“The Teabag”

 “The Teabag”

 

He who says he abides in Christ ought himself also to walk just as Christ walked.  1 John 2:6

 

In studying this verse of the Bible, I read an analogy of some Christians and tea bags.  This analogy was in Dr. Tony Evans’ Commentary of the Bible, I thought this was a very good illustration of the meaning of the word “remains” (or abides).  These words mean to “hang out with” and you can’t hang out with Christ and not have Him rub off on you.

 

Here is the analogy of the TEABAG and some Christians: “When it comes to making tea, some people dip their teabags in and out of the hot water.  Many Christians approach their relationship with Jesus like this—-dipping in and out of church on Sunday mornings, with little change resulting.  Other tea drinkers place their teabags in the water and let them remain.  In time, the tea seeps into the water and transforms it.  For Christ to influence and transform your life, you must remain in Him.”  And how TRUE that is!

 

So, when we SIN are INTIMATE FELLOWSHIP with Christ is next to nothing, because Christ Jesus is SINLESS and has ALWAYS BEEN SINLESS.  So, our RELATIONSHIP with Him SUFFERS, until we CONFESS OUR SINS and WILLINGLY TURN AWAY FROM THEM. And then our ABIDING in Him takes on a whole different way of living.  When you put your FAITH in Christ, you were given a NEW SPIRITUAL LIFE, which is PURE and SINLESS.  Then why do we still SIN?  We still SIN because of the FLESH, which is CONTAMINATED by SIN.  The Apostle Paul, had problems with this, READ Romans 7:13-25.

 

Our HOPE is this:  When Jesus Christ returns, He will ABOLISH the FLESH, or our SINFUL NATURE.  And we will then be COMPLETELY without sin.  Until then, we MUST ALWAYS, REPENT of our sins, submit to the Word of God, and WALK (remain) in the SPIRIT so that our NEW DIVINE NATURE may become MATURE.

 

If you are a TRUE BELIEVER, which tea making process do you fall into?  If you are truly abiding in CHRIST JESUS, then you would be with the Steeping group, BUT if you are a PART-TIME CHRISTIAN, then you are NOT ABIDING CONTINUALLY with Christ and it’s very likely that He is NOT RUBBING OFF ON YOU!  And if you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, you are NOT a teabag at all.  And you are SINNING and doing the devil’s deeds. The devil will INFLUENCE (tempt) you to carry out his EVIL DEEDS, and this will get you an ETERNAL DESTINY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  However, God has a PLAN to FREE you from your SLAVERY to SIN.  This is what you MUST DO:  You MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, who DIED to SAVE your SOUL.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for YOU, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and WALK DAILY with JESUS.  Do this NOW, while you STILL CAN.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!