M-G: 10.31.14 // At and At-not

Ever been there? You know that desirable place at where we want to be or think we need to be. There are innumerable “ats” in a life that is full. But this At I am speaking of is not tangible. Being at At is more than pursuing a geographical location, the at-place, or climbing up the ladder of success, the at-position. It’s not the chasing of one’s dreams, the at-ideal. It is not checking off the ats on a bucket list. It’s not an ’at a boy. At has nothing to do with being one with nature, the Universe, or oneness with anything. No, this At of all ats is entirely unique in the world of ats and highly prized but hardly desired today in a culture of self-declaration and self-determination among believers.

At is spiritual in nature and accessible to only true believers who desire to be there in their spiritual life. Spiritual resumes of heights, depths, or lengths are not applicable at At. At is a spiritual state of giving up control! In other words, we are not calling the shots; some believers still insist on calling the shots, but they are nowhere to be found at At. There is, therefore, a distinction between the Ats and the At-nots among believers, and it is similar to the haves and have-nots but dissimilar in that it is spiritual in nature only. It is not a neo-classification of believers, but it is another expression of those who are faithful and those who are not.

At is a spiritual place, figuratively speaking, in our lives where we express our love for God in obedience to His Word. In obedience we are blessed and a blessing to others. This is the byproduct of being there at At. I know that when I am there at At, the Holy Spirit is in control of my every moment and movement (Eph 5:18); all that I do is make glory statements (1 Cor 10:31); I find my intellect, emotions, and will dovetailing with the Spirit’s desire as I keep on walking under His control and experiencing the victory over my old nature (cf. 1 Jn 3:9; Gal 5:16, “You will not fulfill” is emphatic).

It is not always so in my life which is why I expressed it as “when I am there.” It is not a super spiritual state; rather, it is a normal expectation in living the life for Christ, a supernatural state diametrically opposed to the natural state of the old nature (worldliness). Expressing the fruit of worldliness, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 Jn 2:16), would be an abnormality or out of character to a Christ-like nature (Gal 5:25). Worldliness has no reflection of godliness; it is unholy, sinful, and an egregious affront to the holiness of God (cf. 1 Jn 2:16, “is not of the Father but of the world”).

Why does God condemn worldliness among His children? God does not engage in sin or have anything to do with it (Jas 1:13; 1 Pet 1:16; 1 Jn 1:5). We cannot be holy as He is holy and engage in worldliness. He won’t put up with it in our lives. Also, worldliness is a state of “passing away.” God does not operate in the temporal state but in the eternal state (1 Jn 2:17; Eccl 3:14). Those triads above encompass all sinful acts which are nothing more than wood, hay, and stubble qualities. If we degrade our holiness by “all that is in the world” (1 Jn 2:16), we will suffer loss at the Bema. What could have been eternal gain during that sin sprint is now only fodder for the fire. We can ill afford to lose heavenly rewards over a brief burning moment. 

In the At place, we best reveal our understanding of being slaves of Christ. A slave is one whose will is lost in the will of the Master. This best describes our relationship with God. A son of God best reveals his sonship to others by his submission to the Father as a slave. Paul referred to himself as a slave on more than one occasion (cf. Titus 1:1). He knew how to balance humility (slave of God) and his authority (an apostle of Jesus Christ). We got the “authority” down pat, don’t we? I think there’s some work to do in the humility department. Is it any wonder so many believers are out of balance in their lives through arrogance and being irresponsible in the position they hold as a joint heir with Christ.

Believers at At also understand that everything pertaining to them belongs to the Lord, even their very lives (1 Cor 6:19, 20). Actually, there are no personal belongings on this side of eternity; we just haven’t figured that out, which is one reason there are so many At-nots in Christendom. The At place might as well be on another planet with me, myself, and I. There is no Spirit-control with the crowding of the heart with egocentrism.

Where are you at? AT or At-not? The best place for us to be in Christ, right here right now is to be at At – slap dab in the middle of God’s will for our life. This is where it’s At for any sensible believer, not at the At-not places. At-not believers are nothing more than runaway slaves; it takes one to know one. It is the stupidest at to be – being out of His will and fighting the Holy Spirit’s control for our lives. There are no blessings there at At-not, only at At. Oh, if we could only take that truth to heart immediately! What blessings we trash so easily for a worldly (out of God's will) desire! What troubles we invite into our lives with worldliness!

What kind of believer are we, really? Are we an At or an At-not believer? Our walk naturally gives it away. If we are on a spiritual lam, drifting, backsliding, running, dodging, hitting or missing it, staying low, taking time out, or whatever you want to call it, we ain’t foolin’ God or anybody worth their weight in spiritual salt but ourselves (Mt 7:20). An At-not believer is in a tailspin heading for the ground. His spiritual orientation to the horizon is dirt bound! It is just a matter of time flying around in At-notville. And that's the “plane” truth!

Spiritually speaking, where are you today? Where will you be tomorrow? Where will you be next week, month, year, and the rest of your days? If we claim to possess the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:25), we better be at the ready at At, now and for now on, because the At place is not optional but expected (Eph 5:18, Gal 5:16). If we disobey, well, let's just say; it will be a rough landing at At-notville . <><