Do As I Say, Not As I Do [Christian Style]

No matter who you are...skin color, gender, nationality, age...etc...you have been a hypocrite at some time in your life...

...the rest of us already know this about you...so you might as well look in the mirror and admit it yourself...take a deep breath and do it...

...didn't that feel good?...if not...just say it did with a smile and then repeat step one.

Christians can be notorious for the old "do as I say and not as I do"...this is due to the fact that we are sinners just like everyone else...and we should admit [confess] this...instead of trying to pretend that once we came to Jesus that somehow we became perfect...that day will come when we see Jesus face to face...but not before then.

Here is a hypocrisy I see in the church.

Jesus tells His people to preach the gospel to all nations!

The gospel message proclaims what Jesus has already done...Jesus has accomplished the work of salvation...its finished!

God became a man, lived a sinless life...and then as a innocent, perfect man...was willing to suffer and die as a substitute for anyone who was or is willing to trust in Him and follow Him...but the story isn't over...

...Jesus broke free from death's chains...proving He was the Sinless One...proving that God the Father accepted His sinless offering on behalf of His people...and proving that death had no lasting hold on Him...nor will it have a lasting hold on those who follow Jesus!

When we proclaim the gospel to others...we are saying "Go Jesus...and trust in Him for your salvation...the price for your sins has been paid...in Him!"

Because Jesus is the source of Life...and because the world is filled with obstacles that try and hinder people from coming to this source...Jesus focuses our attention to what it means to be His disciple...

Jesus tells us that if anyone wants to follow after Him...then He needs to put Jesus first...even over every other relationship in your life...your mom and dad, brothers and sisters, wife/husband, children...even your own life!

Jesus isn't playing games...He is telling us what is at stake...eternal life or death!

He is saying "I am God"..."I am salvation"...love your family...love yourself...but do not delude yourself into thinking that they are the source of life, happiness and blessings...the reason why they are any of these things...is because of what I did on the cross of Calvary!

Now here is the hypocrisy...we as Christians are willing to tell those outside the faith...that they should be willing to lay every other relationship aside...in order to come to Jesus!

We are NOT saying to lay them aside...but if it comes down to Jesus or anyone else...Jesus should win!

18 years ago, when I made this choice...it was extremely hard indeed! Having family totally think you are a freak...friends and associates totally misunderstanding you...and sometimes forsaking you...is extremely difficult...but God gives you the strength to press onward and upward!

But...how many Christians are willing to practice what they preach?!

How many Christians...when challenged with some of their "pet" beliefs...are not even willing to study books or articles that would teach them otherwise?

Why? Because they know that if they believed something different about "the end times", or about "baptism" or about some teaching from a different branch of Christianity...then their family would freak out...and life would become extremely difficult!

In the end...they are willing to tell the unbeliever...follow Jesus [The Truth]...even if it means hardship from every other relationship in your life...

...but they are not willing...to follow their [and Jesus'] own advice!