THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF CHRISTIAN LIZARDS:
Every preacher has done it at one point or another, and it was bound to happen to me...
This past Sunday I was preaching in Albany and I felt a tug in my heart to preach from the heart and not from my notes so I threw the notes out the door and began allowing the Spirit of God to direct and guide me. As I was in the heat of the moment two great points hit me. The two types of Christian lizards.
I announced that I had two points to share...then, I touched on type one and completely forgot to share what the second lizard was. OOPS!
See what happens when we don't use notes ;-)
Since I missed the chance to share in Albany I figured now would be the suitable opportunity to share the two types of Christian lizards.
The way I look at it we have two types of lizards in many of our churches in America today. The unfortunate thing is that there is one lizard which is highly predominate across the modern western version of Christianity. That lizard looks much like you and much like me, perhaps one of the readers may do some soul-searching and find that they are part of this group.
The first lizard is a chameleon...
This type of lizard fits in at church. They worship with fervor and they give a hearty "AMEN" during the sermon. They tend to volunteer from time to time and like to socialize with church people. They speak 'Christianese' and act in a manner worthy of a Sunday morning service. They throw their money into the offering so all can see. This type of lizard is comfortable being around the church and around Christians.
The issue with this type of a lizard is that the chameleon doesn't only adapt to the church and the church people, the chameleon blends in wherever he goes. The chameleon fits in with the church, but the chameleon also fits in with the world.
This type of lizard looks just like the world and acts just like the world. They go out to all of the parties. They complain about their bosses in the workplace. They are comfortable being around the world and being around sin. Often when they encounter sin they choose to partake as well and do so gladly. They don't give good tips, they don't volunteer unless it gives them recognition. They are just like the world.
The 'Christian' chameleon isn't a Christian at all. They are social believers whom have learned to adapt to whatever situation they are in. In the church they are Christians, in the world they are sinners, in reality they are lost! These people fit in with everyone and live for nothing. They give Christ a bad name and they give the world an excuse to continue in their sin. This is the chameleon.
The second lizard is a lacertid lizard:
This type of lizard sheds it's skin frequently, nearly every day. They are famous for the constant shedding of their skin. These lizards are almost never comfortable. They are always striving for a new-self and striving to release the old-self. The lacertid lizard doesn't fit in anywhere and stands out everywhere he goes, because unlike the chameleon his colors don't adapt based on his environment. He stays the same everywhere he goes and sheds his old skin on a near-daily basis.
In the not-so-famous words of The Remnant Militia:
"I'm still shedding, crawling out of my old skin. You've been reintroduced again."
Far too many 'Christians' are content to be chameleons; adapting to church, adapting to the world, living in a world of self-delusion and never being true to their self.
Yet, for a Bible-believing Christian, EVERY new day should be a new US. As believers this isn't a petition- God commands it. We are to die to our flesh daily and pick up our cross EACH DAY. If we are made new in Christ then each new day is a new chance to shed the old man and reintroduce ourselves to Christ. We should wake up ready to shed off any of the dirt, filth and grime from yesterday and start each new day as a new man or woman.
Every believer should strive to be a lacertid- true to self, ridding themselves of their old nature daily, becoming new each day. All of us have fallen short of the glory of God, but we must ask if sin will rule or Christ...
WILL TOMORROW BE A DAY TO DIE TO SELF?
WILL TOMORROW BE A DAY TO BECOME RENEWED IN CHRIST?
OR will tomorrow be another day to try fitting in and continue living a lukewarm life despite the warnings in Revelation 3:16.
Let us awaken to Christ, shed off the old man, and become new in Him once again!! Just as the lacertid needs the light of day in order to shed his skin, so we need the light of God to shed off our old man.
AWAKE OH SLEEPER AND ARISE FROM THE DEAD AND CHRIST WILL SHINE ON YOU!
