Straddling the Fence Doesn't Work

I've seen some church people who are only concerned with making sure they get to heaven when they die. They think they can accept Christ as their Savior and still straddle the fence to have one foot in worldly things and the other in the spiritual realm. They say the right words, are baptized, and attend church most of the time. They even contribute in special offerings or do a few good works for insurance, but they never really open their hearts, give God access to their lives, or change in any meaningful way. They don't try to witness or to be disciples, because they don't really care about others. They're too intent of looking out for number one.

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24).

This will not work. There is no middle ground where God is concerned. We either obey God or Satan. Our enemy loves to encourage our selfishness and make us think we are in control of our lives because then he has control. That's why it's essential that we turn our lives over to Christ. We either belong to God or we belong to Satan. There is no in between. As Warren Wiersbe wrote in Be Amazed, "When it comes to our relationship with the Lord, we must be thorough and not 'half-baked.' His gracious work must permeate our whole being so that heart, mind, and strength are all devoted to Him (Kindle loc, 573). Compromising with the world doesn't work. 

"For some are already turned aside after Satan" (1 Timothy 5:15).

Salvation is not about what we do, but it's everything that Christ did for us on the cross. It's free for the asking, but we need to ask from the heart and really mean it. We must truly want to become a new creature in Christ. If you totally surrender your life to Him, I guarantee your life will be fuller, more peaceful, and more satisfying than you can imagine. A surrendered life has joy despite the circumstances, because we no longer carry burdens. Christ takes them from us and directs us, if we let Him. But we must learn to give Him all of us and not try straddling the fence to stay lukewarm Christians. 

"So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:16).

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