A Different Kind of Deeper

The city pool is open! A few days before the gates opened for the season a neighbor girl came to the house to talk all about it. I told her the pool was filled with water. “Not the deep end,” she said. I’ve smiled about that ever since.

I’m always impressed by those who’ve walked with God for a long time. Mind you, I didn’t say those who’ve been in church a long time or those who’ve been around a long time. No, I’m impressed by those who’ve journeyed many miles with God as their guide. They seem to have a deep sense of God’s presence in their lives. There’s a winsomeness about them that is captivating. There’s a boldness that enables them to overcome the subtle hurdles that can far too easily trip us up. I wonder what their secret is.

Those who’ve walked with God a long time are what we often would call “Deep Christians”. I suppose that is in contrast to “shallow” Christians. It seems that we often equate “Deep” Christians with “Intellectual” Christians: those who are able to make convincing arguments in theological discussions. While I am all for loving God with all our mind and strongly urge you to be able to give a clear defense for your faith and to have an ever increasing understanding of why you believe, we must be ever “mindful” that deep doesn’t merely mean smart.

Jesus told us “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” In the mind of the One we want to please the most, deep Christians are those who put into practice what He commands. Obedience is not the means of salvation; it is the fruit of salvation. In Ephesians 2:8-10 we see this clearly:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Ephesians 2:8-10
Clearly, we see that our redemption is purchased by grace (vs 8-9), but demonstrated by our works (v 10).

The question we all must wrestle with is, “Am I a Deep Christian?” You answer reveals a number of things about your walk with God, including, “How serious do you take God’s commands? How do you demonstrate your love for the Lord? What is your understanding of salvation and obedience?

I’m praying for God will raise up Deep Christians. I pray God will help me to demonstrate that life for my family, my church, and my community. I pray you will not be content to stay in the shallow end of obedience, but instead will plunge into the deep end. Come on in. The water’s great!