How many times since you were saved have you run away, I don’t mean for a moment, those occasional thoughts that sometimes seem to last for hours, but I mean for weeks, months, perhaps longer. No more Bible reading, much less studying, no extra books taken off the shelves, books written by men of God, no prayers, requests, nothing, even stopping your church attendance. And I don’t mean because you decided to seek the pleasures of sin again for a while, (Heb. 11:25) which does happen to all of us, but just because you’re tired of God.
Sounds almost sacrilegious doesn’t it, but tell me, which is worse, doing what I just described or just pretending, just going through the motions because of feelings of obligations.
Here is where I believe many Christians are today, just completing the routine, the habit of church, of that certain time that has been set aside for Bible reading, for those extracurricular activities that we devote to the Lord. Far too many are not just men pleasers, (Gal. 1:10) but God pleasures, just for all the wrong reasons. Sunday morning is no longer a time to worship and seek His face, the joy is gone, or subdued so much as to be nearly invisible, then it becomes only a meeting place to catch up on the latest news and gossip, then after the realization that you are probably as close as you are ever going to get to God, it becomes an obligation, a burden, nothing more than a place to be on Sunday morning because that is where you are supposed to be.
Of course, by this time the Bible you once cherished is now not much more than a dust collector, and the worst part is that you do not even feel bad about this new life of yours. Here is why it can be so difficult to determine our salvation, or lack of it, the fire has gone out, and like those who marry on the grounds of infatuation, time turns to molasses, and we begin to doubt if we made the right choice.
Ponder this, how long does one need to be a prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) before one comes to the realization that perhaps they were not saved in the first place? Remember, the only reason the son in that account went back home was because he was dirt poor and destitute of all that he once possessed, he was hungry, thirsty, and saw no way out. He did not go back home because he loved his father, because he missed his family and friends, he did not even return because he cared for anyone or anything back there, he was just in dire straits and saw no other way out.
It makes one wonder about what it was like the day that he left with his bag of money, were there tears of farewell, or sideways looks of disgust. This is how you must look at your life if you are the person that this letter was written for, why you left is no wonder, we all have left, every one of us has deserted our Master for varying lengths of time. The question isn’t even why would Christ accept you back, you already know the answer to that, you are His child, and He loves you with an everlasting love. (Jer. 31:3) It isn’t why did you leave, or whether you will be accepted back, it isn’t even the call of the world, for that is not what you are chasing, it is why would you want to return?
What was it in your walk with Christ that wasn’t enough, what was missing, what do you want if you return? I do not mean to church, I mean why isn’t Jesus fulfilling what you think He should be doing. You were on fire, and now the fire is out, barely one warm coal at best. Here is where you must search your heart, and like it or not, you must look into your past and see, was I truly a repentant sinner or was it just a “good feeling.”
There was a song back in the 1920’s I believe, one of the lines said, “How are you going to keep them on the farm once they have seen Paris.” When the prodigal son went back home, he got his robe and ring back, things that his father had kept in hopes of that day, but more than that, he was accepted back just as if he had never left. He was offered nothing more than what he had before, in fact, he had less, but he was accepted just as if he had never left. He did gain something though that his brother possibly never knew, the knowledge that he was loved, even when he was gone. “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” (Luke 7:47)
Perhaps it’s time to pick up that Bible again, He is waiting, He never left, and you will see His love in a whole new light, forgiveness will be much clearer to you than at any other time in your life. Don’t expect any big rewards, just a hug and a “welcome back.”
