Avoidance and Delay...(Now What? Series Part VI)

October 6, 2009

Danielle Joyner Kelley

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” Matthew 7:21-23.

Knowing that sin means to “miss the mark” and that this does not just include our intentional wrongs, one would think that we would make an effort to stay on course with God. “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” Matthew 5:29-30.

Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Those who attempt to tackle the sin in their own lives through avoidance are best defined as “underdoers”. In most cases, they turn away from God out of a sense of condemnation or shame. In other cases, they refuse to commit to the change that God wants to bring in their lives because it is not something they wanted. In turn, they tell themselves that they will walk on their own and God will forgive them, but because we cannot be perfect there is no need to try at all. Simply put, they cover up their lack of obedience with God’s promise of forgiveness for all sins.

To justify their actions, they will tell you that we are all sinners and we are all forgiven. “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:22-24. This is absolutely true, but the application is problematic. Put simply, they are misusing their gift, and misusing such a miraculous gift has serious repercussions.

In all truth, we do not have to cover up our shame by avoiding change. First, as a believer, there is no condemnation. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death..” Romans 8:1-2. What the “underdoer” does not see is that they will be able to follow the rules with the Spirit’s guidance, but they have to ask.

Likewise, the expectation of perfection “or else” is not warranted. Even when we fall and show our own lack of faith, God remains faithful. With the Spirit living in us, to be unfaithful to us, God would have to disown himself, and that He will never do. “…if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13.

However, through their choice to pursue this walk, what the “underdoer” fails to realize is that avoiding change does not make God’s will for change in their life go away, but

Their avoidance will only delay the good that only His change can bring.

**Part VII of the “Now What?” Series will discuss the ways the “underdoers” misuse the gift given to them by God.