Lethargic Christianity

2022-03-05

There is a danger in living in an entertainment-driven culture. Everything must be fun, or we shouldn’t do it. Every activity must thrill or forget about it. It is no wonder that religious activity must appeal to the flesh in the same fashion.

The problem is that when we are driven by the flesh, the once exciting activity becomes dull. We need to try out that new conference, new concert, new group, new church, etc. We become apathetic. It is a lethargic Christianity that is not Christian at all.

Lethargic Christianity is spectator Christianity. “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was” (James 1:23-24). And again, we read, “And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness” (Ezekiel 33:31).

The cure for lethargic Christianity is to recall this fundamental truth: Christ was crucified, He was crucified for me, and I with Him.