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BETRAYING CHRIST
BETRAYING CHRIST (Part 1 of 2)
“While they were reclining at the table eating, [Jesus]
said, ‘I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me--one who is
eating with me.’"
(Mk. 14:18)
Jesus was
referring to Judas’ cold-blooded plan to hand him over to the authorities; a
plan bathed in hypocrisy.
We easily point the finger at Judas and distance ourselves from him.
How could he travel with Jesus, steal from the purse, and plot his demise
behind his back? We would never do that.
Yet many of us who profess commitment to Christ betray him by our lives.
Here is how we do it:
We betray
Christ by rejecting his authority over our lives:
"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,'
and do not do what I say?” (Lk. 6:46)
For example:
- Our extreme emphasis on grace and
liberty at the expense of biblical teaching on the life of the cross. “You
have been called to live in freedom—not freedom to satisfy your sinful
nature, but freedom to serve one another in love.”
(Gal. 5:13a) (See Matt. 10:37-39; Mk. 8:34-38; Lk. 14:26-33; Jn.
12:24-26; Act. 20:23, 24; Rom. 6:4-7; 8:13, 14; 2 Cor. 5:14, 14; Gal. 2:20;
5:24; 6:14; Phil. 1:20, 21; 3:8,9; Col. 2:11-14)
- Our immersion in rabid, materialism,
with scant regard for the seething masses living in poverty and misery
across the globe. “If anyone has
material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him,
how can the love of God be in him?”
(I Jn. 3:17) (See 1 Sam. 2:29; Psa. 119:136, 137; Pro. 23:4,5;
Jer.6:13; Lk. 8:14; 12:15; Eph. 4:19Col. 3:5; 1 Thes. 2:5; 1 Tim. 3:3,8;
6:7-10; 2 Tim. 3:2; Heb. 13:5)
- Our casual approach to sexual purity in
contrast to God’s call to personal holiness. (See Ex. 20:14; Num. 5:11-31;
Deut. 22:22-29; Pro. 7:1-27; 39:3; 1 Cor. 6:9, 10; 1 Cor. 7:9; Gal. 5:16-25;
1 Thes. 4:3-5; Tit. 2:5,6)
- Our free-wheeling approach to marriage,
divorce, and re-marriage, with little regard for biblical teaching. (See
Gen. 1:27; 2:24; Deut. 24; Matt. 5:31,32; 19:3-9; Mk. 10:2-12; I Cor.
7:10-13, 40)
We betray Christ by refusing to radically obey him, whatever
his demands.
For example:
- "If
anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily
and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for me will save it.”
(Lk. 9:23, 24)
- "If
anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and
children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my
disciple.” (Lk.
14:26)
- “Any
of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”
(Lk. 14:33)
We betray
Christ by compromising the truth:
Yesterday I played golf with a professing believer.
Half way through the course he asked if he could put his push cart on the
back of my battery operated cart. Then,
before we reached the 18th hole near the clubhouse he removed his
cart from mine, lest he be charged for using my powered cart.
It’s called lying and stealing. How often in writing contracts, negotiations, sales,
advertising, expense reporting, revenue projections, et al, do we shade,
exaggerate or manipulate the truth to ensure the desired outcome. We call it “white lies.
God calls it deceit. “Simply let
your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the
evil one” (Matt. 5:37)
(See Eph. 5:25; Col. 3:9)
PRAYER:
“Lord,
search my heart and reveal to me any area where I am betraying you by my
motives, thoughts, or actions. By
your grace, I will make the changes necessary to insure the fact that my life
truly honors rather than betrays you. Amen.”
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