ARE YOU DRIFTING?

Every Christian must be on constant guard of drifting away from a close walk with the Lord. Leo Morris writes, "You can drift into sin, but not into righteousness."  How true this is, and yet how easy it is to neglect the things which matter most in life. We can become so busy with our daily responsibilities, pursuits and pleasures, that God is not at all in our thoughts. According to Psalm 10:4 this is the way of the wicked: "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts."  When you woke up this morning what were you thinking about?  As you made your way through the day how often did you let your thoughts be set on things above, and not on the things of this world (Colossians 3:1)? Did you take time to pray? Did you feed on God’s Word that you might not sin against the Lord? “Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). Consider men like Daniel who prayed three times a day toward Jerusalem (Daniel 6:10) and Paul who encouraged the Christian’s in Thessalonica to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Brethren, if we are not doing the things that build up our spiritual life we are our weakening it by default. Drifting requires no effort; it comes naturally in the spiritual realm. Also bear in mind that a drift is usually imperceptible, but the more we drift the further we move away from righteousness. The decline of the ungodly man in Psalm 1 probably started with a slow drift. He ended up sitting in the seat of the scornful.  I have known Christian’s who once had a vibrant walk with the Lord but no longer do. What are some tell tale signs of a drifting Christian? I have already alluded to some. Neglect of prayer and Bible study. Add to this a lack of desire for Christian fellowship, but increasing interest in worldly things. It’s hard to be around spiritually minded people when you develop a taste for the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). One sure sign that you are drifting is when the preaching of God’s Word no longer moves you. If you can sit under the counsel and exhortation of the Living Word (Hebrews 4:12) and stay as you are, something is terribly wrong. If the sins that once bothered you no longer do so, you are drifting. Where will it all end? Where will the drift eventually take you? I can’t answer that question for everyone but it can only be stopped and lost ground regained by repentance. “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works”… (Revelation 2:4). 

Draw near to God,

Pastor Tom