I think what has me and perhaps so many other followers of Jesus so put off by Harold Camping's claims of the end of the world beginning today, is that we actually do believe that the world as we know it will be judged by God in a future time; the question has never been a matter of if, but when.
Throughout history many people have claimed to know when Christ was going to return; Camping's exercise is in no way new. The problem is that each suggested time for rapture comes and goes just as every other ordinary day we encounter in this life. Today, May 21 2011, seems to be no exception (except for a joke on facebook, I am fairly certain that I am not in Heaven). But does this mean that it will never happen? Absolutely not! By no means! The Bible is clear that it will. There is just no date for it.
The danger with playing God and pretending to know when Christ is coming back is twofold. Firstly, one deceives himself. Secondly, and perhaps more severely, is that others are led into deception as well. Some are deceived into believing the false teaching, and others are deceived into thinking that there really never will be a judgment day. For the latter, I think specifically of those who do not believe in Christ.
For those who are skeptical about the claims of Jesus, claims such as Camping's must look utterly ridiculous (it is ridiculous for me and I love Jesus!) and even further support why exactly certain individuals do not buy into Christianity or its teachings about judgment. But the problem is that simply because certain individuals take it upon themselves to announce pseudo judgment days, does not mean that one is not coming. Scripture is clear. One day, we will all be judged and the world will be reborn. Evil will be gone and our tears of pain will be replaced with tears of utter joy. For the believer, judgment day is a celebration; the time in history when the human race is finally and permanently reunited with the God who is described as Love. It will be the beginning of real life as C.S Lewis always referred to it. Life as God has always intended since the beginning of time.
May we all remember that just because some people wrongly and prematurely cry wolf, there is no reason to doubt that a wolf really is coming. Creation testifies to the existence of a Creator, and our ability to know right from wrong testifies to the existence of a moral code that expresses the moral standard of a creator; and where there is a standard there is always action taken for all who fall short of said standard. All who have not acknowledged their shortcoming and received Christ, will face this judgment.
Whether you are simply my friends or fellow believers in Jesus, I ask you to be wise and be not deceived. Take the blessed time that God has given you to seek truth, and reach out for the grace that is so readily available in Jesus Christ.
He is here. He is love. He is coming. It has never been a matter of if, but when.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
The Gospel: A Spiritual Inventory
Every now and again, it is crucial to check our belief systems. Whether we are followers of Christ or not, we need to take time for introspection so that we can humbly and openly examine what we believe and exactly why we believe it.
It is a harsh reality, but a true one, that many of us are believing lies; lies about each other, lies about ourselves, and chiefly, lies about God. Even followers of Christ, His representatives here on Earth, often believe incorrectly about their God who is called Abba, Father.
The Gospel remains the single most attacked topic in the world today. For many people, both believing and non-believing alike, it is often seen as a belief system full of rules and regulations that do nothing short of ensnare and imprison those who subscribe to them; a tool used by man to manipulate and control people to his own means. But this is not what Jesus had in mind at all, and it takes only a brief reading (or re-reading) of scripture to see this.
So, I was thinking, since we are all human and flawed (I know….its true) I thought it would be good to take a spiritual inventory together. Let’s take a look at some key questions that will help to determine where our mindset is with regards to the gospel. As we do so, hopefully we will be able to see exactly how far off (or on) we are in our beliefs about Jesus and His work on our behalf.
I. Do I believe that salvation is a free gift of God?
At first glance, some of you may be quick to say “Why, of course I do, Andy! The Bible says so!” But let me follow this question with one more.
What do you do to stay right with God?
The answer to this question will determine whether our focus is really in the right place (or more specifically, on the right person). Let’s think together. We all have our holy rituals do we not?
Maybe it is reading the Bible, perhaps it is prayer while kneeling (is their no other kind?!?!?!). Maybe it is avoiding all R rated movies and never….I mean NEVER….reading……(gulp)…. Harry Potter.
I will be the first to admit that I often feel guilty for relaxing. I am so performance driven that I honestly have believed at times that God wants me to do more than He wants me to simply be. This is such a lie! What I am actually saying is that Christ’s blood was not enough for me and that I need to live a life so full of religious things and good works that I can never even sit down in Jesus name and watch a movie with my wife! WOW! Who am I focused on? Me. Not Jesus. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me.
Scripture is absolutely clear.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
“Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.” Romans 5:16
Charisma, the Greek word for “the gift of God” in both passages, means “gift of grace.” Dorea, the Greek word for “the gift” in the second passage means “the free gift.”
Salvation is nothing short of a free gift. If you want to be saved from hell, forgiven for sins, brought into a relationship with the all loving God, simply acknowledge your total inability to achieve any of it on your own, and receive the gift.
II. Do I believe that my good works for God are not a necessity, but an act of worship?
Those who are believers in Christ have a magnificent opportunity to live a life that is pleasing to God. A life where we live out our freedom from the bondage of sin, making every effort to let the Spirit of God live His wonderful life in and through us, touching people with the good news of His love.
But all too often, we get into a dangerous mindset. One in which the One who bought our salvation, and ushered in our right standing before God, becomes second rate goo. We believe the lie that we owe God our lives, and every second not spent serving Him is a second earned in hell. This is hogwash. Total and complete.
To say that we owe God our lives is to say that He needs something from us or that we are in debt to Him. But isn’t debt what Christ came to save us from? The whole point of the gospel was to get people out of debt with God. Not make them more in debt. This is why Christ died and rose again; to rescue us from a debt that we could never pay ourselves; the debt of total and complete guilt of sin before a perfect God.
God does not need our lives. He does not need our good works. We do not even owe Him good works. But He certainly deserves them!
Romans 12:1 states
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.”
True worship is not something that we give because we think God needs it; it’s something that we give because He deserves it. We offer Him our lives not because we are in debt to Him, but because we are out of debt to Him, and He deserves every single part of us simply because He is God.
III. Do I believe that my identity is not in what I do, but in who I am?
Whoever you are, whether you are a believer in Jesus or not, a simple truth exists: you will never be totally content with what you do. It does not matter how rich you are or how hard you work, you will be empty until you find true identity.
Scripture describes believers as Children of God, belonging to God, and being totally and completely submerged in a deep relationship with Him through Christ.
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1
It also describes believers as being In Christ. Check out this passage below and how often it uses the phrasing “In Christ” or “In Him.”
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5hec predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding….
11In him we were also chosen,e having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
And if that is not enough, check out one of my favorite verses below.
“3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3
If you are a believer in Christ, you are the son or daughter of the Most High God. This is who you are. You are not Bob the lawyer, Timothy the mailman, Wanda the chef (Wanda?), or even Andy the youth pastor (hey, I know that guy). You are, to borrow Brennan Manning’s book title, Abba’s Child. Why? Because you are in Christ. You are identified with Him in everything.
This is the good news. How far off are you?
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