the basic message #E355
8/7/05
Imagine, for just a moment, the following situation: Identical twins grew up in the same household until adulthood. Both became Christians within months of each other and became active in the same church throughout their adult lives. Both have families, both have good jobs, both have done well. Studies have proven that identical twins have an uncanny "connection" that lasts their lifetimes. Have I provided a good picture here? I hope so.
Let's say they're brothers, and their names are Tim and Kim. They became Christians within months of their 14th birthday, and were pastored by the same man during their lives. Most of you are sharp enough to figure out where I'm going here: I'm building a case that these identical twins should basically also be "identical" in their spiritual lives. Unexpectedly, they're not as similar in their beliefs as you would imagine. When they're in public together, they look alike, sound alike, and apparently think alike, but when we dig beneath the surface, we learn that Kim is a light social drinker, but Tim tends to "tie one on" fairly often. While both men have wives and families, their interaction within the family unit also differs. Kim spends time with each of his children, enjoying fatherhood to the max. Tim, on the other hand, would prefer to play golf, and let his wife shoulder the heavy load of parenting. Both men are in the sales profession, but once again, there are major differences in the way they approach the situation. Kim is a workhorse, putting in admirable efforts for his company. Although he works long hours, he balances his work load with family time. It's a tough balancing act, but he manages to pull it off quite well. Tim also puts in long hours. His family thinks he's slaving away at the office, but in reality he's frequently "entertaining" clients at "Gentlemen's Clubs". Although a gentleman is the last thing you'd find in clubs like that, Tim is convinced his sales will suffer if he doesn't provide this service. You'd think Kim would have higher sales numbers than Tim, but the opposite is true. After some study, we learn that Tim outsells Kim to a large degree, but it's not because Tim is a better salesman or a harder worker. Tim has learned a secret that many salesmen know quite well: "grease the palms" of the right people and success will come. Don't get me wrong, Tim isn't in the Mafia or anything, he just knows how to "make things happen". Like what? Like providing gifts and services to the people who purchase his products. One purchasing agent, also a "Christian", likes to spend time out of town in a hotel room paid for by Tim's company. Tim also manages to provide the buyer with female companionship. These services provide Tim with millions of dollars in business, earning him the title "Top Performer" within his company. Although Tim would be called a "pimp" if he worked the street, his efforts within the corporate world have him on the fast track to become vice-president. Come to think of it, maybe Tim is already the president of vice. Kim's sales numbers are good, but not exceptional. His customers know he's a straight-shooter that provides top service for their account. If Kim is out with a customer at 2 a.m., it's because the customer needs one of Kim's products to get his plant up and running in the middle of the night.
On Sunday morning, things begin to change. Both Tim and Kim are in Sunday School and church. Although appearances suggest they're both in attendance to learn more about God and to worship him, that's not quite the case. Tim realized years ago that some of his customers like to be entertained in the world, but there are other customers that like to deal with salespeople they know from church. Tim manages to keep his seedy side concealed from his church going friends, but it gets tougher all the time to keep up the act. Another thing Tim is having trouble concealing is his the fallout from his road trips. Tim, it seems, uses his salesman's charms in the hotel bars as well. Successfully enough that he's managed to have several affairs, some going on for years. Tim couldn't afford braces for his daughter since he paid for an abortion to tidy up one of his flings. Tim and Kim, as you can see, might look alike and even appear to be very similar in public, but God sees two very different men, even though the men's pastor can't (or won't) see the reality of the situation.
What does God see? God sees two men that made a profession of faith. Perhaps at the time both were sincere and serious, but things changed. Sadly, Tim still believes he will one day meet his twin brother in Heaven. Tim and Kim's pastor routinely preaches "once saved, always saved", so Tim sees no reason to question his eternity. After all, a seminary-trained pastor knows his business, right? When Tim asked Jesus into his heart at the tender age of 14, could he foresee the temptations and distractions that would someday plague his life? Some of you will say, "Only God knows what's in Tim's heart", and you're absolutely right. Some of you will say, "Jesus said we shouldn't judge". Again, I agree, but it's not judging Tim to say he's an adulterer, liar and cheat- that's just making an observation.
I spun a story today of identical twins to convey a message of how two people, seemingly the same, can have very different destinies. The two people could be of different race or gender. One may be single, the other married. You can concoct hundreds of variations of the story, but the message stays the same: Is making a profession of faith enough, or is action needed as well? You already know what I think, so what do you think? Send an email and tell me: basicchristian@aol.com