It takes a bit of courage and a lot of faith to dive into the deep waters of God’s holiness.  Far too many are satisfied to dwell in the shallow waters along with the multitudes who are unwilling to devote themselves to the deeper spiritual life God wills for them to experience.

Far too many people in our modern world are claiming to be Christians for the sake of political expediency or personal benefit rather than from an experience of genuine repentance and a turning away from sin.  Christ addressed this type of hypocrisy with great passion:  “Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart” (Matthew 12:34).

When my children were very young, I took them swimming in our neighborhood pool.  The shallow end of the pool was crowded with smaller kids who were wary of entering the deeper waters at the other end. But I noticed one child who was not so fearful.  He was a rambunctious little blonde-headed boy who would run off the diving board and plunge into the deep and immediately his father would extend a pole to draw him to the edge of the pool.  I was intrigued by the answer his father gave me when I asked;  “Why do you reach for him with the pole?”  His answer was short and to the point, “He can’t swim.”  I marveled at the courage this child had to plunge into the deep and the faith he had in his father.

I am saddened and disturbed to see so many Christians living their lives in the shallow end of the pool of Christianity.  Many make a confession with great ease but there is no change in their lifestyle that indicates that the miraculous transformation of salvation has taken place (Romans 12:2). The Apostle John addresses this problem in his 1st epistle: “Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth” (1John 3:18).

This plague of easy-believism has its tentacles wrapped around the modern church and it is squeezing the very life out of it.  Far too many want to be granted entry into the salvation experience and then simply live their lives on the fringe instead of diving into the depths to find and experience the spiritual treasures God has awaiting them there.

I planted a garden this year hoping to replicate the gardening skills my father demonstrated for me in my youth.  Unfortunately, this year my garden is a complete fail.  Although I fenced it in, the local critters were able to outsmart me and pretty much decimated my corn, tomatoes, etc.  I am not okay with it.  I put forth great effort; I made great sacrifices and have nothing to show for it.

Why are there so many Christians who believe that spiritual growth and maturity is an option?  When we become Christians we are set upon the way of holiness, not some of us but all of us.  We are to pursue after holiness “without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).  When Christ regenerates our soul, when we are adopted into the family, it is not okay for us to die on the spiritual vine.  It is not okay for us to wither in His garden of grace.  He paid a great price for our salvation and He expects that we will dedicate ourselves to experience the fullness of salvation.

What are the reasons for the plague of shallow living among those who would claim to be children of the King?  Perhaps it is nothing more than spiritual laziness.  Many are hesitant to enter into the deeper waters of spiritual commitment.  Many are unaware of the possibility of having an intimate relationship with Christ because they are unwilling to make the sacrifices necessary.  Self-discipline is required if we are to habitually implement Bible study and communicative prayer in our devotional life.  Some sacrifices will have to be made. 

Maybe there is some sort of theological deficit, a prevailing misperception that a deeper spiritual life can be attained without personal sacrifice, without consecrating ourselves to holy and righteous living.  

Or perhaps there are those who absolve themselves of any responsibility at all for their own spiritual state because they misunderstand the sovereignty of God.  They believe that God in His sovereignty actually determined that they would live shallow lives, or even live sinful lives, or, God forbid, they believe they cannot be rescued by a crucified and risen Christ because God in His sovereignty predetermined them to be condemned to hell.

Our God has resolved that all those who are “in Christ” will be granted entry into Heaven.  Our Heavenly Father has graciously and mercifully provided all that is necessary for the salvation of any man who willingly humbles himself and genuinely repents of his sin.  

Once entry is made into the Family of God, He is not willing for His children to be stunted in their spiritual growth.  Spiritual maturity and our individual sanctification is not an option, it is a command.  The One who declared Himself to be “the Way” has set us upon the Way of Holiness.  We are not to park along the side of the road and we are not to exit. 

The great danger is exiting onto the path of antinomianism.  This is a big word that represents a belief entertained by many that Christians are somehow exempt from moral law.  This belief tramples the grace of God by declaring that Christ’s sacrifice and God’s grace covers all sin to such an extent that it is not necessary to avoid sinning.  Paul addressed this mistaken concept in Romans 6:15, “Should we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Absolutely not!”

Another forbidden exit is onto the path of legalism.  As mentioned previously, Christ severely scolded those who would substitute law-keeping for the grace provided by His death and resurrection.

This way is not for those who would excuse their sin.  It is for those who would lay aside their sin and stay focused on Christ.  It is for those who would earnestly pursue a life of holiness and righteousness, a life made possible only to those willing to lean entirely on the strength of an omnipotent God and grace made available by an all-loving God.