5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
Empty shell Christians! When I was growing up we used to spend time at my Grandparent’s cottage on the Maine coast. What a beautiful spot! Just down the beach from their place were some mud flats. At low tide we could walk around the stone cliff and get to the flats. We would take our buckets and our rakes and go clamming. We would thrust the handheld rake into the mud and pull back and up, hoping for a succulent catch. There was a real technique to do this without accidentally destroying a clam in the process. Thrust, pull, pull, pull, lift. You could feel the catch being pulled through the mud by the rake. You could often tell if you had more than one clam. Of course when your bucket was full, you helped out each other so that there would be lots of clams to eat at supper. Sometimes the effort would bring up a strange catch. The clam would look ok, but upon closer inspection the clam was filled with sand instead of the tasty insides. What a disappointment to put in the effort only to get an empty shell. In the Christian world there are people who are like that disappointing catch. Instead of true substance behind their ‘Christian’ exterior, all you find is sand, emptiness. What makes the difference is the presence of the power of God. I am not talking about the kind of power that hits people in the head in a prayer line and knocks them over. I am not talking about the demonstrations of power that raise the dead or grow limbs. The kind of power God cares about changes lives, making them more godly, reflecting the character of God in the world. Imagine taking ordinary, sinful people and turning them into vessels that can carry the greatest treasure in the world and displaying that treasure for all to see. Now that is power. Turning a drug addict or a gossip into that kind of person; that is power! Paul is talking about consistent character, more than skin deep holiness. All of us struggle with allowing the power of God to fully change us. Are you willing to let that process continue today?
The Arnold Journey 