Christ Himself made obedience to Him an absolute requirement for true spiritual intimacy. No one can claim that they have intimacy with Jesus if their life is surrounded by disobedience rather than submission to Him.
Those of us who deliberately disobey Christ cannot claim to “KNOW” Him as a friend. As a matter of fact, the book of James talks about us choosing a friendship with the world or a friendship with Him.
You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.
James 4:4 (NLT)
James speaks strongly against the idea of cultural christianity. We cannot live a life riding this see-saw. We have to choose, are we going to sell out to what God wants for us and give our life completely to Him. Or, are we going to live out a life “straddling the fence” pleasing our friends, but not our God.
THINK IT OVER:
Many times in our life, we chose what we think is best for us, rather than obey what God is telling us to do. Why is that?
Cultural Christianity seems to be a big issue in our area today, what can you do to become more intimate with God, instead of intimate with culture?
