Christianity, A Game?

If, then, your hand or your foot is making you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is finer for you to enter into life maimed or lame tan to be thrown with two hands or two feet into the everlasting fire.  Matthew 18:8

Read Matthew 18:1-9

Jesus calls the eternal kingdom, LIFE.  We call it heaven, and commonly refer to our time here on earth as being life.  But Jesus knows better.  He can see with all clarity that you and I have only some allotted years to dwell as we do on this planet.  This temporary life we live now cannot compare in any way to that LIFE of which Jesus speaks.

However the great deception of the enemy to our souls is that this fact is cleverly disguised and hidden from our eyes most of the time.  It takes a super-human strength to resist the urge to view only what we have now, and see a greater reality shinning eternally just beyond our powers to detect.

It is far more comfortable for us to follow the example left by all those around us and hold spiritual truths at a safe distance.

The easiest path is to play the game called Christianity. 

In this game we recognize that there is truth in the concept of God as superior being.  If we play the game correctly we may find our conscience greatly lightened as we refine our morals and standards.  We pay tokens of tribute to God and this too helps us feel better.

Those of us, who choose to get more involved in this game of Christianity, may at times reach great heights of prayer and testimony.  We may use all the terminology learned in their religious circles and call often on the name of the Lord.  Our lives may have a lot of proof of heavenly favor in blessings of many comforts and joys.  We who form this group of people may have a great sense of satisfaction with our refined life and correctly held beliefs.

But there is a downside.

If we play this game we may be left outside of the gate on that great day to come.

Religion is not a game.  Christ is not someone or something that we can hold at a safe distance.  Our only hope to be included with Him in His future kingdom is to make Him important enough to assure our passage into that LIFE.

Jesus used strong words to help us see the importance that lies on where we stand in relation to Him.  He talks of cutting or mutilating anything that causes us any form of separation from Him.  He states that even if our own body parts that we need get into the way, we should remove them so that they do not keep us from Him in any way.

These words may be too harsh for most.  Who would ever slice off a foot or a hand to keep them from sinning?  Jesus must have been using a figure of speech!

Hold the thought however you can, the importance still remains.  You and I cannot afford anything to come between our Savior and us.  He has got to be the single most important thing in our earthly lives.  We must be so concerned with Him, that we take whatever steps we can to come close, to learn, to draw near and to have Him living inside us.  Any moment away from that should be cut out and thrown away from us.

Anything less than this, is playing the game we call Christianity.  Before you and I look for someone to accuse or attack, let´s take up our own case with the Lord.  Are we playing with Him?  The honest soul will spend a moment with the Maker.  The true believer will drop to their knees.  Through tears we will find the answer.

Are we playing the game?

Dear Jesus, some of us do want to go far enough to know if we are just playing.

Help us, heal us and draw us nearer please!

In your name,