Lemon Christians

The first new car Dianne ever owned was a 1976 Dodge Colt.  It was the perfect girl car--small, slow, white with red and blue jean accented interior.  Unfortunately, it should have been painted lemon yellow.  What looked good on the outside became a repair man's dream.  There are "lemon laws" in place now to help protect buyers from these inferior products, but back then you just had to pay or stay. 

These situations leave a sour taste in our mouths.  It is doubtful that we will ever buy a product from a company that we feel has taken us with a lemon product.

In the Christian life there are what I call "lemon Christians."  Their Christian life isn't what it seems on the outside.  As time goes on, their true heart begins to show and it doesn't match their external attitudes and actions.  Jesus confronts the Pharisees in Matthew for their outward actions not aligning with their true heart motives.  Jesus calls them hypocrites, blind guides, snakes and a brood of vipers.  One cannot miss his anger at ungodly motives masquerading behind religious acts.

These hypocritical followers of Christ leave a sour taste not only in true followers but in the lives of unbelievers.  Unbelievers will use any excuse not to believe.  When they encounter lemon Christians, it gives them all the more reason to shun Christ and his church.

We must daily seek to tune our hearts to God's.  We must take great care in making sure our actions come from pure godly motivations--that our words and deeds complement each other. Let us make sure no one can call us a lemon Christian.

As we continue our study this Sunday in "Spiritual Abuses" we will talk about taking lemons and making lemonade in a spiritual sense.

Pastor Jeff