“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24)

Many people today have it in their minds that serving God or “being a Christian” is a part-time job.

The economy is slowly getting worse and worse, both monetarily and spiritually. In the world of finance it seems that holding one job is not enough, and a person is forced to take on two or three jobs just to make ends meet. Spiritually, society is in a moral decline. We have let our country slip from being “one nation under God” to one nation under many gods. We have thought, like with the financial system, that mere Christianity can’t cut it on its own in this world. God, to some, has lost His Sufficiency.

Many seek truth from any source rather than The Source of Truth, God’s Word. Many choose to rely on philosophy, psychology, political correctness, and situational ethics to tell them what is morally right and wrong. The truth of the matter is that we do not need anything besides God’s Word to tell us what is righteous, and to reveal to us the paths we should take.

(Jeremiah 7:8-11) “Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. (9) Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; (10) And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? (11) Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.”

The world, along with some members of the church, tells us that sin is relevant to the situation at hand. It is all a matter of perception, they say. Something is evil only when you perceive it to be evil, but you can’t force your perception of evil on the next man. What is wrong in one situation might not be wrong in another. What is wrong for me may not be wrong for you. It is all just relevant to how you perceive things, based on whatever world-view you hold at that moment. Surely a loving, understanding God cannot expect a flawed, sinful man to follow His Word to the letter all of the time. Certainly His statutes are mere suggestions on how we should or could live; but of course, there are always some exceptions. If this or that happens, we can respond as circumstance dictates in order to relieve ourselves of any possibility of momentary suffering. Hasn’t God’s grace released us from any moral obligation to live up to His command to “…Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16)? So they say.

But what does the Word of God say?

(Romans 6:15-18) “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. (16) Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (17) But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. (18) Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”

God’s Word is the Final Authority on what is the right way.

(2 Samuel 22:31) “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

(Proverbs 30:5-6) “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. (6) Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”

(Hosea 4:1) “Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.”

There is not truth outside of God’s truth. The truth is that God has given us a job to do, and His Instructions are plain.

(1 Peter 1:15-16) “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; (16) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

(1 Peter 2:21) “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:”

(Ephesians 2:10) “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

This work, contrary to popular belief, is a full time job:

(Psalms 34:1) “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

(Psalms 106:3) “Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.”

(1 Corinthians 10:31) “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

We as a nation, as well as individuals, need to “…choose you this day whom ye will serve…” (Joshua 24:15). There are many way which we can choose to go. Many ways will seem right, but their end is destruction (Proverbs 16:25). But with all the choices the world presents to us, God has narrowed it down to two choices. He has set before us “… life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

We do not need a spiritual part-time job. The world, with all of its opinions and views, will leave you lacking. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Choose to serve the Lord.