There’s something profound that happens when you encounter something truly powerful for the first time. Whether it’s standing before the ocean’s vastness, experiencing the raw force of a hurricane, or witnessing something that fundamentally shifts your perspective—these moments change us. They transform our understanding from theoretical to experiential, from secondhand knowledge to personal encounter.
This same principle applies to our relationship with God, yet many of us have never truly encountered Him as He really is.
The Problem with Casual Christianity
We live in an age of casual Christianity—where God has been reduced from the Almighty Creator to something more like a buddy or a “homie.” We’ve taken God from His rightful place on the throne and brought Him down to our level, making Him comfortable, manageable, and convenient.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: we don’t fear the Lord because we have no vision of the Lord.
When was the last time you saw God for who He truly is? When did you last do something and actually worry about God seeing it? For most of us, we go about our business—doing our “junk,” as we might call it—without a second thought about God’s presence. We’ve lost the reverence, the awe, the holy fear that should characterize our relationship with the Creator of the universe.
Isaiah’s Transformative Vision
In Isaiah chapter 6, we find a powerful account of what happens when someone encounters God as He truly is. Isaiah writes: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and lofty, and the hem of his robe filled the temple.”
Notice what Isaiah saw—not God walking down the street like a pal, but God seated on a throne. This wasn’t a casual encounter. This was a revelation of divine majesty.
The seraphim, angelic beings who had never left God’s throne room and had never sinned, covered their faces and feet in God’s presence. They called out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of armies. His glory fills the whole earth.”
Think about that. These perfect beings who have never disobeyed God still cover themselves in His presence because they understand who He is. Yet we, who sin regularly, approach God casually as if He’s lucky to have us show up.
The Right Response: Humility, Not Casualty
When Isaiah encountered God’s holiness, his response wasn’t casual. He didn’t celebrate his lifestyle or debate his behavior. He didn’t try to justify himself or blame others.
Instead, he said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of armies.”
This is humility. Not weakness, but honest recognition of who God is and who we are in comparison.
The problem with casual Christianity is that it prevents this kind of honest self-assessment. When we think God is our buddy, we never apologize for what we do. We never truly repent. Repentance seems unnecessary when we’ve domesticated the Divine.
But true repentance is simple: it means walking away from what you were doing. It means recognizing sin as sin and turning from it—not because you’re afraid of punishment, but because you’ve seen the holiness of God and realize how incompatible your sin is with His nature.
What Changes When We See God Correctly
When we begin to see God as He truly is—holy, powerful, and seated on the throne—everything changes:
Our pride disappears. We can no longer walk around with our noses in the air, looking down on others. We remember what we were and recognize that if God could change us, He can change anyone.
Our awareness increases. We begin to look at people the way God looks at them. We start to weep over the lost instead of judging them. We see hurting people instead of problems to avoid.
Our sin becomes undeniable. We don’t have to ask, “Is this a sin?” We know. And more importantly, we don’t want to hide it—we want to confess it and be cleansed.
The right perception of God changes our behavior. Not through legalism or religious duty, but through genuine love and reverence for a holy God who deserves our devotion.
The Call to Be All In
Here’s the challenging truth: You’ll never see a holy God as long as you remain a casual Christian.
Remember Peter, the experienced fisherman who knew boats like the back of his hand? When Jesus called him to step out of the boat and walk on water, Peter had a choice. He could keep one foot in the boat (staying comfortable and safe) or he could go all in.
We would never have the story of Peter walking on water if he hadn’t taken both feet out of the boat.
God isn’t looking for Christians who want to keep one foot in the world and one foot on His turf. He wants us to jump in with both feet—to be fully committed, fully devoted, fully surrendered.
What does being “all in” look like? It means trusting God when you can’t see the next step. It means obeying even when it doesn’t make sense. It means selling out completely for Him, holding nothing back.
When you’re all in, you don’t worry about whether God will come through—you know He will because you’ve experienced His faithfulness. You live by faith, not by sight. You trust Him with your family, your finances, your future, and your fears.
A Church That Prays
One practical way to move from casual Christianity to devoted following is through prayer—not quick, convenient prayers squeezed into busy schedules, but dedicated time seeking God’s face.
We need to become people of prayer. An hour of prayer might seem daunting, but when we break it down—spending a few minutes at different prayer stations, praying through different concerns and requests—we discover that time with God passes quickly when we’re genuinely seeking Him.
Prayer changes us. It realigns our perspective. It helps us see God as He truly is and ourselves as we truly are.
The Urgent Reality
Jesus is coming back. That day is closer now than it’s ever been. We don’t need more casual Christians going through the motions. We need devoted followers reaching people for Christ, doing what Jesus has called each of us to do.
The Lord has work to do, but He needs people willing to do it. Like Isaiah, we need to say, “Here I am. Send me.”
The question isn’t whether God is capable or whether His plans will succeed. The question is: Will we be part of it? Will we step off the bench and into the game? Will we exchange our casual approach for wholehearted devotion?
When we truly encounter God—when we see Him seated on His throne, high and lifted up, holy and powerful—we’ll never be the same. Our perception will change. Our behavior will change. Our lives will change.
And that’s exactly what the world needs to see: a church that has encountered the living God and been transformed by His presence.
Thoughts from Pastor Toney 