THE EMPTY CHRISTIAN

Victor M. Eskew

 

          Jesus said:  “…I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).  The word “life” is the Greek word “zoe” which means “a full life, an animated life, a life of fullness and completeness.”  Yes, this is the life Jesus came to give to all who will follow Him, but there are many Christians who have not experienced such a life.  Their lives are not full.  Sadly, they are empty Christians.

          These individuals know that they should be full of God, but they are not.  Thus, they are not enthusiastic in their practice of the Christian faith.  When we examine their lives, there is no growth, no motivation, no completeness, no joy, and no hope.  Their lives are full of doubts, regrets, complaints, criticisms, negativity, and slothfulness.  They go through the “motions of faithfulness,” but there is no heart in their actions.  They often think about quitting the faith altogether.  They do not study.  They pray, but with little faith.  They do not long for worship. They are not interested in having fellowship with the saints.  They continue to give, but not with joy.  Their good works are few and far apart.  Their Christian life is more of a bother and burden than it is a blessing.  Again, they are simply empty Christians. 

          The empty Christian can be animated again.  It is not an easy road.  It will take doing some things that are not fun and are not comfortable.  First, the empty Christain must empty himself.  Every person on earth is full of something.  To be fill with the joy of the Lord, the child of God must put off the world.  He must rid himself of the practice of sin.  He must sever from his heart from all of the things that he has allowed to come between him and God.  Too, he must pour out every excuse from his life as to why he is not able to serve God as he should.  “…cleanse your hands, ye sinners, purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.  Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep:  let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to heaviness.  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up” (Jam. 4:8b-10).

          Once you have emptied your life of the dross, you must fill it with those things that are spiritual in nature.  Here is Paul’s description of what must be done.  “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:22-24).  When Paul wrote to the church at Colossae, he admonished them with similar words.  “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication about of your mouth.  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him…Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any:  even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness” (Col. 3:8-14).  Jesus taught a lesson about failing to put something within after an evil spirit is cast out.  Listen to His words:  “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.  Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.  Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there:  and the last state of that man is worse than the first….” (Matt. 12:43-45).  God has many ingredients that He wants us to add to our lives.  As these become a part of the Christian, he feels himself being filled.  Healthy elements seep into his life and the emptiness begins top depart.

          This next point is closely tied to the previous one.  The Christian cannot expect to be filled with no effort on his part.  God will not miraculously fill your heart with love, joy, and peace.  The Holy Spirit will not mysteriously come into your heart and place the fruit of the Spirit therein.  Jesus will not enter your heart and inject enthusiasm and motivation into your life. Effort is required on the part of the Christian.  If you go back and closely read the texts in the previous paragraph, you will learn that knowledge is essential to the development of the new man.  “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Eph. 4:23).  “…which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Col. 3:10).  It was Paul who told the saints in Rome:  “And be not conformed to this world:  but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what his that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2).  God’s Word is the power source for the Christian.  To obtain a deep, efficacious knowledge of God’s Word takes study.  Study takes time and discipline.  Those who acquire a good knowledge of the truth, will be sculpted into the image of Jesus Christ.  Those who truly bear the image of Christ will not find their lives void and empty.  They will find purpose, satisfaction, abundance, and a life filled with fruit.  They will find the very life Jesus came to bestow upon them.

          The last aspect of the animated life is paradoxical.  In order to truly be full, the child of God must pour out himself to others. In other words, in order to have, he must give.  Here are the opening words of Proverbs 11:24:  “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth…” The next verse is similar in nature: “The liberal soul shall be made fat:  and he that watereth shall be watered also himself” (Prov. 11:25).  When a person’s life is full to the brim, there is a way for more to be added.  It involves his pouring out of some of that which he has.  The Christian takes the good things that he has been given by the Lord and shares those things with others.  As he continues to pour out, the Lord continues to fill him back up.  He is always full, and his life is a continuous fountain of blessings for others.

          “I don’t get anything out of my Christianity.”  “My Christian life is dull and boring.”  As a Christian, I am not full on the inside.”  “I must confess that I am an empty Christian.”  There are many Christians who can make such statements.  They desperately need a way to experience the fulness of life Jesus came to give.  The four steps we have set forth are:  1)  Empty yourself, 2) Fill yourself up, 3) Put forth the effort needed to acquire the knowledge that will bring change, and 4) Pour out your abundant spiritual life upon others so God can continue to fill you up.  Dear reader, it is possible for you to go from empty to full.  Once you experience His fulness, it will be hard to ever be empty again.