

So, about the change in me. I still struggle against the same weakness’, sins and temptations, but now I rely solely on the strength of Christ and not my own.  That is the change. And it is so sweet. Join me in prayer won’t you?

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you