Complacent Christianty

Robert Stewart | July 2023

"...And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart"

-Jeremiah 15:16

 

Main Idea: Take delight in God's Word! Be intentional with experiencing God's Presence instead of just knowing He's Present.

 

Do you take delight in Scripture? Sometimes reading Scripture can become rather redundant. The words can lose their sharpness even to the point of dulling the very verses that claim such power (Heb 4:12). For instance, John 3:16, Philippians 4:13, and Jeremiah 29:11 have been quoted endless times. Yet, how often do we embrace these verses to the point of "piercing the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart"?

 

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you..." -James 4:8

 

This lack of concern for Scripture instills a deep-rooted complacency for God's Word in our hearts. Ironically, our hearts become more hardened to God because we are inundated with articles, sermons, podcasts, bible study groups, church service, and even Scripture. How often has anyone completed any reading Bible reading plan in one year? Filled with a myriad of excuses, we somehow manage to binge-watch seasons of our favorite TV shows and many other endless forms of entertainment. This is why the easiest place to drift away from God is in fact being ever in His Presence, but seldom experiencing His Presence. The difference is truly remarkable. Even while writing this article, it's so easy to forget that this is all about having a deeper relationship with Christ. We are prone to wander like lost sheep even when we know our Shepard. Yet, God remains steadfast in His Faithful love for us and constantly calls us back into union with Him, especially through His word (Isaiah 44:22; Luke 15:1-7; 2 Tim 3:16)

 

"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet." -Matthew 5:13

 

I am asked by people, "Which book of the Bible would you recommend that will come alive to me?". Or, for skeptics, "There are so many differing opinions of the authenticity of Scripture I have a hard time accepting it." To both groups, the answer remains the same because both stem from the same issue: complacency. Few people are intentional with their bible reading, which places them on the same level as skeptics or deconstructionists. Let us not lose our salt. Let us conclude the matter of not being complacent Christians with God's Word by remembering why intentionally reading Scripture is so important:

 

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. -Colossians 4:6

 

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." -2 Timothy 2:15