Funny how meanings to some phrases can change depending on our perspective. Growing up being sold out was a bad thing! But to be considered sold out for Christ would be an honor.
To be a "sell out" would be when we tell people that we are "Christian" but nothing about the way we live shows people that. We may even go to church sometimes(maybe even every Sunday), but our daily lives do not mirror the Word of God. This happens far more than we could ever realize or would like to admit! I grew up going to church EVERY week, but my interactions with friends, coworkers, etc...didn't always match up. I was nice to most people, but that was only as long as they didn't cross me or one of my friends...then the gloves came off. From the size of my sassy attitude, you would never have guessed that I was a petite, 5' tall girl! Something tells me that when I was acting that way...not many people would have been desiring to attend the same church that I did, or want to serve the same God as I did.
I share this part of my life to show you all how our behavior throughout the week can lead people to God(or running as fast as they can in the opposite direction)! After getting married, I was on a mission to find a church that my husband and I could attend together. I visited several different churches before finding the one that we chose to attend. One of them, I remember very well. It was not a great experience. It was a fairly large church which was already new to me. I was used to small churches, in small towns. I sat alone surrounded by over 100 people. I spotted a lady that I knew through a mutual acquaintance and made a point to want to say hello when the service was over. As I tried to make my way up to where she was sitting, a little old lady next to me, very clearly(and a little gruffly) said, "Could you move!". Apparently, she was in a hurry to get to the aisle of the church and leave and she left me with the strong feeling that I was in her way! Now, I have been to this church a few times since this instance and I can tell you they were much better experiences!
However, this confrontation will forever be in my mind...as a lesson of how important it is for us to always show Christ's kindness, acceptance, and love to those around us whether we are in church or at the grocery store. She may have had a very legit reason for being cranky...I don't know. But we must always keep in mind how we influence others with our actions and words.
To be "sold out" for Christ would be focusing every aspect of our lives on Him. Being driven to share Christ and all He has done, with all those we come in contact with. This would mean that people would be able to tell who we serve, by watching how we serve others.
Luke 18:9-14 shows us the best example of Sold Out vs Sell Out. Take a look with me:
"And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
Sometimes it can be so easy for us to be more like the Pharisee, because we want everyone to think that we have it all together. We are fine, nothing is wrong, we aren't "as bad as that guy(or girl)". This is when, more than ever, that we should be falling on our knees and beating our chests pouring our sinful little hearts out to the Father in repentance.
We must keep ourselves seeking after God's own heart. David wasn't called "a man after God's own heart" because he was perfect and had it all together. He was called this because he desired to please God. He had a repentant heart when he fell into sin and sought forgiveness from God. If we catch ourselves falling into sin, we must do the same. We must fall on our knees before our Heavenly Father and seek forgiveness with a truly repentant heart.
A way for us to know that we are "sold out" is to evaluate our lives. Do you only look good on the outside to people, when you are at church, dressed right, your kids are obeying, and you have a smile on your face? It must be deeper than this! You should be able to see the fruit of your walk with God.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit."We should be yielding fruit!! Yielding fruit is when you have a continually growing desire to be more like Christ in all things. Now, this doesn't mean that you will be perfect. But it means that you will no longer be able to sin(in any way) and not feel a level of conviction that brings about change. For example, a year ago, before salvation, you may have struggled with being an angry person. It wasn't a big deal to you at the time because "everyone gets angry sometimes, right?". But now, as you grow closer in your relationship with God, when you find yourself starting to give in to that anger, you are able to recognize it, you are almost irritated with yourself about getting angry, and you have a desire to change it. This is a difference that you should see in yourself after salvation...you should be irritated when you fall into sin, with a desire to take action and overcome it.
In Matthew 12:33 Jesus says
"Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit."Let us go out each day with a renewed desire to live every moment to glorify the King!
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