Wednesday, February 20, 2019

The Hybrid Christian Life


Gtcotr/ws022019

Hy’brid

1.   Noun: The offspring of two plants or animals of different species or varieties.
a.   Crossbreed; mixed-breed
b.   Mixture, blend, meld, amalgam, combination, composite, compound, conglomerate
2.   Noun: A thing made by combining two different elements.
a.   A mixture
b.   A word formed from elements taken from different languages, for example “Television” (tele-from Green, vision from Latin).
c.   A car with a gasoline engine and an electric motor, each of which can propel it.
3.   Adjective:
a.   Of mixed character
b.   Composed of mixed parts
c.   Fashioned from mixed ideas or solutions

The word hybrid means mixture. To be of mixed or blended character or fashioned by two different ideas into one solution. There are hybrid cars, hybrid plants, hybrid animals, hybrid gods and even hybrid churches filled with hybrid Christians. We stray from the truth when we imagine there are many truths or when we believe truth is subjective and can be mixed to validate our choices. Nothing could be farther from “The Truth” … pun intended. With that thought in mind, we are going to conclude our study of the book of James tonight. Let’s begin by reading the last two verses.

James 5 NKJV
19  Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,
20  let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

Wanders from the truth – These are those who know the truth but do not follow the truth. What truth? Jesus the Truth
1.   His Will
2.   His Word
3.   His Way

Almighty Jehovah, the God of creation, is not afraid of you worshipping and serving a different god. He is more concerned about you thinking that the god of your making is Him. One person wandering from The Truth has proven to influence others to stray as well. Fashioning a false god is right up there on the top of the list of the 10 biggie sins God said don’t do.

The reason God addresses this matter is because it has always been in the nature of man to serve a god whom they understand and agree with and, who understands and agrees with them.

A god of our own making will
·        Excuse our sin while condemning those who sin against us
·        Always be on our side and against the other side.
·        Understand we meant the best
·        Bless what we are doing and tell us we are right
·        Confirm our suspicions
·        Hate our enemies
·        Agree with our conclusions
·        Champion our cause

That’s not a god … that’s a puppet.

Late in his life the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy and warned him concerning the wandering nature of man in these last days.

2 Timothy 3 NKJV
1 ¶  But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2  For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3  unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4  traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5  having a form of godliness but denying its power …

As was said earlier, God is not afraid of you worshipping and serving a different god. Just so long as you understand it’s not Him.

1 Kings 18:21  And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.

At times people are slow to recognize and serve the one true and living God. Allow me to tell you a little about Jehovah God.

Jehovah God is:
·        Kind
·        Good
·        Merciful
·        Loving
·        Forgiving
·        Patient
·        Not rude
·        Not out of control
·        Not easily provoked
·        Keeps no record of wrongs
·        Joyful
·        At Peace
·        Gentle
·        Faithful
·        Almighty God and there are no others

And the Good News is that God loves your enemies as much as He loves you. And He expects you to love them too. For he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. He who turns … not he who criticizes, condemns, or points out.

Let’s not be hybrid Christians … in love with a false god. It’s a choice each one of us has to make for ourselves.

Joshua 24  NKJV
15 ¶  “And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”