Confessions of a Non-Tofu Tester...

Well it was coming time for dinner again and my roommate Sonia and I were starving. So, we headed to the dining hall to fill up. But when we got there we discovered all they had was BBQ tofu and chicken which didn't look all that appetizing. Me, being the considering vegetarian that I am, instantly got all excited saying, "Yay, they have tofu. I love tofu!" But then she followed up with "Have you actually ever eaten it?" No I have not. So then Sonia asked, "Well then how do you know if you've never tasted it?" My actual response was, "Because all vegetarians have to love tofu." It was all I could think of and it sounded so ridiculous. But then it hit me. We do the same in our Christian walks.

If I say I love tofu than you would have expected me to have eaten it. If we say we love God, then they expect us to prove it. That our actions demonstrate it. And sometimes they don't. Sometimes we say we love it, take a bite, and spit it in our napkin. To say you love God, but you don't follow Him or obey Him is to say you love tofu, but you've never actually tried it. And that's what the world catches us on. Tofu is still tofu no matter if we taste it or not. God's law is still absolute truth no matter if we follow it or not. But the world sees us, and what we do. God's truth is perfect, WE discredit it. Romans 2:23-24 "You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of YOU."

And maybe we do walk the walk for a little bit, but then we sink. Like when Peter walked on water or when he denied Christ three times. We look at Judas and say, how could he have ever done that? But we do the same exact thing. When you turn yourself to sin, you turn your back on God. God is holy and He hates sin because it kills us.

Others may be fooled, but God is not. He knows and detects us Isaiah 29:15-16, "Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, 'Who sees us? Who will know?' You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'He did not make me'? Can the pot say of the potter, 'He knows nothing'?" This has serious consequences. If we continue to live as hypocrites we will ruin ourselves. Sin will consume us- Job 15:34, "For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of those who love bribes." Jeremiah 42:22, "So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle." Pretty harsh words.

And worse, it doesn't just affect us. Look at Revelation 3:15-16. "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." This struck home big time when God says he wished we would be one or the other. He would rather us be cold atheists than Christians that don't live up to our name. Why? Because we discredit it. You can't use the "do as I say not as I do" approach. It doesn't work! We get on our preachy high horse sometimes, but we need to realize that we are not doing God any favors by calling ourselves christians.

Think about the world. Think about the way in which they perceive christians. This is a huge area where they catch us on. In fact they're looking for it. They are constantly searching for ways to justify their rebellion against God. And they do it by saying, "Hey, you live the exact same way I do." Why? Because honestly I think it's the only thing that makes it so they can live with themselves. Misery loves company. Getting a chance to talk to some of my non christian friends this year has really opened my eyes. And all though it be true, I hate the bumper sticker that says "I'm not perfect, just forgiven." Because it sounds like an excuse. We use God as our excuse to continue on living. But this isn't a relationship at all. It breaks the heart of God. Talk about feeling taken advantage of! Sinners are sinners. We are not going to get away with more because we are christians.

These are serious allegations. But the redemption comes as it always does through grace. When we realize that we are hypocrites we can ask God to change us so that our heart matches our actions. And He will just as He promised. So my fellow non-tofu testers, remember Ezekial 36:26, "And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart."