By Don Wright
Jesus had an humble beginning. He was not born in a palace fit for a king, but in a stable built for the lodging of animals. When our Lord was born he was not placed in a fancy crib suitable for the King of kings, but in a manger, i.e., a trough in the stable designed to hold the feed for the livestock (Lk. 2:1-7). Why did Mary and Joseph have to be content with such a situation? Were they relegated to the stable as a type of persecution? Was it because of the ill-feelings that others had for them? No! It was simply due to the fact that the small town of Bethlehem was over crowded because of the census demanded by Caesar Augustus. They were forced to the stable simply because there was no room for them in the inn. Was that the last time no room was found for Jesus? Again the answer is no. There are still countless numbers of people (both in and out of the church) who have no room for Jesus. Do you have room in your life for Jesus. Are you willing to make room in your life for Jesus? Consider the following thoughts with me.
Those Who Have No Room for Jesus
1.Those who love the world. There was a man by the name of Demas who was once a companion of Paul and a friend of the cause of Christ for which Paul stood. But he forsook Paul and the cause because he loved the world. Paul said, “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world” (2 Tim. 4:10). Demas had no room in his life for Jesus, and the same is true of all who love this present world (1 Jn. 2:15). The world that we are forbidden to love is the realm of evil and ungodliness that includes everything that runs opposite to the will of God. It is the world over which Satan is god. Listen to Paul again: “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not” (2 Cor. 4:3, 4). This is the world which we have no part of if we have room in our lives for Jesus. It involves the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 Jn. 2:16). To be involved in these things is to close the door of your life in the face of Jesus.
2.Those who wish to serve two masters. Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24). In the context of this statement, Jesus is referring to priorities and earthly riches. When someone covets material things, those things become his master. Now, it is impossible to serve both God and these material things referred to by Jesus as mammon. Why? Because God and Mammon are two masters that demand opposite things from their subjects. God demands that we walk by faith, while Mammon demands that we walk by sight. God demands that we set our affections on things above while Mammon demands that we set our affection on earthly things. God demands that we seek happiness in the Creator, while Mammon demands that we seek happiness in that which has been created by man. Is it not clear that we cannot serve two such masters simultaneously? Now the point is, if we even have a desire to do so, we have no room in our lives for Jesus. God is a jealous God! He will not tolerate idols in the secret chambers of our hearts. Nothing short of loving and serving God with all of our hearts will do (Matt. 22:37). Caleb once said, “I wholly follow the Lord my God.” Can you say that? David declared, “I will keep Thy precepts with my whole heart.” Is that the kind of resolution that you have? If not, you have no room in your life for Jesus.
3.Those who do not love the brethren. Our relation-ship with each other in Christ is very important. How we get along will play a part in determining the destiny of our souls. If there is any group of people who should receive, accept, and love one another, it should be Christians. Do you care for brethren? Do you hold grudges against those in Christ who may have offended you? Do you have a problem with a brother or sister in Christ that you are unwilling to resolve? Do you have feelings of bitterness toward any brother or sister in Christ? If so, there is no room in your life for Jesus, for Jesus demands that we love one another (1 Jn. 4:7-21). Remember, love causes us to act in the best interest of others. While love is willing to forgive, it does not ignore sin, tolerate error, or fellowship darkness. If we love brethren, we will rebuke them when they go astray from God’s Word!
Places Where There Is No Room For Jesus
1. In the minds of some. A multitude of thoughts invade our minds every day. From the time we wake to the time we return to sleep, and even in our sleep, our minds are full. There are innumerable thoughts rushing through our minds, coming and going; some abiding and some fleeing as fast as they arrive on the scene. And yet in the minds of many, there is no room for Jesus. How sad it is for a Christian to have no room in his thought-life for the Son of God. We above all others should be thinking about Jesus all of the time. We think about our children, our spouses, ourselves, our jobs, our goals, our enemies, etc., but we do not think enough about Jesus. Brethren, if this is true of you, it must change!
2. In the homes of some. Surely we see that in our society our homes are collapsing. I am persuaded that the collapse of our society in general and the weakening of some local churches, is related to the fall of home life in this country. And why are our homes collapsing? Because in many homes today there is no room for Jesus. “What homes have room for Jesus?” someone may ask. Homes that are built on and governed by the will of God. Homes where the husband and wife share a strong mutual love for each other (Eph. 5:25; Tit. 2:4). Homes where the husband is the head of the house, and the wife willingly submits herself to her own husband (Eph. 5:22-24). Homes where the parents bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). Homes where you find the proper kind of literature and language. Homes where you find hospitality. These are the kinds of homes that have room for Jesus. I am afraid, however, that we are finding fewer and fewer homes of this nature, and until we make more room in our homes for Jesus, our homes will continue in a declining direction.
3.In some churches. This might sound strange to some, but it is true. We know that there is no room for Jesus in man-made churches, but I am talking about local churches of Christ. Here are the local churches that have no room for Jesus:
a. Churches that act without authority (Col. 3:17). We must have Bible authority for all that we preach and practice in local churches. We must do all that God has authorized the church to do (evangelism, edification, and benevolence [Eph. 4:12]), but we must not do any more. If we do, we have no room for Jesus. Some churches have room for worldly recreation and entertainment, but no room for Jesus.
b.Churches that teach or tolerate false teaching (2 Jn. 9-11). Jesus hates false doctrine! He never taught it during his personal ministry, and he will never tolerate it now. Any local church that tolerates it, regardless of who is doing the teaching, has shut Jesus out. They have no room for Jesus.
c.Churches that tolerate immorality (1 Cor. 5). Some churches are shy about enforcing disciplinary action. As a result they tolerate open sin in the camp. Paul said that those living in sin should be delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. We must be willing to do it. Sin in local churches gives Jesus a bad name and hinders his cause. Faithful churches with-draw fellowship from those living contrary to the truth. Churches that do not punish evil doers have no room for Jesus.
d.Churches that grow cold and indifferent (Rev. 2:1-5). Zeal in local churches is needed and expected by Jesus. We must serve God with all of our hearts if we are to serve him at all (Col. 3:23). When a church has a membership in which the majority has simply lost interest in doing right, they have ostracized the Son of God from their midst. When error is no longer offensive and evil is no longer abhorred, there is no longer room for Jesus!
Conclusion
We understand why there was no room for Jesus in the inn at Bethlehem. It was not anyone’s fault. There was not anyone to blame. Such is not the case today. There is someone to blame if there is no room in our lives, in our minds, in our homes, and in our churches for Jesus. We are to blame! The question is, “Do you have room in your life for Jesus?” cr
When. a church has a
membership in which the majority, has
simply lost interest in doing right, they have
ostracized the Son of God from their midst. When error
is no longer offensive and evil is no’ longer abhorred,
there is no longer room far Jesus!
Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 17, p. 16-17
September 2, 1993