Convenient Christianity?

Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
- James 4:17 -

In this day of supermarts and convenience stores, we like to do our shopping even in the church.  We are prone to pick and choose the more tender truths and commands in God's word, while leaving the harder commands within the covers of the Bible.  Where we find it easy and convenient, we gladly obey, and are glad that we are doing right.  But in the other areas that are 'not so practical' or 'not so convenient', we give excuses and rationalise.  We say to ourselves, "God will understand", while imagining that he cannot expect too much out of an imperfect creature.  We say, "That's the ideal model, but our situation is less than ideal." or, "It's not practical."  Since when do the commands of God depend on situations and our understanding of practicality?  God's commands are the standard, and his expectations will not be brought any lower just because we are flesh, or if our culture does not accept it, or if they are 'inconvenient' or hard to obey.

It is easy for us to approve of the goodness of the Word, and yet imagine it does not apply to us.  It is sinful enough to know God's word and yet choose not to obey it, but the greater sin is rationalising our actions and justifying our own stubbornness.  We must deal severely with ourselves, to take the bitter commands as well as the sweet, for God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap (Gal 6:7).  We must not haggle over the obvious meanings of the passage for our more convenient intepretations of what it means or how it is to be applied.  We must not become guilty of William Wilberforce's words, "They give no more than they dare not withhold.  They abstain from nothing but what they dare not practice."

God is good.  His commands are always good, even if they are hard to accept.  And they are good for every culture and situation, whether we believe it or not.  But let us simply cast our wisdom and excuses aside, and trust in the goodness of his commands, clinging to them in every situation, even the difficult ones.