Ever think Christianity just doesn’t work? Have you ever, deep down, didn’t want to
share your
There’s a series on RightNow Media, 8 Reasons Why I am Not a Christian, that has, as its first session,
a clip titled, Christianity Doesn’t Work. It got me thinking about a couple things I
want to share with you.
First, when we think about what Christianity promises –
peace, blessing, hope, etc – and we compare it to our lives, we often find what
we think of as Christianity to be sorely lacking. Sufficiency?
Don’t talk to me about that when I can’t make my mortgage payment. Peace?
In the face of my diagnosis? And
even that – why do I get sick? I’m
basically a good person. Hope? For what?
Heaven someday, because if there is a God, He’s letting me go through
hell right here.
We wouldn’t say those things out loud, but they float around
in any given Christian’s head moment by moment.
Why? Could it be that we’ve
missed the heart of the gospel?
John 3:16, you say.
Yes, but what about Matthew 4:17?
Ever heard of it? “From that time
Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’”
You see, we start adjusting Jesus when He doesn’t meet our
expectations, because our expectations are born of a desire for salvation
without repentance. But foundational to
the gospel message is the idea of turning from our old way of life to grab hold
of a new way of life. Life without
end. But only in repentance, only in
submission to God, can we find the gospel to “work”.
Now, the “work” word can be a taboo in our church culture of
2015. It should be, if work is understood
to be the means by which we gain salvation.
Jesus finished the work of salvation, but it doesn’t absolve us from
following Him. Maybe though we don’t
gain salvation by work, we find our salvation in work. Meaning and purpose come from turning from
the old man and grabbing hold of the new.
But we can’t hang on to both.
Something has to give. And that
is the point of frustration for many of us who would utter in our minds, “Christianity
doesn’t work.”
If you find yourself just like “everybody else”, then maybe
you haven’t given your foundation adequate thought. Maybe what’s missing is your participation in
your own salvation story. Maybe you are
desiring redemption without repentance.
So while you can pray a prayer, be baptized, go to church for a month of
Sunday’s, serve at a mission, etc – without repentance, you are left with empty
religion. And that, for sure, doesn’t
work.
So – re-read Matthew 4:17.
Read the first 7 chapters of Matthew to get a really good feel for what
is important to Jesus. Then get on
board. You won’t do it perfect, but He
has, so you are off the perfection hook.
He says repent, then tells us how to live. Let’s do it!
Peace in Christ,
Jim
Well said, brother Jim. It seems we often want to be in the world AND of the world, whereas 1 John 2:15 tells us, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." We want it both ways, and it will not work. Repentance is difficult for the proud heart of man, but complete surrender is the only way Christianity "works." I believe that is why the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Philippi that they were to "work out [their] own salvation in fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12) Each man has his own idols that come between himself and his Father. Part of working out my salvation is to find those idols, dispose of them and repent of my idolatry, not as a means of salvation (His work), but by way of making myself available to Him for sanctification. The second half of verse 12 says, "for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." The hardest thing for me is to get out of God's way and let him "will and...work for his good pleasure."
ReplyDeleteAmen, my friend! :-)
ReplyDelete