Complacent Christianity

       Complacency...... In your walk with Christ, it's a sin.  To the World, it's natural, accepted, okay, etc..  The World and Christ are on 2 different wave-lengths.  What do I mean?  Romans 2:12- "...be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds..."  Paul is telling us that when we accept Christ as our savior then we become new people.  No, we become new creatures.
      This all goes back to creation in Genesis.  When God created the Heavens, the Earth, Man, Plants, etc., He gave us "free will."  I don't think people understand that.  He allows us to choose.  He doesn't force us to choose Him.  He didn't program us like robots or take away our mental capabilities like zombies; He gave us the choice.  Choose Him or not it's up to us (sorry, I just had to get that off my chest [more on that in a later blog]).  Well, after the "free will" came mans fall from grace.  What do I mean?  God created man and spoon fed him everything (gave us a world to dwell in, didn't have to work for feed, even gave us company ["God's Gift to Man-Woman" another upcoming blog lol :)]), and then man chose to slap God in the face!  God gave man EVERYTHING we'd ever need or want, and only gave Adam one rule.  One: Do not eat of "the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil."  (Genesis 2:9)  Well along came the serpent, Satan (Revelation 12: 9 and 20:2) and tricked Eve, (God's gift to man) with scripture (Genesis 3:1-6) and Eve gave in (just like a woman haha just kidding ;) ).
        Once she did that she gave the fruit to the man, and Adam ate.  They had been given literally the world, and just spat in God's face.  Then they looked at themselves, and realized.....They were NAKED!!!  In our minds, we're thinking, "How did you not know that you were Naked?!?"  Here's the thing though, these two were innocent.  Just like when you're a child and don't know any better, Adam and Eve didn't know anything.  All they knew was what God had given them.  Notice that the tree was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  I believe that God placed the knowledge of good and evil in that tree (I don't think it was just a clever name, and if you want proof look at what happened after they ate of the tree in Genesis chapter 3), and so since they hadn't eaten of it before, they didn't know what good was and what evil was.  So then they here God coming and hide.  When God came, he asked why they were hiding.  They said because they were naked.  "Who told you you were naked?"  God knew first of all why they were hiding and what all had happened.  God knows all.
       God punished man after what they had done. He made it to where man could no longer not have to work for food.  We had to work.  He made child birth for women painful.  There were other ramifications, but you get the point.  We messed up, and now we had to be punished. This was the first sin.  Sin.  That's actually a very old archery term meaning "miss the mark."   Makes since, huh?  We missed the mark.  God gave us all that we needed, but we still messed up.  (There are a lot of questions about that I know, and they'll be addressed in  a later blog[for example, why did God allow this?  Why didn't He do that?  etc.])  I know that I keep repeating that, but it's true.  We failed Him.
       Now I said (well, typed) all of that to explain that the World is full of sinners.  Everyone is (Romans 3:23), and those sins will one day cause us to die (Romans 6:23).  Death is inevitable.  If you don't believe me, go and look at your local newspaper under the obituaries.  Turn on any news channel and just sit and wait.  If Death was really a skeleton figure with a robe and scythe, then it's robe would be stained crimson red and it's scythe would break after the deaths just in 2012 alone.  People are dying, and I would guess over 3/4ths of the people that are dying are going to Hell.  As Christians (meaning Christ-like) That Should Bother US!!! People are dying and going to HELL!!!  Yet it seems to me all I see is complacent Christians.  What do I mean exactly by that?  When I say "Complacent Christians" I mean those Christians that are comfortable doing nothing.  The word complacent means "pleased, especially with oneself or one's merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some potential danger or defect; self-satisfied." (from dictionary.com)  Notice that that definition says that you are pleased in the situation you are in and you are unaware of potential danger.  You're self satisfied.  When I talk about complacent Christians, I'm talking about the Christians that are in their own little corner of the world.  You're comfortable with just being saved.  You don't reach out to people because you've surrounded yourself with believers so there isn't anyone really to witness to, and the people you could be witnessing to you look down upon or barely even know.  You don't study the scriptures daily because "you're too busy" or "you did Sunday at church."  You don't go to God in prayer because you don't see a need too.  Everything is going ok in your life.  I ask you: is it?  Is it really?
        My favorite movie is called "To Save A Life."  It's a great movie about a high school kid who after his childhood bestfriend commits suicide at school begins to question if there is a God and if there is really more to life than just basketball games and parties.  The movie shows everything that high school kids face everyday: from alcohol to losing loved ones to going through a divorce, even sex.  When the kid, Jake Taylor, starts really wanting to know more about God he talks with the youth pastor of a local church and Jake tells the pastor that he's happy enough without God.  His life is fine.  The youth pstor tells Jake, "God wants so much more for your life than just 'fine.'"  Guys, if we're living for Christ, we can't be complacent.  We should NOT be ok with just fine.  Why?  Because like the youth pastor told Jake, God wants more for our life than just fine. 
       I think that if you really look at your life you'll see that it's not all that appears to be.  God's Word tells us that we can see His people by the fruit that we bear.  If you aren't bearing fruit, then you should seriously evaluate your relationship with God.  I'm not saying that you aren't saved by any means (Romans 8:35-39).  Once saved, ALWAYS Saved!!! (Same verse, and others)  It is possible for God's people to get wrapped back up into they're sinful ways from their past.  But, we can not stay there.  We must come to God and repent and get where we need to be with Him.  We must take up our cross DAILY for the cause of Christ.  He loved us enough to send His ONLY SON to die for us (MUCH more on that in a later blog). 
      Lack of studying is probably because of an abundancey of laziness.  You may just not want to study.  To that I have two words for you: Why not?  The Bible is a love story!  It's written to and for YOU!  God gave us His Word so that we can see how much He loves us, and has done it in a variety of genres.  There are stories of epic battles, romances galore, visions of the future, and mythical beasts that are field mice compared to God.  There are also examples of every single problem that we go through and how to deal with them.  From how to deal with people that hurt you, emotionally and physically, to how to choose a life partner (and how homosexuality is NOT an option), to small things like managing financing and how we are to follow mans laws unless it contradicts God's law (and that happens very little, by the way). 
         Not witnessing is a little more personal though.  The real reason most people witness isn't because they don't know any lost person, it's because they are afraid.  They're afraid of putting theirselves out there and getting rejected.  But why, I mean seriously?  Why would you not want to share what Christ has done for you?  He saved you from Eternal Damnation!!  He looked at you, and saw past all of the sin and shameful things that you've ever done and found something wonderful.  He erased the sin, and in its place put Himself.  We should want to be, and should be, telling everybody.  The Bible says that if we're ashamed of Him, He'll be ashamed of us (Mark 8:38, Luke 9:26).  Some people don't witness because they really do think that they don't know anybody that's not saved.  I live in a small town of like 3,039 people in it.  Now I too surround myself with good Christian friends, but I know for a Fact that not everybody in my hometown is saved.  If they were, I'd probably see a whole lot less fishing boats and poles attached to all of the pick-up trucks on my way home from church.  We've got to get outside of our comfort zones and Preach the Word (it's not just a pastor's job, another upcoming blog).  As Christians we're to proclaim His name everywhere, even the places no one else wants to go (Matthew 28:19).  
           Or maybe, you just don't know what to say.  You want to witness and tell people that Christ has done for you, but you just don't know how?  You have no idea what to say.  This ties into studying the Word of God.  If you do not study the Word, you won't know what to say.  People really don't think that reading the Bible is that big of a deal, but it is. (2 Timothy 2:15) We have to study to know what we're talking about.  There is nothing worse then an ignorant Christian (I don't mean to be offensive, but this is eternity and people's souls we're dealing with).  Not only does studying help you be able to witness but you grow closer with God Himself.  It's one thing to hear a preacher preach on Sunday mornings, but to read it for yourself and come to the revelation on your own is a wonderful feeling and it brings you closer to your Father.  Studying the Word of God equips you with knowledge that without it could send people astray, and possibly even Hell (the person chooses to accept Christ or not, but you help them along the way to make the decision).
             Look, I know this is long (ridiculously some may say lol), but this really is a big deal.  Complacency is not a virtue with God, it's a vice.  Imagine going to a firework stand and getting the biggest firework there. It's suppose to explode and be this huge display and confetti comes down and the little parachute guy sails down (haha).  You get home, have all of your friends over, get out in the front lawn, light the fuse, and then.........nothing.  Nothing happens.  It was a dud.  That's what being complacent in our walks with Christ makes us: duds.  We have to live like we have Christ guys, not just wear a name tag.  Study and witness for Christ.  Make that change known to people.  The World should just be able to look at us and see Christ before we ever open our mouths.  Don't be a dud for Jesus (yes, I will be ending my blogs with catchphrases lol).