Day 4044 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

Ephesians 5:8 NIV

The recusal

It’s an altogether formal withdrawal, a refusal of participation, from what is typically a legal adjudication as there’s found a measure of potential bias, either personal or professional, by which the party being withdrawn is removed so as to prevent said bias from becoming the potential grounds to cause doubt in the overall outcome of the preceding. In other words it’s a “legal process by which a judge, juror, or other adjudicator steps aside from participating in a case due to potential bias, conflict of interest, or appearance of impropriety.”

Just in the case of our faith we’re neither the judge nor the jury, just far more likely to eventually face the executioner because, well, that’s what this world determined was best for Jesus.

And He’s the One we’re here to follow in what’s become a world so vastly unchanged from those days in which the culture gathered together and demanded this Man be crucified. Not sure when nor where we managed to get it in our minds that our lives here are supposed to be easy, but I think it’s becoming pretty safe to say that such assumptions have made for a dramatically weakened version of Christianity wherein we seem remarkably able to remain a part of the very place from which He called us to flee.

Not out of fear mind you, no, but simply because He knows where this place is destined to go and, well, His death proves that He wants something far better for us and in fact wants that better so badly that He willfully “submitted” to the demands of the crowd who’d gathered around and joined together in what became a chorus of cheers as He hung in what they couldn’t see was their place.

Scorning the shame so as to prove His the only Name whereby those alive must be saved.

And as much as there’s not come another nor sadly has anything else seemed to change either. Rather I am perfectly convinced that were Christ to walk amongst us again, well, He’d probably be just about as popular as He was back then. And that’s because what this world’s become is only a decidedly more technologically savvy version of the civil(?)ization He walked in then. Indeed, we’ve now far more screens through which we live but the screens don’t seem to help us love.

Which is part of why we not only need to leave but honestly should just really want to.

After all, other than it being the easiest option and therefore the one most commonly chosen, remaining in and of this world doesn’t really seem to have any real benefit anymore. Granted, there’s not much we can do about the ‘in’ part as, well, we’re here and though we hopefully are growing in that hope of our having another home in that better place that He’s gone to prepare for those few here who are His, we aren’t there yet.

Rather we’re still here for what either is still or isn’t really a reason that we either do or don’t really have any idea of let alone then possible understanding in. And again, I hope we’re all of the humility that has us taking advantage of what is this opportunity to grow in said understanding in regard to our purpose within this place as without one, well, we’re likely to continue looking to and through this place to find one.

And they don’t really offer any good ones.

Which is yet another reason why we should delight to at least turn our focus away from where we are toward both who we are and what we’re doing because of it as is hopefully, again, being defined by the One we’re now called to follow. But the only issue with that becomes that we’ve all spent so much of our lives and love following a world that only seems to grow increasingly empty of the same that so too have we. Indeed, as I’ve said a bunch here recently, I think it fair to say that we’ve not really lived life for quite some time.

But again, I’m not the judge.

Just weighing the fruit.

Which is precisely what we’re all called to do. And that’s because without this gift that He gives that’s called discernment we’ve left with only our sunken understanding of things as has been long defined by only the lies that this world has convinced us to believe. Lies such as how we’re not supposed to judge or how speaking the truth is unloving or not agreeing with everyone else just doing whatever they want is considered unkind.

Yes, we’ve seemingly become quite culturally convinced that affirmation is the destination toward which all of life is meant to aim, arriving then at a place in which everyone is not only free to do as they please (which we are), but also applauded for their being pleased within their doing things that may exist well outside of any legal, logical, moral or even humble vicinity.

Indeed, these days we’re supposed to support one another in the doing of things that may go blatantly against not only moral standards but may well in fact jeopardize the very lives of those doing them.

All because we’ve all taken it upon ourselves to live as if we are the judges in our own cases as are waged still against He who is the Son who came to set us free from the sentence of unending death that we’ve all incurred at the hands of our having more fun than faith.

Simply because the latter is a matter measured mundane and boring in what is a world that’s grown to levels of immorality that are truly impressive.

In the most depressing and distressful meaning of the word.

But alas, such is the world! It’s melting pot of every idolatry and idiocy and indecency and immodesty and immorality known to man. In fact our favorite pastime anymore seems to be the inventing of new things that are so morally adverse that we all somehow seem to agree that things are getting worse. Just never really able to pinpoint why as, well, we still believe the lie that has us convinced that it’s not because of us.

No, we’re just the ones having fun and there’s no law against having fun.

At least not that we’ve written.

Granted, we don’t really spend too much time taking into account the laws and leadings that God’s written as, well, most here seem to still think they’re Him. Indeed, many in this place live this brand of life in which they are God and thus endowed by their creator (who is themselves I guess) with this inalienable right to chase after every worldly delight that just might make their lives more fun or feel more filled or prove more fortuitous in whatever way such fortuitousness is proven.

Mostly in every delusion known to man.

But again, judging isn’t loving and so we’re not supposed to say things like that.

Instead what we’re supposed to say is that nothing anyone is doing is bad. That so long as it makes them feel good then they’re doing good. That it’s up to everyone to determine for themselves what’s best and thus what best to do about it as they are the kings and queens of their own lives. Yes, we’re supposed to just sit on the sidelines either cheering on the doing of whatever another has chosen to do or at the very least shut up and not warn them about the dangers of playing tag with freight trains.

Because speaking unto the dangers of anything anyone is doing is again considered unloving and sure to be met with at least some measure of the same judgement that our non-judgmental world insisted upon Christ for His having spent His time telling us that we could both be doing better and thus heading toward the same.

Better.

But no. We don’t want better. We don’t believe in better. We cannot anymore see any way that we could be doing any better.

So whoever comes with that suggestion can just stick it as we’re seemingly quite happy living with our heads stuck firmly where the sun don’t shine inside what’s then a life that’s being lived as if neither does the light of the Son shine to lead us up and out of the outcome we’ve chosen for ourselves.

Or at least that’s the mindset that continues to sell this version of freedom that’s ironically free in regard only to the opportunity to do as one may please and then too never once feel the need to worry as to whether or not it’s right for them to do.

No, so long as it makes you feel good then you are good.

Except that His Word says there are none who are good, not even one, but that rather ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and thus are the same in need of the Son who does still shine, but only for those who aren’t living with their heads caught firmly in their backside trying to find something else to do with this life other than just start living it for He who died for us to have the chance to do so.

Indeed, we’re walking a world that’s completely convinced that we can come up with a better outcome than salvation which begets eternal life.

And yet all we seem able to come up with is hatred, anger, hostility, animosity, etc.

Tell me please why we should want to stay of this world!

Again, ‘in’ I get as there’s nothing we can do to speed up time and reach that line upon which we get to leave as rather He apparently still has for us more to accomplish in this place and is patient with us as we all struggle to accomplish it. But the ‘of’, no, no we can certainly do something about our being of this world.

Which is exactly what He calls us to do in His calling us all to take up our crosses and follow Him.

Because such an undertaking will begin to shift everything as all the darkness in which we’ve walked and all the damnation which has been allowed to live in us because of it slowly unwinds to the point that we finally start to see the lies and grow, simultaneously, to delight in leaving said darkness behind. And this process, one that’s called sanctification wherein we experience the fullness of what He meant by putting off the old man, it’s one that takes the rest of our lives.

Why?

Because we’ve both let a whole lot of this world and its darkness inside and we’re again still here and thus still surrounded by that same darkness that will continue to want us to succumb again to its deceitful advances.

Which is why we’re told to put on the full armor of God so as to put up the fight that the rest of this ride will ask we embrace.

Because it’s not supposed to be an easy ride out of this place.

In fact, the problem with our modern Christianity is that nobody really seems to be itching to kill us. Rather we’re now just the butt of everyone’s jokes, mocked in mainstream media, vilified and ostracized in such places as hellywood and the rest of the entertainment industry and the very Name by which we must be saved is used in vain by those who too have a form a godliness but have clearly no idea what to do with it.

All because we’ve gone along with this idea that doing everything wicked is somehow okay so long as it makes someone feel good. All because we’ve bought the lie that tells us that loving others is only done in our agreeing with everything they do.

And thus the truth of the Gospel has become lost behind our desire to please mankind, thereby proving us anything but followers of Christ as His main priority wasn’t the pleasing of man but the saving of the same.

Can we say the same?

No, truth is that all of us have lived to please man or be pleased by man. Indeed, this world has become the cake that we both want to have and want to eat, or however that adage breaks down best to fit the point, the point being that we’ve each become so much of this world that still many of our thoughts and words and actions are themselves so worldly that it’s honestly fair to start asking who our god is.

Because if it’s God then we shouldn’t want anything to do with this place. But if our god is this place, as it is for most, then this place thus remains our hope, our goal, our prize, our lives.

And it’s indeed easy to see which is most fitting of the vast majority here.

And it’s not the one where God is God and man is not.

But you see, such an outlook is exactly what Christ came to save us from. It’s that way of life that we’ve all lived in which He didn’t. And that is the only verdict that can come from what we’ve all become. Because the simple fact is that so much of what’s being done down here is only done because those doing it still don’t have any cognizance of Christ.

Rather almost everyone here is living this life as if He’s not there to judge what we’re doing.

Is that really what we should be doing?

Is that the sort of mindset that we should be seeking to agree with?

Is that the way of life that we’ve been called to live by He who died that we might live forever?

No. And that’s why He makes clear here this distinction between light and darkness. It’s because darkness we’ve all been. Darkness we’ve all seen. Darkness is where we have all lived.

How can that not change knowing what we know now?

Friends, it has to. In fact, everything has to change as nothing can stay the same inside the life that we come to live if we’re truly following Him who came to save us from our sins. We cannot go on sinning, nor even agreeing with those who do, if we are truly in the Son and the Son then in us. No, the wickedness swirling around us should absolutely sicken us.

Does it?

Or rather are we, like many are and most will continue, only still entertaining it or even being entertained by it? And don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that we can be perfect as that ship sailed and sunk long ago. But we can work on doing as He’s called us to and spend out the rest of our stay here perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

This is the very premise of Paul’s request in 2 Corinthians 7:1:

“Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”

What promises?

That God will be our Father and thus us His sons and daughters who are then loved as any father should. And that He will accept us should we “come out from them and be separate” and “touch no unclean thing” as are touched by those who are lost still serving lifeless idols and foolish ideals.

And again, this much is anymore increasingly clear to see as we walk through this sea of things that we shouldn’t have to see or hear or even know are being done.

All of which are again only said and done because most here are still living as if they’re able to keep hiding their filth in the shadows of self.

And granted, maybe they can for a while more. But part of His promise is that all that’s done in the darkness will in fact come into the light as every knee is found bowed before the Lord while it listens to every single one of our tongues confessing that Christ is King and we are sinners.

Do you know how to say that yet?

Alas, confessing Christ as Lord and Savior is something said to be only possible should we be indwelled by the Holy Spirit.

Are we?

Is there any shred of any evidence that we are in fact being made new by He who came to do just that? Or rather are we still pretty much who we’ve always been, just maybe with new vices and devices that help us satisfy them?

Friends, that’s what this world’s always been. This is a veritable playground for sin in which everyone is at ongoing risk of denying the Son as such is something all of us have done and so we all know how to do it again. But that’s the point. It’s that, yes, we have known that darkened way of life spent running away from the Light. We’ve all walked that road that is wide-open and easy to hold. We’ve all held so many idols that He’s often not even been an idea we cared to consider.

Has that changed?

And if it has, as I hope it is, then where’s the proof? What evidence have we that we have begun to come apart from this place? What do we have to show Him that tells Him that we believe in Him and wish only to serve Him, honor Him, follow Him?

And well, what proof can we have if still we have any interest in anything that this world is doing or demands we do?

Friends, His call for us all is one to recuse ourselves from partaking in this preceding of a world proceeding toward eternal destruction. He calls us to admit that remaining an active participant in the goings on going on around us would define for us a conflict of interest.

Because nobody can serve two masters.

Rather we all have to determine for ourselves, this day and every other, who we’re going to serve:

The gods of this world or the God who made this world?

The simple fact is that we cannot do both as light has no fellowship with darkness nor should it ever seek one. Why? Because darkness only exists by convincing a light to stop shining.

And well, we’ve done done that enough!

Now’s the time for us to reframe our minds, refocus our lives and refuse to give either anymore to anything this world wants to fill them with. No, this world’s burgeoning filth is most definitely a conflict of interest! And that’s because, having had our part in it, we can’t then stand against it if we don’t remove ourselves from it.

So then let us recuse ourselves from the rebellions this place sells and turn our focus to solely serving God. Not because it’s going to be easy to do so in what’s clearly a place that has no interest in doing so.

No, simply because it will be even harder to face what awaits this world where it’s chosen to go.

Take the misery now my friends, for our facing worldly persecution is definitely getting off easy!

Let us then be on our way, against the world yes, but toward peace because of it.

#LeaveNoSoulUntold