Bad Kids

The Scriptures are clear. We are commanded to worship God with regularity and with other Christians. We need to worship, and we need one another. [See my last two posts.] Yet many absentee church members claim with confidence their relationship with Christ is A.O.K. This causes me to wonder.
Have you ever watched a really bad kid persist in disobedience? He pushes his parents [who should require immediate obedience but don't!] to the edge of insanity. Just as the parent starts to actually do something about the behavior the child switches gears. Like a master he bats his eyelashes and with syrup gushing from his deceitful little heart he begins to fain his love. "I love you soooo much Mommy." Parents don't fall for it!!! It is called manipulation. Whenever I watch this senario play out [and it is all too often] I think of Christ's words to His followers in John 14:15: "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." Parents, look at little Johnnie and let him know in no uncertain terms, "If you loved me you would have done what I said!" Absentee church member, how can you say that you love Christ when you do not obey His commands? The Scriptures are clear, you can't. "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."