Serving Leftover Actions

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38 NIV)

The Church spends so much time focusing on the fact that we are saved by God's Grace, which we are, that we can "downplay" good works as being necessary too.  Rather than call good actions necessary, we refer to them as "good," "important," or something to "work toward."  We will quote passages like the one in James that says, "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."  (James 2:17 NIV)  While this is true, it's still not a strong enough statement.  Being Holy is a command, a mandate, and is necessary.

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." Since you call on a Father who judges each person's work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. (1 Peter 1:14-17 NIV)

And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, 'This person began to build and wasn't able to finish.' "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won't he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear." (Luke 14:27-35 NIV)

The conclusion is clear.  Leftover words are not good enough.  Leftover actions won't get it done.  God should be first in all things.  Count the cost.  Consider what He wants.  Put Him first.  Serve Him first.  Leave the leftovers for someone else.

Serving Leftover Words

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 NIV)

Our words are powerful.  How we use them reflects who we follow.  Declaring "Jesus is Lord" does not stop at the moment we voice those three words.  In fact, our success in declaring Jesus as Lord is determined by every word we speak.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. (James 3:9-10 NIV)

We show just how much Jesus is our Lord by our words.  How do you use your words?  Are they used to encourage people and build them up?  Are your words a gift to those who hear (or read) them?  Do you purposefully choose your words to Glorify God and build people up?  Do you use your words to share God with others?

"Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:32-33 NASB)

You see, confessing Jesus to other people is only a good thing if the rest of our words are a blessing.  Inviting someone to Church or to follow Jesus will only confuse them if you just got done cussing them out.  All our words are to be under the Lordship of Christ.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. (Hebrews 13:15 NIV)

Serving Leftover Faith

They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household." (Acts 16:31 NIV)

In the modern church, we have reformed our understanding of God's grace to focus in on our faith.  This is good, because we can never repair our falling-out with God by bringing Him gifts.  The only solution to our broken-relationship problem is the solution He offers through His Son, Jesus.

[We]...know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we... have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:16 NIV)

When someone wants to be saved, then, we simply tell them to believe in the Lord Jesus as it says in Acts 16:31 and they will be saved.  Perhaps we will have them say a prayer with us because we should confess our faith as well.


If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Romans 10:9-10 NIV)

While these Scriptures are all true, stopping here is dangerous.  Believing and being saved can lead to "cheap Grace" where we go on with our lives "knowing we are saved" and continue doing what we did before.  The apostle Paul responds to such a thought process saying, "May it never be!" (Romans 6:2a NASB)  

God paid an unimaginably high price for our sin.  Continuing to run up the tab is dangerous.  Simply believing doesn't guarantee that we stay together with Him.  We can declare that we believe and still not go with Him into paradise:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' (Matthew 7:21-23 NIV)

Is there really such a thing as a Christian with a lukewarm faith? Or, are they not really a Christian at all?  Can we serve leftover faith to a Holy God?

Serving Leftovers

'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16 NASB)

Francis Chan challenges us with a concept that clearly challenges him this week: "Is there such thing as a lukewarm Christian?"  His conclusion from the Scripture above (and others like it) is clearly, "No."  How can we claim to be followers of Christ and yet live as though we are children of the devil?  "Child of the devil," you may think. "I'm a child of God, even if I do make mistakes and sin."

Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:7-10 NASB)

Doesn't Scripture say that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus?  Yes it does.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV84)

"How can sinning after I'm saved, then, make me a child of the devil?  I thought Scripture said that I'm always going to sin."  Well, this second part is not true.  It doesn't say you are always going to sin.  In fact, it says the exact opposite:

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:14-16 NIV84)

Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. (Romans 6:13-14 NIV84)

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation--but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. (Romans 8:12-14 NIV)

Lukewarm Christians refer to people who call themselves disciples or followers of Christ, yet sort-of follow Him - sometimes following...sometimes not.  God told a whole part of His Body (the church) that He would spit them out for living in this way.  Can we be Christians and still serve leftovers to a Holy God?  Maybe Chan isn't the only one who should be struggling through this concept.