My thoughts have percolated on this particular reality of faith for years! I’ve mentioned it, occasionally, in different contexts of sermons and classes. I’ve always said, “Someday I am going to develop this study more fully.”

Someday starts today.

We live in a both/and world. If there is any way possible, we will do everything we can to secure both the best possible outcome and not have a serious negative consequence or price. That’s not really all that strange. And to be fair, it is not a universal principle. We even have an idiomatic phrase that criticizes the person who tries this: Have your cake and eat it, too; unrealistically hoping for the best of both worlds.

I want to be clear: there is a both/and reality to our walk with God in the Spirit through Jesus. We can have a fulfilling, joyful, hope-filled life in this world AND can anticipate and look forward to an eternal life in the new heaven and earth.

However, to receive that, we are faced often with either/or challenges when it might be in our nature to want the benefits of both sides. Some who choose the life of faith also want to continue the life of the world in complimentary lockstep with it. They ask, “How can I belong to God, receiving the benefits of that relationship, without giving up what I enjoy most in this world? I want both this and that.” They want a both/and world.

I want to be able to eat what I want, as much as I want, no matter the calories and carbs and saturated fats, AND I want to be healthy and fit and trim and all my numbers on my blood test are perfect.

I want to pursue all MY interests and hobbies and favorite pastimes AND have a spouse who isn’t fazed by the lack of attention I give.

I want to spend money I don’t have on anything and everything that comes along AND still have no financial worries or money shortage.

There are a lot of times when the both/and mindset just won’t work. There are choices and decisions. We must establish, often, the line of demarcation as we opt for our directions in life.

This is absolutely true of Christianity as well. There are far too many proponents of a type of Christianity that somehow makes the case that believers can pursue whatever they want, continuing to indulge their own carnal desires, AND still be in solid and strong standing with God.

Isaiah 58 is an astounding chapter! God speaks to Israel through the prophet, taking on their voice as He speaks to them.

The people’s complaint? “Why have we fasted and you (God) see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?” (verse 3)

In the same verse, God answers them, “Behold, in the day of your fast, you seek your own pleasure…”

God proceeds to list several offenses they continued to commit while, at the same time, doing the religious things they believed would make them right with the Father. They oppressed workers. They quarreled and fought wickedly. They had no humility (which is a cornerstone of fasting). They did not help those in need.
 
We want to continue to do whatever we want, listening to our worldly heart, but we still expect to receive God’s blessing.

The last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, spoke to the same problem. For the Jews, they had returned to Jerusalem and their homeland for about 100 years, finally released from the exile to Babylon. They had a temple, but it was smaller. They were becoming more and more focused on the worldly day-to-day and not the spiritual day-to-day.

They were covering the altar of God with tears, weeping and groaning and wondering why God did not accept their offerings. They asked the question about the rejection of their sacrifices. Why does He not accept them? It appears the people resolved the issue of idolatry because of their time in Babylon, but had they really? Or perhaps they simply replaced the physical idols with something less tangible: the vague “idols” of a world dictated by self and self-interest.

Next week we will dive into Malachi. A book that is 2,500 years old and has a message for us.