Christian Living

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January 23, 2012 – Playing the Part
29 Midday passed, and they played the part of the prophets until the time for offering the evening sacrifice, but there was no voice, no answer, no one who paid attention. – 1 Kings 18:29 AMP

In today’s verse, the prophets of Baal found themselves in a sticky situation. They had been challenged by Elijah, God’s only prophet left in Israel. It was four hundred fifty men against one. By worldly standards, this would have been a sure defeat for Elijah. Four hundred fifty against one is no contest. It was a David and Goliath all over again. But just like David and Goliath, God was on the side of the underdog. What was the result? God answered his prophet, while Baal’s prophets just played the part. It would be great if this verse only had a historical significance, but it doesn’t. Like the rest of the Bible, there is a lesson to be learned from today’s verse. The lesson is that there are Christians everywhere, who every day of their life, merely play the part of a Christian.

We see Christians like this every day. They are the Christians who leave church on Sunday and call other members on their cell phone to gossip as soon as they leave the parking lot. They are the Christians who stop at the liquor store several evenings a week so that they can relax when they get home. They are the Christians who love to talk about God’s love, mercy, and grace one minute but their mouths are full of profanity and perverse speech the next. Sure, all of these people will profess to be Christians, but in reality they are only playing the part.

Very often Christians play the part because they love the world more than they love God. They love to gossip. They love to drink alcohol. They enjoy using profanity. Some will claim that they have habits that cannot be broken. Some will say that a little sin never hurt anyone. Others will argue that the Bible is an outdated book with no concrete message to the modern day believer. They are all deceiving themselves and those around them. Scripture plainly says that whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God (James 4:4).

Are you an enemy of God? The prophets of Baal were. They cried out to Baal from morning until evening. They even cut themselves with knives so they would be heard. But there was no voice, no answer, and no one who paid attention. Christians find themselves in the same boat today. They say they know God, but they only know about Him. They claim to have a relationship with Him, but they talk to everyone else more than they talk to Him. Their lives are lived from one gossiping episode to the next, one drink to the next, or one colorful, four-letter adverb to the next. They are playing a part of a Christian while being the world’s friend. When they pray, they’re just like Baal’s prophets: there is no answer.

I could be very pious right now and say that I don’t understand why Christians act this way, but that would be a lie. I used to be just like them, only the world was my best friend. I was one of those modern, twenty-first century Christians who had reduced the Bible to a book of fairy tales. And guess what? When I prayed, there was no answer. I nearly lost my family before I left the world behind for the life God had for me. I had to stop playing the part of a Christian and actually be one.

Look now at Baal’s prophets’ opposition, Elijah. Elijah was a true man of God. In the surrounding passage of today’s verse, he rebuilt an altar, slaughtered a bull, and cut in into pieces alone. He did all of this at the time of the evening sacrifice. That would have been a day’s work for some in just slaughtering the bull, but Elijah wasn’t done. He dug a trench around the altar, placed the wood on the altar, than laid then meat on it. Then he ordered four jars of water be poured on the entire thing three times. The wood would have been waterlogged and the meat so soggy that any of it could hardly be burned. There was so much water that the trench Elijah dug ran over. Then he prayed. And God listened. Fire came from heaven and consumed not only the sacrifice, but also the wood, altar, water, and even dust around it that lingered from the three year drought. God didn’t answer because Elijah needed a miracle. God answered because Elijah was His servant. Elijah followed God’s instructions. Elijah did more than play the part.

Are you playing the part? Are you following the world while also trying to dabble in Christianity? Are you more likely to follow the crowd or will you be the Christian willing to stand alone in order to not compromise your faith? Saying you’re a Christian is easy, but putting it into practice is something completely different. Be consistent and persistent in your faith. Jesus asks if He will be able to find believers who are persistent in their faith when He returns (Luke 18:18). Will you be one of them? Will you be like Elijah, ready to face challenges to your faith head on and by yourself if you need to? Or will you be in the crowd like the prophets of Baal, who did nothing but play the part? Remember, if you play the part, you need not look for an answer.

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