If we are not careful, we will become salesmen for Jesus. After all, knowing the Lord is truly the greatest thing on Earth, and we truly have been commissioned to tell the whole world about our wonderful Lord Jesus. This process sometimes involves talking to strangers and going door-to-door, as it should; but in telling the world about our Saviour, we should not be salesmen selling a product that can be added to a collection of useful products.
In the time of I Samuel, it had been years since there had been “an open vision” – a preacher representing the Word of God. Men had gotten used to doing whatever was right in their own eyes. This is a recipe for selfishness and discontentment.
Then came Samuel who “was established to be a prophet of the LORD” because he “did let none of his words fall to the ground” according to I Samuel 3:18-19. The people of Israel could see a great example of a Man of God who had answers. He had peace. They remembered the “old times” – the “glory days.”
They remembered when God fought for Israel with the Ark of the covenant right out in front, and they couldn’t be beat, and they were sold! So, when the enemy attacked, they grabbed the Ark of the Covenant, and marched right out there, sure to win – and were slaughtered. They lost the Ark, then got it back, and lost even more lives when they treated it with great dishonor.
After all the men they lost, we end up in I Samuel 7, where they finally realized that they were missing something. They determined to handle the Ark properly, and to truly seek after the Lord. Samuel told all the people this in verse 3, “If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”
A relationship with the Lord is an exclusive relationship; it requires repentance. You must turn from your other gods and choose only the Lord God. You cannot simply add the Lord to the top of whatever else you are already serving in order to hope for better results!
Once Israel repented and put away the false gods, they could sacrifice to the Lord again with a clean heart. There was no longer anything between them and God, and they had the clear direction of the Lord the next time they went to battle. They were once again victorious over the Philistines!
Too often in today’s world, we want to sell Jesus like an additional topping to sprinkle on top of an ice cream Sundae, “for better tasting results.” We do this by telling people that if they just pray a magic “sinners’ prayer” they can get a free ticket to Heaven; nevermind turning from their sin to Jesus. People are willing to try it if it is not too inconvenient and if it does not cost too much. It is no wonder that there is such a lack of “Christian” victory and so much “Christian” corruption; it is because it was never “Christian” in the first place.
Salvation is very simple. It is very free. But it is very exclusive. Satan must leave before Jesus comes in. If a person is not willing to turn TO Jesus FROM everything else, he is simply trying to add Jesus to his list of failed attempts of things that have not worked so far; and it is a recipe for disaster.