the basic message #E327
2/25/05
2 Corinthians 12:7
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
I don't know if I've had any great revelations, but I do have a thorn in my flesh that certainly torments me daily. You see, I'm a man that absolutely, positively believes that authentic Christianity consists of much more than saying, "I believe", or simply making a profession of faith. I fully realize I'm in a tiny minority in this world, what with all of the "easy believism" preachers out there. I really wish I could figure out how the "old time religion" of just 50 years ago got tossed aside, ushering in an era of "I'm okay, you're okay, let's have a beer".
I'm always trying to come up with analogies to express what I believe the Bible is telling us about Salvation, and I think I might have come up with a good one today. You be the judge. It starts out like this:
Some of you sharp-eyed readers saw that little word "can" in that last sentence, and it's there for a good reason. Let's run through this once more, but this time, let's add some visual images to make things pop.
Other than our "original sin", we enter this world essentially hand-in-hand with God. With the exception of Jesus Christ, there has never been and will never be a man on this earth that can live sin-free. Our sins are pretty small when we're little kids, so although that begins our separation from God, we could still reach out and touch him. Once we get into our teens, our sins get incrementally worse with each passing year. Although we can still see God, the distance is getting greater all the time. By the time we're adults, we've gotten pretty good at this sin thing, and God is so far away that sometimes we can only see a faint image of him. In my mind's eye, I see that distance as a gulf. I live near the Gulf of Mexico, and I've stood on the shore and looked out towards the horizon. I'm sure there's land out there somewhere, but I can't see it. The sinner knows God is out there, but we've created such a gulf between us and him that we wonder how we will ever get back to God.
Enter Jesus Christ. God knew, in his infinite wisdom, that we weak humans will all create a gulf between him and us, with the only real question being, "just how wide is the gulf?" Jesus is a big, powerful boat that can transport us back to our Heavenly Father without any problem. For the vast majority of modern Christians, the story ends there. Once the preacher says, "We sin and separate ourselves from God, and Jesus Christ brings us back", the person mistakenly believing they're a Christian will live a life just like the "lost". Look around and see if you can spot people that are Christians based on their words and deeds. I'm currently battling demons of anger in my job that are compromising my Christian walk. Is it okay for me to simply say, "that's what Jesus died for"? Of course not- God expects us to be an active participant in our Salvation experience from the day we ask Jesus to be our Lord up until the day we die. Why is that hard to understand?
Picture this: You're standing on the shore looking out over the gulf, straining your eyes to see God. Jesus walks up and says, "He's right over there, go to him." "How?", we ask. Jesus points to a rowboat and says, "start rowing". There will be many different scenarios that vary from person to person. There will be liars that row for 10 minutes but claim they've rowed for an hour. There will be those in denial that really believe they've rowed an hour, though they've only rowed 10 minutes. Folks like myself that are plagued with guilt will row and row, yet we will always have that gnawing doubt that we could have rowed faster or further. There will be lazy people who will tie their boat to other boats and sit back while others expend the effort.
One thing we can be sure of: Not one of us can row hard enough, fast enough, or long enough to reach God. Some folks will get closer than others, but that doesn't mean God will favor them any more than the others. Only God knows what each of us is really capable of, and he will judge us accordingly. Rowing diligently with great purpose isn't "working our way to Heaven", rather it simply says, "Dear God, I yearn to be in your presence". No matter how hard we row, the Bible tells us that none of us can make it on our own. Some might get closer to the ultimate goal than others, but regardless, our efforts will come up short. The "Christian" world has come to view Jesus as a chauffeur rather than a rescuer. The general thought seems to be, "I know I can't make it on my own, and I know that Jesus will get me to Heaven, so what the heck, I'll just sit back and wait". I think that philosophy is sending tens of thousands of people to Hell each year, but the Christian leaders of this world don't seem to be overly concerned. I don't think men like Charles Stanley really realize the message they send when they hammer the point, "saved by Grace alone", while minimizing the responsibility of the believer.
In closing, I ask you to search the Scriptures for yourself. Don't believe what I say, nor believe what the big boys like Stanley, Chuck Swindoll and David Jeremiah say. When you face God on your judgment day, none of us will be there as your lawyer to defend you- you'll be completely on your own. My advice is simple: Row as hard as you possibly can and then rejoice when the S.S. Jesus Christ pulls up and invites you aboard for your final journey to Heaven.