Banishing Christ To The Cellar
BOBBY DOCKERY
Fayetteville AR
10/7/1998
Banishing Christ To The Cellar
Jesus said: “No one after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar… but on the lampstand, in order that those who enter may see the light.” (Luke 11.33.) On another occasion Jesus said, “I am the light…” (John 8.12,) and He explained that He had come into the world so that men might not “remain in darkness.” (John 12.46.) John says of the Christ that His “coming into the world enlightens every man.” (John 1.9.)
Our task is to enshrine the light of Christ in our hearts and reflect His glory to a sin-darkened world. But many, instead of placing Christ on the lampstand of their lives, have banished Him to the cellar!!! This is true in a number of ways…
1) IN OUR CHURCHES. Christ has been driven out of the pulpits of many churches and locked up in the basement! Their preaching is no longer focused on “Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2.2.)
His commands and teachings are no longer central to their faith and practice. His light hasbeen relegated to the cellar to be replaced by the artificial illumination of human opinion, pop psychology, “positive” thinking and entertaining chatter.
2) IN OUR HOMES. A well-known preacher of another generation was visiting the home of his newly wed son. After looking around the father said, “You have a lovely house, but nothing in it to tell a stranger whether you are a Christian or not!” What we have on display at home makes a statement about our faith. It is encouraging to visit a home where there are religious pictures on the walls, religious books on the shelves, a well-thumbed Bible on the table, and Bible study materials close at hand. It is deeply disturbing to enter a home to find unwholesome shows in progress on TV, or to see lewd books, magazines, record albums or video tapes laying around. Where is Christ in your Home? On the lampstand or in the cellar?
3) IN OUR CONVERSATION. What do you talk about most naturally and most often? Do you ever discuss spiritual things or do you leave Christ in the cellar while you converse on one worldly theme after another? The Bible commands: “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt…” (Colossians 4.6.) What is predominant in your speech? Profanity…? Gossip…? Dirty stories…? God’s name taken in vain…? If the influence of Christ is to shine from the lampstand of our lives, then we must live by this rule: “Let no unwholesome word proceed out of your mouth…” (Ephesians 4.29.)
4) IN OUR CONDUCT. Is the influence of Jesus obvious in our daily lives? (Galatians 2.20.) Peter urges, “Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that… they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God…” (1 Peter 2.12.) Christ’s influence must be taken from the cellars of our lives and placed where it belongs — on the lampstand! The words of a hymn say:
Abiding In Jesus, Like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.
It doesn’t make sense to light a lamp and hide it away in the cellar. Nor does it make sense to remove Christ from the center of our lives! Lampstand…? or cellar…? Where do you have Him in YOUR life?
—BOBBY DOCKERY
Fayetteville, Arkansas
