Spiritual Adultery

You have forsaken your first love

" 1To the angel[a] of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. "
- Revelations 2:1-4



Adultery in marriage might possibly be the worst betrayal one can experience. Sure we've had friends betray us before, but to have your husband or wife betray you with another takes it to another level. Since I am not married I can only speculate as to emotions such betrayal might bring about. The emotions one feels when their husband or wife has thrown away their committed love like it was a piece of scrap paper. The act of adultery is not merely physical, but it can be spiritual as well. For those are still happily married and deeply in love the act of adultery has no appeal at all and praise God for that. Spiritually, however, if we are honest with ourselves, then we might realize that all of us have committed spiritual adultery at one time or another.

First, what does spiritual adultery look like? It takes many forms, but the common theme is when we decide to give our spiritual love and our spiritual allegiance to something or someone other than to Christ himself. Quite simply it is when we forsake our first love. Some betray their marriage in Christ with money. Some betray with drugs or alcohol. Some betray with the movies they watch or with the language they use. Some betray by putting their all hope faith in a fallen government. As you can see no one is innocent of spiritual adultery for all have sinned and fallen short.

Second, how might we stop committing spiritual adultery? One way to end spiritual adultery is when we finally see our marriages to our spouses and our marriage in Christ as one in the same. When we treat Christ like we would our spouse. For those who are married, are you free to come and go as you please? Can you still date other people? Can you give your unwavering love and affection to anyone you please? I think not. The same is true for those who were married to Christ in baptism. We have committed our lives to Christ and pledged to put nothing else before our first love. Not a big bank account, a big house, a big car or even a big government. If Christ is truly Lord, then he is before all and that includes our spouses we love so much.

So this week let us reconcile with our first love that we have betrayed by giving our allegiance to things and people who are but a footstool for Christ. We mock Esau, but how many of us have given away our inheritance in Christ for a bowl of soup? We demean Judas, but how many of us have forsaken our marriage in Christ for 30 pieces of silver? Repentance is hard at first, but there is joy on the other side. Like the lost son, it is time to leave behind our spiritually adulterous ways and return to the Father who is now and forever our first love.


CJE

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Christian Music: Irrelevant

There are many who have been going to church since birth. I, however, didn't begin to grow and attend church until I was a freshman in high school. It was in the church youth group where I was first exposed to Christian music. Over time I found that I could only listen to a few Christian artists, but the majority of Christian music was just too cheesy and out of touch with the world in which I lived. Today very little has changed in the world of Christian music. I still find that 99% of Christian music is irrelevant to the struggles and suffering we experience here on Earth. So why is Christian music so irrelevant in the 21st century? Why can't Christian music critique or lament about the struggles of everyday life?

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First, Christian music has to be perfect. Some years ago there was a popular Christian artist named Michael English. He was topping the Christian charts and nominated for lots of Dove awards. But his career suddenly came to an end when it was discovered he had committed adultery. What is it with this notion that if you don't live a "perfect" life, then you can't perform Christian music. What if Michael W. Smith smoked or chewed tabacco or even used foul language in times of frustration? What if Casting Crowns went to the casinos for a birthday party? What if Third Day had a couple of glasses of alochol at dinner? Their album sales would plumet to nothing. They would be cast out of the Christian music business forever. Christian music can finally be relevant when it admits it's just as sinful as the rest of us.

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Two, Christian music is about money. If you listen to Christian artists on the radio or at concerts, then you often hear them say that they are performing for God and not the money. Bull! The Christian music business is a milion dollar business. If this is their only job, then it is all about the money. At least secular artists admit they're in it to make money. If we could only have more Christian artists like Rich Mullins who gave all his earnings away, but artists like Mullins are so rare in Christian music today. Though Christian artists don't earn as much as secular artists, it is still more money than most of us will ever see. Glory may go to God, but the checks go to them.

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Third, We live in an imperfect world. There's war, aids, cancer, and terrorism filling the world with suffering. Christian music pretends as if everything is all sunshine and roses. Yes it is ok to sing about the mansion over the hilltop, but we can't ignore the starving single mother here on Earth. We may feast on milk and honey one day, but there are some who need bread and water here and now. Christian music needs to be addressing these issues and stop pretending that everything is ok. If you think you can relevant by ignoring the plight of those around you, then you are kidding yourself.

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There are some Christian artists worth listening to. Audio Adreniline(old stuff), Third Day (old stuff), Cademon's Call, and Sara Groves. But for a band that is profoundly Christian and relevant I would suggest of course, U2. A band that critiques and loves at the same time. A band that sings of hope and yet despair too. My hope is that more Christian artists would follow U2's lead because U2 is a band that is real. U2 is a band that is relevant.

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CJE

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