Biblically Speaking

Beer Bottle Christianity
 
By Joe Graber
 
The other day, I was working around the exterior of the church and was quite thirsty.  I was thinking of going inside to get a glass of cold water when I saw an empty beer bottle in our dumpster.  You'd be surprised at how many beer bottles are thrown onto our lawn or into our parking lot.  It struck me that the beer bottle would be the perfect size.  I could wash it out, put cold water in it and carry it around with me.  Then I thought that I could put the water filled beer bottle into the pulpit to wet my whistle with on Sunday.  The congregation might be quite amused (especially if I told them nothing). 
 
What next struck me was the thought of how often do Christians metaphorically live the life of this beer bottle.  How often do I live as that beer bottle filled with water?
 
I could take that water filled beer bottle into the bar and not stick out at all.  I would fit in with all the world.  I wouldn't be overtly evil, but I also wouldn't be overtly different.  As I live my life, how often do I just get along.  I look like my heathen neighbors.  I talk like my heathen neighbors.  Sadly, I often participate in family worship like my heathen neighbors, take difficult stands for Christian truth like my heathen neighbors and speak forth the word of God to unbelievers like my heathen neighbors do.  What do I mean?  To live like the heathen, I can simply do nothing.  I just don't live like a Christian.
 
So perhaps I go about my merry way, no one is offended by me, no one challenges me, no one bothers me.  I bother no one.  I just blend in and get along.  The little secret is that I have water...living water...on the inside.
 
Do we really think that we can get away with living a Bud Lite life on the outside with living water on the inside.  Are we hiding the light of God under a basket?  Are we denying God by our actions?  Are we showing our faith by our works.
 
James is right on this issue.  We always show our faith by our works.  If our confession completely contradicts our expression (and I'm not talking about the constant struggle to put away sin but rather putting away the struggle) then we are not deceiving our neighbors.  We are deceiving our own hearts.