The Rooster on the Steeple (2)

“They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, ” Titus 1:16

The Rooster on the Steeple (2)

Deny – What kinds of deeds deny God?  Did you think that the list only included morality issues?  Paul quickly straightens out that limited view.  The second kind of denial is the denial of justice for our neighbors.  This is the denial discovered in the story of the good Samaritan.  To refuse help to those in need is to deny Jesus.

If there is one dominant sin in Western Christianity today, it is the denial of my neighbor’s need.  Why is this so serious?  Because denying those whom I could help puts my well being ahead of others.  It says that my desires come first.  It demonstrates that I am not a part of the family of God because I do not share the heart of the Father who did not withhold anything necessary for my redemption.  Behavior that values my protection and provision before I reach out to someone else denies the fundamental character of God: compassion (Exodus 34:6).

A real son or daughter of the Father acts like the Father and like the Son.  Self-protection is never a part of the calculation of offering help.

When did we begin to think that just being moral was enough?  When did we start turning a blind eye to the mission of the Master?  When did we decide that the road of self-sacrifice was appropriate only after we took care of ourselves?

Does compassion require a bigger building?  More parking spaces?  Another sound system?  Does care for another depend on my budget?  Do I delay response because I have my own agenda to take care of first?  Am I too busy in the church to reach the desperate, or am I too scared to visit the prisons and the gutters?

The only gospel most people read is the gospel of your life.  If a stranger read your gospel, what values would shine through?  What deeds in your life are flooded with the Spirit?  Or are you just “getting by” because you are really counting your chickens instead of looking at the rooster on the steeple.