Whose side are you on? You know, there’s no middle ground. Even if we’d like it to be so. Jesus said: “Whoever isn’t with me is against me, and whoever doesn’t gather with me scatters.” (Matthew 12:30, CEB) This verse stopped me this morning.

I’m either with Jesus or I am against him.
I either gather with Jesus or I scatter.
No other alternatives.
Jesus or no Jesus.
Whose side are you on?

God wants it all.
God wants obedience.
God wants faithfulness.
God wants loyalty.
Either we depend on our abilities to take care of ourselves.
Or we depend on and trust God to do it.

God wants it all and he has right to do so.
Because we belong to him.

I know your works. You are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I’m about to spit you out of my mouth.  After all, you say, ‘I’m rich, and I’ve grown wealthy, and I don’t need a thing.’ You don’t realize that you are miserable, pathetic, poor, blind, and naked. (Rev.3: 15-17, CEB)

Phillip Keller puts it this way: “Most of us labor under the delusion that we have every right to our lives; that we have the right to go where we wish, do as we please, live as we choose, and decide our own destiny. We do not. We belong to God. He made us for himself. He chose us in Christ out of love, from before the foundation of the earth to be his own. He has bought us twice over, both through his generous death and also by his amazing resurrection life.”

There really is no middle ground.
There is no peace in lukewarm living.
Because we can’t serve two masters.

Only an exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ will do.
Only total surrender will get us where we want to be.
Only total commitment will be enough.

But if we do choose Jesus…
there’s life and more life,
grace and more grace,
peace and more peace.

Whose side are you on?

 

Gracious God,
You bid us to come and die with Jesus,
to live with Jesus, to choose Jesus day after day.
We want to! Enable us to surrender to you!
We don’t want what the world has to offer.
We want you! We choose you!
Come and be our everything!
Show us how we can serve you.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: Whose side are you on? Are you ready for complete allegiance to Jesus Christ?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you firmly choose your side!

This is the last day of  the Common English Bible (CEB) blog tour. Linking up today with What’s on Your Heart Tuesdays & Soli Deo Gloria. Image courtesy of Brandon Halliburton.