It's a simple question. "Are you a Christian?" And yet, so many aren't comfortable in asking or answering that question. People can be asked about sports, music, or movies and statistics come out of their ears. Ask what John 3:16 says and blank stares are looking at you. Many can tell you the stats of their teams, certain players or even any number of jokes (even dirty ones). Yet when asked about something Jesus said draw a blank. We are a people obsessed with the world and not God. There, I said it. That's honesty. We know lots of stuff but not what is needed to save our soul from the pit of hell. Are you honest or do you even want to be honest? I'm not necessarily talking about being honest with others. I'm more concerned about being honest with yourself. Are you? Do you even know what questions to important to be asked. Life in the world goes like this: You are asked your name, where you work, what you do, are you married, do you have kids, and other such questions which gives those asking information by which you can be categorized. There you remain. In a nice neat box that you will forever expect to be. But that's not what Christ wanted for you and I. Jesus wanted us to be honest in that we are lost without him and when we come to our senses we know we are dead in our sin. Finally, we know that we can't live without him and ask Him to live in our stead. As such we are his to do his will in all our thoughts, words and deeds.
I'm not perfect. Never have been and never will be until I put foot into Heaven to be with Jesus. I don't pretend to be perfect but when people need an scape goat they portray you as perfect so others know that's a lie. Once the lie is exposed these people make themselves feel better because you have become what they need you to be...worse than them. How do we be honest? Admit that which you know to be true. I don't mean to stand in the center of the city and tell all about yourself so that there are no secrets. Though once a secret is told there is no power in that secret. Why don't we have secret good things about us? Wait! There are secrets that are good that we keep. We don't tell people about Jesus, what he's done in our lives and the lives of others we have seen change take place in when they accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior! Why don't we tell others these secrets about Jesus' life through us? Maybe we should look at ourselves and ask what we are not being honest about and then "Why?" Are we so embarrassed of the Lord that we don't do want to share Him in our lives? Maybe now would be a good time to start.
Truth be told, we need to be honest in whom we serve. And his name is Jesus. When we have a honest relationship with Jesus we needn't be worried about our pedigree or other's pedigree for that matter. When Jesus is our "all" there is no room for anything else. We don't need to be something or someone in order for people to feel comfortable with Jesus in us. Jesus came to shake up the world and not to placate the world. He lives in us to convict the world of sin and not to condone sin or rationalize and justify it away. If we cannot or refuse to bring the honest truth to the world around us, we condone that lie that we live instead. I once asked a church full of people this question: "If being a Christian was a felony punishable by death would there be enough evidence to send you to die?" If you aren't honest with Jesus and he's not allowed to live through you, you do not have Christ living in and through you. Your secret isn't positive. Your secret is negative. You profess friendship with the world and not with Jesus. Is that what you really want? Sometimes you just need to be honest.
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