Grace For The Journey

  The dictionary defines “reckless” as “utterly unconcerned about the consequences of some action; without caution; careless.”  Some antonyms for reckless are prudent, cautious, and calculating.

Which group of definition best describes your Christian life right now?

Are you reckless for your Redeemer . . . or cautious and calculating?

Many Christians today are far from living recklessly for their Redeemer.  They like to play it safe and live inside well-established zones of comfort.  They play it safe with their time, talent, and treasure, living only a portion of the life God is calling them to live.

They are sold-out for comfort

Rather than Christ.

Those who are redeemed and reckless are easy to spot, because their lives don’t seem to make sense – not just to unbelievers but to Christians also.  They do things for Jesus that most can’t even imagine doing.  They worship openly.  They serve whole-heartedly.  They give generously.  And they do all this without any thought of what they will receive in return.  That’s because . . .

They don’t do what they do for a return;

They are living out their unqualified,

Unquestioning love for their Redeemer.

This is reckless living, and it is the life Christ has called each of us to live!  In Mark 12:28-30, when asked what is the most important commandment of all, that Jesus replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

Let me say something that might not be received very well today – The reckless Christians I am speaking about – at least those who live in the United States – are not likely to rise to the level of commitment evidenced by the early Christians, or those today around the world, many of whom live in Muslim or Communist countries and are beaten, imprisoned, tortured, separated from their families – even killed for their faith.

The Bible commends the tenacious faith of such as these in Hebrews 11:35-38, “… (They) were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.  Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were slain with the sword.  They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented – of whom the world was not worthy.  They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.  And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”

If our reckless living for the Redeemer never rises to this level, may we who are living in relative comfort for Christ begin making decisions that will cause the watching world to sit up and take notice of our commitment.  Let them see us as the world once saw Abraham, Noah, Esther, John the Baptist, the twelve disciples, the first-century church, and countless others throughout the ages:

As ones who are recklessly, incautiously committed to our Redeemer!

This kind of full-commitment Christian living puts us in good company . . .

And puts our great and glorious God on display for all-the world to see!

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”