Deals.
We like to make deals, don’t we? You do something for me and I’ll do
something for you. Not all of us may overtly express this attitude,
yet humanity carries such angle in its heart. How can we approach God
in prayer asking for something to happen because you have done
something for Him? If we come before the Lord as something other than
a repentant child looking for a Father’s love, He will say ‘I don’t
know you, turn from me’. And rightly so, if we indeed knew the King of
Kings (2 Timothy 11-13). If we seek God based on desiring the idea of
Heaven, for the ideal of religion’s remedy to life’s sting, or purely
because of convincing evidence, we will be sorely disappointed. The
deal we make, whether intentionally or not, stems from our conceptions
of God and essentially our motives in pursing this God. Recently, I’ve
found myself struggling with bringing first historical evidence to a spiritual
seeker of Jesus Christ, the reliability of the New
Testament documents, or whatever piece of information. Because over the past
few weeks the Lord has put the words — ‘the story of redemption’ —
repeating over and over in my mind saying, ‘what are you proclaiming?’
— am I feeding into the systematic thought of ideologies (readily
accepted in modernity) or am I bringing the beautiful story of
redemption to the thirsty?
I’m sick of clichés and the Christian vernacular used precariously
within the culture. The very words which stream from our mouths are
perceived more as fluff to non-believers (as well as some believers),
than anything that reflects the inerrant Word of God. Though the
following expressions may hold ounces of Biblical foundation and
legitimacy, they are often times regarded as jargonal fluff because we
are failing to present good fruit (which comes when we stay in the
Word, then form accurate understandings of God and begin the good fight
in discipleship) — ‘Jesus is in my heart’, ‘I am a Christian’, ‘I am
saved’ — the question that I’m really trying to raise is, what are
the real implications when we say those things. I may have said or
will say words that are in Christian terminology, but I will try my
best to explain in order to avoid clichés.
Our reconciliation to God and redemption from death come from the
promises of God; that His nation will be reconciled to Him the Father.
With the new covenant that came with the Messiah Jesus of Nazareth
(through His crucifixion and resurrection), we then as
sinners (Jews and Gentiles alike) are called to prostrate ourselves before
Jesus Christ in prayer asking for forgiveness, acknowledging who we are but
even more so, who we look to be in His spirit. The Triune God who
reigns in Heaven loves those who turn to Him. The point is to know the
Father through the Son, praise Him, glorify Him and live then eternally in Him — in
His love. By praying to Him in His name, confessing our sins, singing
praises, willing to sacrifice one’s pride, reading Scripture and by
remaining in a intimate relationship with Him among fellowship in the
Church/His body, one will know salvation. But the New Testament
explains it better than me! Always go to Scripture for resolution in
an area of uncertainty, so if any of this appears skewed to you, please
refer to the Word and a trusted elder/solid believer.
This being said, He is the hope of this world and deals are cheap. Grace and Truth are not.
The reason you go to the Cross, is to bring forth the glory of God. We
bring our vessels to Him so that He can use us, not so that we can use
Him.
I needed to write this, it was laying heavy on me.
May the Lamb who was slain receive the reward of His suffering.
Two young Moravians
— mentioned in Paris Reidhead’s 10 shekels and a shirt sermon — check it out at
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=8130754917
