10 - Come as You Are...Stay as You Are?

Today many churches are telling people, "Come as you are," when what they really mean is, "Stay as you are"...That is, stay in your sins. We don't want people to feel uncomfortable, so we can guarantee you won't hear anything too convicting in our services. We just want you to come in and feel good, and go out feeling even better.

And so, many people leave the service feeling good emotionally, but they're confused spiritually. Christians go out the doors still not understanding the need to "walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him" (Colossians 1:10). Unbelievers go out the doors feeling great (many thinking they're Christians), but still headed for eternity in Hell.

The Apostle Paul desired far better things for the Colossian church. He explained to them that while those who come to Christ "come as you are," as undeserving sinners, God's kingdom has no place for "stay as you are." God doesn't let Christians remain comfortable in their sins. The Holy Spirit begins His work of sanctification as soon as you are saved. If you're not seeking to please Christ above all, it's a strong indicator that you aren't truly a Christian. You need to go back to the Word, understand the Gospel, and get right with God.

That's the focus of this week's broadcast as we continue our series, Christ Above All: Studies in Colossians.