Another Musick-al Note: # 42
How easy to deceive ourselves! We pretend, play-act, and carry out the appearance of worshipping God and living the Christian life, telling ourselves that all is well until we believe it. We wonder why others are disturbed because we do certain things or do not do certain other things. It seems they are always finding fault with something and trying to make our lives miserable. Why can’t they let us alone to do as we please? We keep the outward appearance unless we want to do something else. However there is no apparent relation between the overt acts of worship and our lives because there is no change of the inward spirit of our beings. Outwardly we were obedient yet inwardly we were only doing what seemed good to us (what we wanted to do). We have a form of Christianity but the inward man does not respond to God and is lifeless and without power..
Real Christianity will be ours only when Christ rules our spirits. Such a person should measure everything that he does by placing them before Christ Jesus for His approval. Would Christ go to this place? Would Christ do this thing? Would Christ say these words? Is my attitude like His? If the answer is “yes”, then with the fullness of confidence I can do or say or go. If the answer is “no”, then no matter what others would do or what I might like to do, I must refrain because Christ would refrain. The joy of service comes to those who really submit to Christ with the inward spirit. Followers of Christ do not question, “Should I do this or that?”, “Should I attend?”, “How much should I give?” but their lives are spent in serving Christ, doing for Christ, working for Christ, giving for Christ and being for Christ. They are inseparably connected to their redeemer and they live for Him in every aspect of their life.
Gordon Musick
Musick-al Notes 