The Plumbline

I wrote a blog similar to this one dealing with the subject of hypocrisy this past year. But God has put this subject on my heart again lately. The Lord actually gave me a word on it at church a few Sundays ago. The word went something like this..."The day of hypocrisy and compromise is over." Our claim to Christianity must be a lifestyle of total committment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. These days and times are obviously the latter days Christ spoke of. Difficult times bring out what is in our heart. Our life will become more righteous or more wicked (Rev. 22:11-14). There's a line from an old song that says, "Do they have enough evidence to put you away?", speaking of a Christ-like life. Of course none of us are perfect, but a lifestyle of love, repentance, and godliness proves our authenticity. Jesus said that our light should shine like a city on a hill. Have you ever driven at night in the mountains and coming out of a valley you see the lights of a town in the distance. There's no missing the city lights in the midst of the darkness. Are we lit up in the darkness around us? Do we truly love others? Do we have peace, joy, and hope? What is in our heart comes out eventually for all to see. Therefore, our #1 priority should be that our heart is given over to God. This results in a life that will bless and glorify Him. Our heart's desire should be for Him. If you desire authenticity in your Christianity, then sincerely ask God to do what He needs to do to purify you. Brace yourself and get ready to take up your cross daily. The crucified life is the only true life. St. Francis of Assissi made this profound statement, "What a man is before God, that he is and nothing else." This should be our plumbline. A plumbline is a tool used to measure a precise straight line, a standard of what is on the level, what is right. Our heart condition is the evidence of whether or not we are on the level with Christ. The PLUMBLINE is a willing heart to follow the Lord throughout our whole life, allowing Him to call the shots. It is the awareness that we are in dire need of transformation and we are allowing the Lord to purify us, conforming us into the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29-39). My prayer today is for the Lord to be merciful (He is very much so), forgive (as He so wonderfully does), and help us to stay with the PLUMBLINE of His Lordship (He is faithful), enveloped in His love, and enabled by His grace to live for Him all the days and hours of our lives. To Him be the glory, honor, and power for ever and ever.