Online Articles
IF JESUS CAME TO YOUR HOUSE
If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two -
If he came unexpectedly, I wonder what you'd do.
Oh, I know you'd give your nicest room to such and honored Guest
And all the food you'd serve to Him would be the very best;
And you would keep assuring Him you're glad to have Him there -
That servicing Him in your home is joy beyond compare.
But, when you saw Him coming, would you meet him at the door
With arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly visitor?
Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in,
Or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they've been?
Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn't heard,
And wish you hadn't uttered that last, loud, hasty word?
Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about?
And I wonder, if the Savior spent a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing the things you always do?
Would you go right on saying the things you always say?
Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?
Would your family conversation keep up its usual pace?
And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace?
Would you sing the songs you always sing, and read the books you read?
And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed?
Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you'd planned to go?
Or would you maybe change your plans for just a day or so?
Would you be glad to have him meet your very closest friends,
Or would you hope they'd stay away until His visit ends?
Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on,
Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know the things that you would do
If Jesus Christ in person came to spend some time with you.
Lois Blanchard Sades
This poem struck a nerve. My lack of devotion is gut-wrenching when placed in the perspective of this poem. Why have I allowed the world to enter into my heart? Why do I make excuses for my un-holy attitude?
God calls me to be holy as He is holy (1 Pet 1:16, Lev 11:44-45). As the poem says, this does not just mean only at certain times in my life like when I am in the company of Christians. The holiness of God permeates my existence; it controls me. In order to truly become holy as God is holy, I have to change my heart and how I think about sin. I have to purify my mind by removing all things sinful from my life and purity by definition means to be free from any contamination.
Here's a revealer: When I go to the movies, where do I draw the line for if the movie is acceptable to watch or not? Do I make excuses for being exposed to one "small curse word" or only a few seconds of sinful behavior?
To allow myself to be exposed to just one "small curse word" destroys any chance I had at becoming pure. I understand that yes, sometimes in life I will not be able to completely remove external sources from attempting to destroy my purity, but that is far removed from the concept of allowing myself to be willingly contaminated. I must remove the excuses from my life and strive after God.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2
In order to be holy, I must set myself apart from this world and join myself to God's will. I must prove what is acceptable to God, not excuse what is not. I must transform my mind. Finally I must present my body as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God - meaning that I MUST BE PURE.
Jesus may not be coming to your house, but he is coming back to this world. Are you ready for that return? Are you purifying your life? Would you have something to hide if he returned before this day was over?
More verses on holiness: Matt 5:48, John 5:14, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Ephesians 1:4, Ephesians 5:27.
Skyler Meek
