Are You Serious?

A disturbing picture isn't it? Grotesque. Wicked. A bloody catchphrase written out by the latest anarchical Hollywood villain borrowed from children's comic books.

If you were able to immediately identify this picture, you're not alone. Millions of people have either seen the film The Dark Knight (the latest episode of the Batman movies) or been exposed to the advertising/media attention given it's release, it's deceased supporting actor, or it's good vs. evil storyline. But how many of those millions who have seen the film have been able to recognize that represented here in three small words is the precise message that the prince of this world system is trying to pound into the hearts and minds of Christians: Why so serious?

Why so serious? Being a Christian is important, but why can't we be tolerant of different viewpoints? Not everything the Bible says has to be taken literally does it? It's about old stuff that just isn't relevant today. And since men wrote it, arn't there a lot of mistakes in the Bible? You can still believe the Bible and not believe everything in it, can't you? How can we say a Buddhist or a Muslim is going to hell? The Bible is just too hard to understand? I think as a Christian, we need to be open to ideas. After all, God is a god of love, isn't He? I just don't have the time to read my Bible as much as I should. Doesn't mean I'm going to hell, so what does it matter?

Are these phrases that you've heard from other self-proclaimed Christians, or even at one time or another said to yourself? It seems that in today's anything-goes society, we're almost required to think this way. There is an expectation that if we are to get-along, then we need to adopt a go-along mindset. And if we don't, we run the risk of being branded "confrontational" or "troublemakers" with regard to our Christianity. Or we're told we're just too harsh or legalistic to fit into most of today's churches. Standing firm on biblical truth seems at times so difficult, we need to be reminded about what it means to truly get serious about our faith. This means becoming serious about what it really means to be a Christian. And it means understanding where a "Christianity-Light" doctrine of worship comes from.

The battle that we spiritually wage is two fold. We struggle to overcome the sin in our lives and within our own flesh in the battles that take place between our redeemed spirit and the still sinful bodies we inhabit. If that weren't hard enough for believers, we also find ourselves in a continual war against a supernaturally controlled, wicked system that makes up the fallen world we live in. In 1 John 5, verse 19 it says "We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." Satan is in control of this world and runs the whole system. He accomplishes his ends by using the power of his evil working through unregenerate people who make up his kingdom. The lost of the world are subject to his will and belongs to him. Whenever we are encouraged to think lightly about our faith you can be certain that it is Satan working through human agency to promote such flippancy, either through the non-religious influences of the world, or through the false religious systems which deceive the sinner into believing he can earn his salvation and therefore has the power to battle unbelief and sin on his own. And its through all these many ways that Satan asks us "why be so serious about it?" Encouraging us to question the veracity of our new life and the joy we find in knowing the mind of Christ. He whom the Bible says has literally torn us out of the very system Satan now uses to try to hinder our fellowship with God.

So how do we fight this battle? 2 Corinthians 2, Verse 11 says "so that no advantage may be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes." In Ephesians 4, verse 27 we read "do not give the devil an opportunity." We must commit ourselves daily to taking our Christianity seriously and realizing we have a new likeness, one that is different and free of this worldly system. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 4 verse 22 through 24,

"In reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."

The battles for the truth we personally engage in is but one of many in a literal, actual, and dangerous war. We as Christians are called to battle error, challenge the power Satan has over the dominion of this world with the truth of Scripture, communicated to the lost. When it becomes easy to remain in the same holding patterns or when we set limits on our worship or our growth by sticking to our old, comfortable routines, remember we are called upon to challenge ourselves. If that means a new commitment to reading, studying, and experiencing God's revealed word in order to put on the armor of God, then that's what we must do. God calls us to step outside of the worldly comfort zones and be continually putting on "the new self." Only then can we grow in our personal understanding and knowledge of the Lord so that we may lift one another up and stand shoulder to shoulder in the serious commitment to our faith Christ has called us to, and saved us to accomplish.

The Hard Truth is that Christianity is serious. Our faith is serious. In a world where we are told that it is not, that we can be tolerant of any and every error, let us remember that lives depend on standing up for the truth and fighting a battle we have to be ready to sacrifice for. The fight we engage in we cannot battle ourselves. We need the Lord's help continually. Without a serious commitment to effort in growing in our faith and worship, we fail our calling as Christians, and leave ourselves open to sin, laziness, and failing one another in our faithful walk. The consistent, steady, forward progression that should mark our lives as followers of Christ.