Today was a long day in the garden. The Pacer App on my phone recorded 20,000 steps–some 13 km in the garden! However, it was a good day and a productive day.
Denise introduced me to the LM Radio App. We used to listen to this station in the 60s and 70s. They are the home of Rock ‘n Roll covering the 60s and 70s. Listening to Rock music tends to help me get through the gardening much better. Today they played a brand new song. The group The Rolling Stones recorded a song during lock down, focusing on the Covid-19 virus. I am not sure whether it is the name of the song or just some of the lyrics, but they repetitively sang, “I am a ghost living in a Ghost Town”.
This afternoon, before mowing the lawns, whilst raking the neighbour’s leaves up, Jenny came and said: “The Electrical is making a noise”. I went to see, and, thinking it was on the one side of the fence, went into the shed to collect the ladder. The deeper I walked into the shed the louder the noise became. Ah … the noise was coming from the other side. I unfolded the ladder and put it against the shed’s roof. As I climbed up, I saw the problem. A lizard got itself caught between a wire and a bobbin. It was close to dead … just a few shakes of the
tail left.
What can we learn from these two stories? Firstly we are not ghosts and we are not living in a Ghost Town. Amongst us might be many living people with dead souls, but they are not ghosts! We Christians are alive in Christ and live life for Him and His glory. Our souls are alive because we are born again, a miracle worked by the Holy Spirit.
Life in the soul means spiritual life with a dimension to relate to God through intimate fellowship. It includes a life of worship, service and ministry. A dead soul cannot understand the immense gravity of knowing God personally through Jesus Christ. It can never understand our committed surrender. Where the dead soul lives in sin for self and pleasure, we live for Jesus because He is our pleasure, joy and satisfaction in life.
Yet, we need to be cautious! Think of that lizard getting caught between an electrically charged wire and the bobbin. It was alive, but ended up dying. It gave just a few swishes of its tail, and then it was dead. Can a Christian lose his or her salvation? The simple answer is no … but salvation is proved by a day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year journey with Jesus as Lord. This does not mean a Christian won’t sin–we fail and and sin, even doing the unthinkable like King David–but it does means that once a Christian slips and falls, he or she will return and climb that spiritual ladder again to wholesome love, worship and service. If this person does not return, it might mean such a person has not been a Christian in the first place. They might be Christianized, religious, even interested in the atmosphere of the church … but spiritually dead.
Rev 3:15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
That’s the person here. The last few spiritual kicks (like the lizard). The only advice or counsel is in verse 18:
Rev 3:18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Verse 18 is saying such a person needs the gospel of Jesus Christ! Oh my beloved friends, make sure you are safe and secure in the glorious Kingdom of Jesus. Today, dealing with Covid-19, many are more worried about the economy or about the prevention of contracting the Covid-19 virus, but, sadly not their soul!
Lord, examine my soul and see whether I am in your Kingdom. If not, please save my soul. Help me to confess my sin, repent and lead a new life and surrender to live under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Amen.