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Whose Side Are You On?

    Many of us have had that friend who had a beautiful, authentic conversion to Christianity, experienced God's love and power personally in their life, and then.... nothing. They up and left Jesus for the things of the world, hardly stopping to look back. It's baffling to watch those who you have loved and worshiped God with walk away so suddenly. If you haven't had friends do this, maybe its you. It is a very sad thing indeed to walk away from all that is good and perfect for a few moments of earthly pleasure. 

    I should clarify-- it is one thing to have a lame experience of superficial Christianity and to want nothing to do with it. That describes many, many people. Many Christians have turned away from the person they thought was God only to recognize the real Jesus later in life. But to have experienced a genuine, life-giving relationship with Jesus Christ only to leave Him the moment something looks more appealing? That's a beast of its own. Sadly, this has happened since Christianity began. The Bible tells us that in those circumstances, it would be worse for one to have not known the truth than to have known it, accepted it, and rejected it. 

    If you know someone in this situation, pray for them. If they admit their fault and come back to Jesus they will be forgiven! Our God is merciful and gives us endless chances when we mess up and repent with a sincere heart. If you are in that place, there is still hope for you. Humble yourself before the Lord and you too will be forgiven. For the rest of you-- if you are tempted to turn away from the authentic Jesus after knowing Him intimately, remind yourself of who He is and who Satan is. If you are not following Jesus, you are following Satan by default, as we are told in scripture. Remember the true character of Him who made you and ask yourself if you really want to walk away from all that. 

Matthew 12:30 Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me. (NLT)

1 John 3:8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. (NIV)

2 Peter 2:20-22 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.” (NIV)

Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. (NIV)

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