I Have Chosen Sides... Have you?

Growing up in a family with 5 kids, I learned that you had to choose sides when two of them are in a fight. The argument escalated between two of the siblings and to verify the rightness their position, they would run to the other three to choose sides. Just like in fighting in war, you cannot be on both sides. I had to choose a side and stick with it. If a person switched back and forth, their validity would be in question and no one would go to that person anymore.

Although it's not a perfect example, I have learned that this is very much like the Christian life.  As Christians, we are called to be set apart.  There is a war raging in the spiritual sense, yet so often we ignore that fact. On one side, you have the world, the prince of this world - Satan, and his followers of fallen angels.  On the other side, you have God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the league of angels that stood faithful to their creator.

When we have received Jesus Christ to be the sufficient sacrifice of our sins, we are making Him Lord and Commander over our lives.  We are enlisting into the ranks of Jesus Christ and pledging to wage war against the powers of this world.  But too many of us have become too comfortable with the enemy.  We have traded a combat lifestyle to one that allows the enemy into our camp.

I think about my mindset, even a couple of months ago.  I constantly justified the ability to do things that were not necessarily bad, but would lead me on a path further from my Savior.  Instead of following the heed of my Lord through conviction, I embraced some of the things of the world.  I befriended people who did not have a mindset that I must give up all for the sake of serving Christ.  I walked with people who did not take seriously their relationship with God and His call to not be conformed to this world and who justified embracing the enemies tactics (alcohol, smoking, sexual impulses, embracing a non-biblical view of things).  Even in the movies and music being viewed that display those things are normal.

We have forgotten that we are in the midst of war and that we MUST choose sides.  If we continually go back and forth between the things of God and the things of this world and ignore that conviction, then we will fall completely into the hands of the enemy.  You cannot walk the line in the middle of the two camps.

We have to be willing to sacrifice all for the sake of Christ. We must give up the non-beneficial thin gs we have polluted our lives with.Friendships that will not lead or point you towards Christ. Pride. Movies or music that exalt things like sex, drugs, alcohol, hopelessness, etc.  We have to choose a side and fully fight.

I have asked myself this question daily:  Are you living as if you pledge your allegiance to the powers of this world or are you living as God has called you to live?  Are you holding on to things of this world that pollute your life and discredit your allegiance to God?

God doesn't call us to be half-hearted, lukewarm Christians!  He would SPEW or SPIT us out of His mouth. He would rather that we be on the side of the enemy than taint His body. If we aren't willing to count the cost of being a follower of Jesus, if we aren't willing to lay down our pride and let go of the things of this world tying us down, then we must question our allegiance to Christ. Because if you are half-heartedly living this Christian life, then you are should re-evaluate your life. And you must choose TODAY who you will serve. Because those who are lukewarm are tainting the HOLY name of Jesus.

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." [Revelation 3:15-16]