GENUINE CHRISTIANS MARCH TO A DIFFERENT BEAT

Henry David Thoreau wrote in Walden (1854): “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.”

I prefaced the title of this blog with “genuine” because there are multiplied millions of people around the world who call themselves “Christians” who bear faint resemblance to what true Biblical Christianity looks like. Please understand that I am not looking down my self-righteous spiritual nose at all of the hoi polloi (the great unwashed) who are far less holy than I. I will never forget, and sometimes in my writings, refer to something my pastor at the time, John Lindell, said in one of his sermons. It was something to the effect: “I am the worst sinner I know because I only know my heart. I can’t see into your heart.” Truth be known, there is not one of us who would want others to know some of the thoughts and desires that at times we are at war with within our hearts. Jeremiah himself declared this in Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

I’m just a fruit inspector. It’s not a title I claim, nor is it intentional in nature. It’s just reflection on the actions of people who claim to be “Christians” while their lifestyle is literally at odds with sound Biblical doctrine and values. I have a sincere heaviness of heart for the many who have been deceived into thinking that everything is right between them and God, when in reality they are presenting an idol-image of Christ to the world, one of their own making.

God’s values and the world values are, for the most part, at the opposite end of the spectrum. Jesus taught us to “put others first.” The world says, “Look out for number one.” Jesus told us, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures here on earth…”. The world says, “The ones who die with the most toys win.” Jesus said, “Love God first and others second.” The world says, ‘We can’t truly love others until we learn to love ourselves.” In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, Jesus shared some kingdom values that are hard, if not almost impossible to do, in the natural. If someone strikes you on the cheek, turn to him the other one. “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy; But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, To show that you are children of your Father Who is in heaven…”

The reality is, we who are God’s children are constantly in a war with the world’s values. Speaking of war, HBO made a miniseries based upon a story of an American World War II hero and the men that he led into battle. It was called “Band of Brothers.” Not having actually been on a battlefield myself, please forgive me if what I’m about to write is viewed as offensive by those who have fought and shed blood in actual battle. I would totally understand if you were to think it very presumptuous of me to even suggest that I might have any idea what fears you faced and conquered. I have complete respect and admiration for those who have endured the horrors of war. Having said that, I would imagine three of my greatest fears would be: 1. Being a coward and letting my brothers down. 2. Being maimed or killed in battle. 3. Being captured and held as POW. I would like to focus on number 3.

From what I have read, the mindset of most soldiers is never surrender. I am thinking of one of the most famous speeches ever made by an American hero, Patrick Henry. From it we have the well-known phrase, “Give me liberty or give me death.” He was saying, “I would rather be dead than live under the rule of the king of England.” And yet in the spiritual realm, that is exactly what the King of kings and Lord of lords demands of us – total surrender. When we hear his demand the self-life within us rises up and declares “Never surrender.” We want what we want, and we don’t want anyone telling us what to do. We become prisoners of self - we bow before the throne of self. Jesus demands total surrender to him so that he might free us from the tyranny of self.

Paul, writing to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:2ff says, “For men will be lovers of themselves…”. The root of self-love produces a horrible crop. Because they love themselves they become “lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…”.

The history of World War II gives us another vivid illustration of what it will cost us to be set free from our prison of self. It was called the “Bataan Death March.” There were 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war who were marched 65 miles to a prisoner of war camp. It was a brutal march in which thousands suffered horrible deaths.

What I’m about to say may shock you, but Jesus is leading us on a death march, and it will last until we die. There is a great difference between the death march Jesus takes us on, and the Bataan Death March. One was marked by cruelty and hatred and it lasted 9 days. The death march that Jesus leads us on is remarkably different because his is motivated by love and kindness; a love so great that he took the death march for 3 ½ years which culminated with his death upon the cross. He died so that he could set us free from captivity to self. Here are Jesus’ own words: “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. (John 10:10) We who are alive in Christ really do march to a different beat.