Don’t Be A Vicarious Christian
Written By: Phillip Shobo
Vicarious: 1. Felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience or feelings of another: read about mountain climbing and experienced vicarious thrills.
2. Endured or done by one person substituting for another: vicarious punishment.
a. Acting or serving in place of someone or something else; substituted.
b. Committed or entrusted to another, as powers or authority; delegated.
Dear reader, if you are a Christian I challenge you to take the following words very serious! In my line of work I have to do deliveries and while I was doing so this thought came to me. Do you know God for yourself??? It really challenged me and convicted me in my walk with God. We have GOT to be sure we really KNOW God personally and not just know about Him. They’re very two distinctive things. Example. Everybody knows about President Obama. They know his wife, where he lives, his policies, etc. But how many of us average Americans know him personally??? Who have conversed with Him? Do we know what he likes and dislikes beyond what the media reports? It is the same with our Father God, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We must strive earnestly and expeditiously to KNOW this amazing God on a deeper level! Beware not live vicariously through another believer and say you know and love God. Don’t just rock a Christian tee because it’s stylish. Don’t live vicariously through Christian artist. WE can’t afford to let their convictions be our convictions. We can’t afford to let what they do what they do to be what we do. Don’t get me wrong Christian tees and Christian songs are helpful and nice but they’re not your salvation! Don’t be deceived! The Word says in Philippians 2:12 “Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.” Please let us marinate on that! DEEP REVERANCE AND FEAR.
We must work hard to know God for ourselves, have a relationship with all 3 persons, listening to Him and being led by Him. God forbid, we reach His throne and he says “Depart from me I never knew you” It’s not a game folks! Our eternity rests on this very truth! Our friends, family, musicians, or tweets, of Instagram or Facebook posts will not matter at the moment! All that will matter is that did we TRULY work out our own salvation? Did we truly love the Lord our God with our heart, soul, mind and strength? As I’m typing this I’m being convicted myself. I just want to cry out to God please have mercy on me! Lord please I want to know you BETTER, DEEPER!!! What will you have me do? Lord, please create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me! Cast me not away from your presence O God. Take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Your salvation. And renew a right Spirit within me! Let this be our rallying cry! Let this be what we pray EARNESTLY every morning we’re blessed to receive!! To know Him is to love Him! If we truly love Him we love what He loves! We hate what he hates! Our service to Him is never a burden! And even on those days we become weary we still RUN back to God and remember His excellent greatness! We will not give up! WE will run this race with diligence. We remember our eternity with Him hangs in balance! WE were made to WORSHIP. May our service be a wonderful DELIGHT to us. WE will please Him day in and day out in Jesus name! To know Him will bear fruits in our lives! It will not be puffed up or prideful it will be true sacrificial love we owe to our Creator. (1. Cor 13:1-7)
A tell-tale sign to being a vicarious Christian is that when we’re faced with things that challenge us and react selfishly or lazily. A relationship with Christ is forever continuous! I can go on but if you’re still reading and feeling convicted as much as I am do not fret! Praise the Lord for His mercy and grace. We still have time! WE can still seek Him while He is near! Lord I pray for the reader and myself if he or she has been a vicarious Christian. We thank you for not dealing with us according to our sinful nature. We admit that we have said we loved you but our hearts have been far from you. We love to enjoy your glory but have been afraid of suffering with you. We ask that you do create in us a clean heart. We ask that the Spirit will help us to seek your Face daily more than we did yesterday. We will not be led by the standards of men. We will be led by your standards. Let your Word make meaning to our personal lives. May we bear fruit of truly knowing who you are and not from a third party. In Jesus name we pray. Amen! God bless you!
When we love someone deeply we want to spend as much time with them as possible to get to know them. Why is it that we as believers often don’t do exactly as you state. We need to really get to KNOW this Father that seeks a vibrant, passionate love relationship with us. Good Words Brandon! ~ Mike