Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

I John

Through the Lens of Christ

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What if we lived our lives viewing everything and everyone through the lens of Christ? What if we saw others the way Jesus sees them, and only engaged in activities Jesus would engage in? How might our lives be different, and how might we impact the world for the sake of the gospel and the glory of our King? Every day, we do things to further our goals and desires.

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Humanity is nothing if not self-absorbed. From the time we wake each day, we are thinking about how we look, planning what we’ll do, and talking about ourselves to others. We live our life through the lens of what we want and we do it without even thinking about it. What if we got a bit more intentional about things and kept Christ front and center?

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The Things of This World

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The more you love the things of this world, the less you will delight in God. If the things of this world are more desirable to you than God’s Word, it’s time to reassess your commitment to Christ. When we come to Jesus, our old ways and desires pass away (2 Corinthians 5:17). We become a new creation with new desires and priorities. For most, this doesn’t happen overnight.

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We are creatures of habit, and we will not shed our sinful nature until Christ glorifies us with Him in Heaven. This means as long as we are on earth, we will continue to struggle against temptation (Romans 7:18-20). But those who have repented for their sins and bow before Christ as Lord will see a definite change in their affections. More and more, Christ-followers will find themselves drawn to the things of Heaven over the things of this world (Colossians 3:1-2).

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Pursuing Lies

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How long will we love what is worthless and spend our days pursuing lies? It’s a question King David asked concerning his enemies thousands of years ago and one that God is still asking of us today (Psalm 4:2). David asked it of his enemies, but I doubt anyone reading this considers themselves an enemy of God. How, then, can we explain why we are living our lives for such worthless pursuits?

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We declare ourselves to be enemies of God when we reject Him and pursue the things of this world  (James 4:4). Howl at that statement all you wish, but Jesus said those who aren’t with Him are against Him (Matthew 12:30). We can’t be for God and reject His commandments at the same time (John 14:15). We cannot serve two masters because we will love the one and hate the other (Matthew 6:24).

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Great Is Thy Faithfulness

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While rehearsing the classic hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness”, I found myself asking, “To what is God being faithful?” As I thought through all the ways God shows Himself faithful in my life, it occurred to me that above all, God is faithful to Himself. He is faithful to His character, which does not change (Numbers 23:19). The fact He never wavers to any degree is proof of His faithfulness.

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That He is faithful to Himself assures us He will always be faithful in kindness, goodness, mercy, grace, love, and even in His wrath (James 1:17). God’s faithfulness is great because it is reliable, trustworthy, righteous, and altogether holy. When we sing, “Great is thy faithfulness,” we are praising God for His unchanging character, unwavering love, and unstoppable power.

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Holy

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In the apostle John’s vision of Heaven, he records seeing living creatures around the throne of God who never stop praising the Lord (Revelation 4:8). Day and night they proclaim “Holy, holy, holy.” They praise God without ceasing. To be in God’s presence is beyond any of our imaginations. Yet for all who know Christ, we dwell in His presence every day of our lives. Why are we not compelled to praise Him every moment we have breath?

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When we grasp the reality of Immanuel, God with us, we cannot help but be in awe (Matthew 1:23). The problem is so few ever come to understand the gravity of Jesus dwelling within our hearts. The living God is on His throne at the very core of our being, but we go through our days as if we have no idea He’s there at all.

Some of this comes from the watered-down gospel and easy salvation that has been in vogue for the last century. The fall from a deep understanding of what the magnitude and sacrifice of Christ means for us to the modern “three-second prayer and you’re saved” methodology has been a long slow slide into where we find ourselves today. We no longer can conceive what effect the holiness of Christ has on sin. We no longer comprehend the weight of our sins (Romans 3:23) or understand the enormity of what Jesus did on the cross (Romans 5:8).

Every one of us deserves to spend eternity in Hell (Romans 6:23). Not a single sin can exist in God’s presence. His holiness is so pure that if we walked into His presence carrying even the smallest of sins with us, we would die in an instant. If it weren’t for the blood of Jesus covering our every sin (1 John 1:7), we could never approach God. Jesus paid it all, and indeed, we owe everything to Him. Jesus makes it possible to know God, to be washed, and to live for all eternity with Him.

Why do I rehearse all these things that you already know? Because while we have an intellectual knowledge of these facts, they have yet to penetrate our hearts. We don’t live like these things are true because we have a low view of Christ. If we didn’t, we would never allow a day to pass that we did not live full out for Him. We would never waste a minute of our lives chasing after the filthy imitation treasures of this world (1 John 2:15-17). Jesus is King of the Universe and He is King of our hearts (Revelation 19:16). Stop living as if He were just an accessory to your life.

If Jesus isn’t everything to us, then He is nothing to us. His holiness demands our obedience and devotion (1 Peter 1:15-16). In our flesh, we will never worship Him in perfection, but that should not hinder us from trying. Perhaps we would have more time to gaze on His face and declare, “Holy, holy, holy” if we weren’t so preoccupied with chasing selfish desires and seeking comfort, security, and entertainment (Colossians 3:2). What is it we’re living for, anyway? If it’s anything other than to glorify our Savior and Creator, then it’s worthless. All that matters is what we do for Christ. Only He is holy. And only He is worthy of our lives (Revelation 4:11).