Following is a guest post from a very dear friend and Brother in Christ. Pastor Barry Seacrest: Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Seaford.
Please consider the following, reading it slowly. I write it for me. I needed to write this out and publicize it as a witness.
My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. No question. God has pointed out to this preacher’s heart that I must lead my people to be aware
.Christ “looking on my heart” involves every decency, including modestly and reverently, appropriately, cautiously dawning the doorstep where we come together as a people. This also includes modesty everywhere because what is in my heart permeates my trichotomy. As I studied Ex. 30-31 this morning, the physical representations (shadows of the past) scream loudly that even the way I smell ought to be a thought in reaching out to this present age. God looooves details and decency. We don’t.
Coming into the “congregation of the righteous” has been a special, distinct and preparatory process mentally, spiritually and even physically, for 1000s of years, but not in the last 40 or so. We aren’t evolving. We are devolving. We don’t know better than the millions who have gone before us… but instead Christ’s words are finding meaning, “will there be faith in the earth?”
If we plan to give our best, will that be in my trichotomy? Any place that is set aside for His people to come and worship together should be uniquely viewed. It always has been, even upper rooms and places of low degree…that’s what makes us peculiar and the place of worship in the congregation, a special one. We no longer seem to reverently present body, soul and spirit to Him as carefully as we once did. The “temples” are not coming together in an attitude of reverence as we fellowship. “My best” seems to only include my tithe, and a few inner details of the heart, if that. From the beginning, however, God longed for us, by the washing of the water of the Word to yield offerings that included our trichotomy. This is no longer important (heart, soul and body). Sad.
What does my devotion look like to Him in my trichotomy? Personally, I have decided I no longer care what is acceptable to the present age. What is acceptable becomes more slovenly every year. Styles, whether of the heart, soul or body are ridiculous and unimportant to God. He wants purity, through Christ. He wants the best I have. That may look different for different people, but it will always be the best I have. I pray He will work in me to give Him all. The best I have, whatever that be, must be the only offering.
Perhaps others will give differently. That will be their choice. Maybe giving uniquely from the way I give or yielding something distinct from me in their trichotomy is all they know. In that case, I am sure God will only hold them accountable for what they know. However, I can’t give what they give knowing what I know. I have been taught different. I will be held accountable for knowing that my trichotomy must yield up the best I have, from the deepest molecule of my heart to the very fabric I decide to place on my outer shell. He must have my best as we come together in that special place.
By Pastor Barry Secrest
First Baptist Church, Seaford, DE
Grow Stronger Roots 