A Formal Complaint by Paul West

A Formal Complaint

We refuse to go and rescue the lost from wicked camps,
And glow for Jesus pure and holy with oil in our lamps.
We refuse to fast and pray for the death of a selfish will,
And nail our affections upon the cross and give up our flesh to kill.

Because we refuse to die to self and all our worldly winning,
We can't weep for hell bound lost who blindly go on sinning.
We back down from demonic holds in cities, in schools and jails;
And because our swords are in their sheaths, the evil one prevails.

We refuse to yield our lives, our dreams, our ambitions to Christ;
And we're afraid to stake a claim because the world won't think it's nice.
We refuse to fill ourselves, daily overflowing with God,
And thus we're unable to mortify the deeds that our joy in Christ do rob.

We refuse to see God's heart is broken and crushed and grieved,
Because we refuse to be the church of glory He so needs.
We refuse to walk rejected and mocked by all who see us,
For it's far too costly to walk and talk a life that glorifies Jesus.

We refuse to work this day as Jesus did with the lost,
And we refuse to die this day as Jesus did on the cross.
We only need His love, His blessings, His favors, His pleasures, His gain,
But we refuse to carry His burdens, His sorrows, His tears, His pain.

We refuse to fast the flesh and feast the spirit well,
And thus we never last in prayer where our groanings throttle hell.
We refuse to soar to heights so near the Father's heart;
We're only content to hear nice sermons and on Sundays play the part.

We refuse to stunt the growth of the devil's vile plan.
We refuse to quench the darts that burn the soul of man.
We refuse to spread the story of the precious gospel seed,
And by shunning this, we strip the glory of Jesus to those in need.

We won't carry the bloody cross; our pride, our comfort we must keep,
And thus we murder by shutting the gate and starving the blind, lost sheep.