Walk the walk

Iwas just looking at sports news and I wonder why you see some teams stuck in some form of neutral? Teams like Texas A & M, the Cleveland Browns and even my own TCU Horned Frogs after playing in last year’s national championship are leaning towards it right now. What’s up with that?

That takes me to something even more important is why do some Christians get stuck? 2 Timothy 3:7 says some people are “always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.” Dr. Paul David Tripp tells us, “Many people seeking guidance don’t actually need guidance. What they need is to faithfully obey what God has already revealed in His Word.” We’ve probably all heard that old saying, “The only part of the Bible you believe is the part you actually do.” I don’t really agree with that but I’m not feeling especially gracious today so what’s up with people that say one thing but do another? We used to call this hypocrisy now we call it fake.

We had dinner with one of the best Christians I know last night. He brought his mother along and we’ve known her for a million years and she claims to be a Christian.

We were sharing how our youngest daughter Klaire got married this summer (still can’t believe it) and this woman said, “She married a foreigner didn’t she?” And Klaire did, her husband who I call “Big K” because I can’t pronounce his name is from Israel.

Would a Christian ever say what she said? We love the “foreigner” according to the Bible (Leviticus 19:34, 23:22, 24:22, Exodus 23:9, 22:21, Deuteronomy 10:19, 27:19, Psalm 146:9, Hebrews 13:2, I could go on).

Can you claim Christ as Lord and Savior but speak in opposition to His Word and be in opposition to His Word (plus be against His own people)?

James the brother of Christ said, “Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?” (James 3:11) Of course not, right!

We don’t need guidance, do we? We just need to live out what we have already read. We don’t need one more sermon, one more Sunday school class, a tent revival, another camp meeting or yet another conference. We know it, we just don’t live it, or we just just don’t know it and if you fall into that category please stay after class and let’s talk.

If you are always learning but never letting the power of God’s Word to change you, to move you, to grow you, to bless you, to make you more like Jesus something is wrong. Too many are stuck in mediocr ity. Mediocr ity means not very good. Writer and lawyer Bob Good says, “Mediocrity is like turning the wine back into water.”

Just prior to 2nd Timothy 3:7, the Apostle Paul wrote that some people have “the appearance of godliness but deny(ing) i t s power.” In o ther words, these people Paul is talking about are not even Christians regardless of what they say they are. Like they say, “Boots in an oven don’t make them biscuits.” What I’m saying is if we are consistently in denial of truth, we should see a red flag.

Ken, what is all this about? I’m glad you asked. It’s about being the real deal, it’s about walking in a manner worthy of your salvation (Ephesians 4:1 & 2), it’s about no longer chasing something if you already have it. That something is the truth. Can I encourage you to walk the walk if you talk the talk.

He told me to tell you that.