Am I safe?
Am I safe?
In Matthew 3, we find John the Baptist preaching and baptizing in the wilderness of Judea. The Bible describes John as something of a rough fellow – the outdoorsy type (to say the least). In vs. 4, we find “John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.” Further proof the Lord calls men from every walk of life! Physicians, fishermen and even John the Baptist!
What I like about John is that he knew who he was in the overall equation and how to get things done. Here’s what I mean. In vs. 11, he is quoted as saying, “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals.” Yet in vs. 3, Isaiah describes him as “a voice shouting in the wilderness, [telling everyone to] ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’” We can easily agree John was not afraid to do the Lord’s work and knew it was all about God! His life was simply not about coasting. He was not interested in just being “safe”.
John couldn’t stand the lukewarm. Those content to just “get by”. Additionally, I think he loathed self-righteousness. Why? For someone who had so clear an understanding of God’s purpose (vs. 12), mediocrity and self-righteousness were detestable.
“’You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.'” Matthew 3:7b-10 (NLT)
As seen above, not even the Pharisees (keepers of the religious law) were safe from God’s judgement. In vs. 8, John calls them out and quickly exhorts them to “prove by the way [they] live that [they] have repented of [their] sins and turned to God.”
It was John’s message to them that there was no room in the kingdom of Heaven for those who claim to know God, but do not live and serve like those who are genuinely committed to God. He was telling them that their own self-righteousness would not save them.
Are we like the Pharisees? We are if we think because we’ve accepted Christ we can relax into a mindset that says “we’re safe”. That’s not the reality of the life of a Christian. We see in vs. 12 that the chaff (that which is useless for God) will be gathered up and burned with a never-ending fire.
So, how does this post relate to baseball? As followers of the living King, our lives are to be spent for Him. It’s not enough to say we’ve accepted Christ, go through the motions, and then casually stroll across the plate when He calls us home. For the believer, living for Christ is about taking risks. It means living on the edge for the Savior! It’s a compelling desire to run when others would wait to see when it’s safe to walk. It’s the workout of making the mad sprint around the bases (working for Christ) and then sliding into home, claiming the victory for Him! -It’s a willingness to get dirty for the gospel!
True contentment is the reward for pursuing Christlikeness and living to glorify God. John had a firm grasp on what was important, and thus spent his days winning souls for Christ.
Who are you living for, self or Christ? Are you strolling or sprinting around the bases? When the Lord calls you and you leave this field, will your uniform still be clean, or will it bear the stains of one who has worked hard for the sake of the gospel?