Rejected

Sometimes I think we struggle with what we are as much as it seems to be a contradiction against what we believe we should be.
This begs the question – What should we be? What disposition should dictate our days? If we’re trying to be like Christ, what “Christian image” do we think we should emulating?

It’s one of those things where I think we should exercise caution and communication in order to ‘put on Christ’ in valid ways rather than unreasonable expectations of what we think the world is looking for.
Scripturally, Christ was called ‘a man of sorrows’…is that supposed to be us? If so, how so? If not, why not?
This is more about consideration than conclusion. When we read The Scriptures – well, let me back up a bit.

I remember the first years of my blog, it seems like I was more concerned with Christians acting like Christ. Somewhere along the line, I saw that my emphasis was on the wrong thing: Outward evidences of the flesh.
Now, even though I still promote evidence, the main emphasis is The Holy Spirit’s inner workings that produce it. Not human effort, which easily confuses many who see it, and even more tragic, many more of those who "do" it.
So allow me to rephrase: Rather than reading The Scriptures, I’ll say – when The Holy Spirit illuminates the mind of God IN His believers, what should our daily disposition aspire to be?

Recently, within the past few years, its become very popular in the media to express the idea that there are only two avenues of distinction; the comparisons went from the clever to the ridiculous – People who put ketchup ON the fries, or OFF to the side. Morning people, or people who want to kill morning people. Drumettes vs flats, and one near and dear to my heart: Coke or Pepsi.
As humorous as these categorizations are, God's Word really does identify people into 2 fundamentally different groups: Elected & rejected. Glorified and Reprobate

Here’s The Word:

Jeremiah 6:30 Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them.

Sometimes its hard to quite put your finger on a single, clear view on a word like reprobate, but if you follow this ‘first usage’ principle – you can simply call it “rejected”.

We’re going no further than that. This is not a post to help us try and figure out who is rejected and who’s not. Several times in Scripture, we see where God ‘rejects’ His people, Israel, but somehow things come around for them where they’re not totally eradicated and forgotten. Therefore, the full idea of who will or won’t be ultimately rejected belongs to God and God alone.
However, there is an admonition for us in Scripture in regards to this understanding.

Here’s The Word:

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Titus 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

If I had to cut and paste every Bible verse connected to how we ought to continually live and prove the genuineness of our faith, this would rather be a book than a blog.
Again, I draw your attention to the initial consideration: As we wake up every day, is there an overarching “thing” that should be apparent in our daily walk? A smile on our face? Joy in our hearts? Cavity causing sweetness in our interactions? An infectious heart of worship? – Well, to that I say, if that’s who you are, be who you are. If that’s who you’re not, pray and allow the Spirit to do transformation in ways that only the Spirit can.

I’m not saying that every Christian will be those things, but I believe what the Bible does call all Christians to be is sober. Sober doesn’t mean sad, sullen or downcast. It doesn’t mean that you resist enjoyment or bring about a air of gloominess. I believe that you can express true joy, enjoyment, worship and all of the aspects associated with the fruit of The Spirit all while being genuinely sober. It’s not happy OR sober, it’s joyful AND sober.

Our Father gives us many gifts to enjoy. His mercies are new every morning and He is not just with us, but FOR us in our transformation from dead to quickened. It’s just a necessary thing that we let our joy follow His work. Not the other way around. We can get too attached to wanting to feel “right” that we create it for ourselves without Him being involved at all. In all of this, it’s not to frighten us, just keep us sober.

Here’s The Word: Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

I remember that I used to say “to me, this is the scariest thing in the Bible.” I know now that I don’t have to feel that way. It’s still very real to me. Reprobate is a real thing. But a sober mind has heightened my awareness to proving that the power that raised Christ from the dead really is at work in me and all who hunger and thirst after righteousness. The first chapter of 2 Peter gives 5 verses of things we ought to do - exercises that culminate in “making our election sure”. A concern and a progression towards these evidences point to genuine conversion and godly progression toward Christ-likeness.

2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

I believe that a right heart for the loss comes into consideration, just as a right concern for believers who don’t seem to have a direction toward soberness and faith validation. In both of these cases, we pray for the power of God to impact their understanding, showing them their need for a firm foundation and assurance of transformation. Our goal is never to try and identify who’s on the rejected list. In all soberness, we pursue to live out Colossians 1:28 …we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:


In Him,
Cros