As we have spent the last few weeks in Lesotho, we have had the opportunity to visit villages in Malealea and talk to people about their faith. We’ve met young and old, male and female. All people in different points of their walk. As we’ve been talking with everyone, I’ve realized that there are many similarities with people back in the U.S. as well. A main commonality is that people often call themselves “Christians” but don’t always realize what that truly means or truly live that out. It can often be more like a family name they inherited rather than an ultimate sacrifice they chose to accept and inherit. Since serving as missionary in October, God placed a desire on my heart to ask the question of what is holding people back from Christianity. Some who claim to be Christian may want to act the part on the surface but deep down there is some sort of selfish desire holding them back. Today I want to face some of these chains so that any bondage can be broken in the name of Jesus. For those of you who haven’t accepted Jesus yet, it is my prayer that this message can help you come one step closer to doing so. For those of you who already have, it is my prayer that this message challenges you to go deeper in your relationship with Him.
To start, some people may be turned off by Christianity because it seems like a set of rules that limits you from life. The exact opposite is true though in the fact that God gives us life guidelines to protect us. Just as parents raise their children with house rules, these are a form of love and protection, not limitation. Since the beginning of creation of man, we have been disobedient and our sin causes destruction. It has lead to illness, famine, natural disasters and other forms of destruction that can continue to happen until the end of time. If we see God’s commands as a form of His love for us though, we can realize that it actually protects us from destruction which can lead to better health physically and emotionally. Furthermore it helps create a glimpse of heaven on earth. Just as we pray the Lord’s Prayer “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is Heaven” we can make that an actual reality by being the kingdom, following God’s will, and enjoying that experience on earth. Christianity is about freedom, not rules. Our selfish desires lead to sin and sin is a form of slavery and ultimately death. Christ gave us freedom from this though. He fulfilled the law since man could not and now we can accept the inheritance of freedom that He grants us. We no longer see his commandments as burdensome then and eventually experience joy in obedience. 1 John 5:3 says “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” I will admit in my walk with the Lord there were certain things I was slow to give up to God. Something I learned though is that partial obedience is disobedience. Our selfish desires only make us happy temporarily but convict us in the long-run. True long-lasting joy results from obedience to our Father.
For some who have not followed God’s ways, they may feel shame about this so their past is holding them back from Christianity. The book of John tell us “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (3:17) and Jesus says “If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.” (12:47) What peace our Lord offers in knowing that He came to love not judge. We all have something in our past that could be cause for judgment. Romans 3:23 tells us “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All sin is sin, there is no sin that has more weight than another. God looks down on us and we may think of it as a sin spectrum. Those who murder on one side and those who just tell a little white lie are on the other side. God sees it all the same though. John 8 paints a beautiful picture of this when it tells the story of a woman who had been caught in adultery. As Jesus was teaching to the people, the scribes and Pharisees brought the woman to Him who could have been stoned at that time according to the Law. When they asked Jesus about this, He bent in the ground and wrote with His finger “Let him who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” The people began to leave until Jesus asked “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? She said, No one Lord. And Jesus said, Neither do I condemn you; go and from now on sin no more.” May we remember this example that God does not judge us and we too are called not to judge. As the body of the church, this is especially true for those of us who have already accepted Jesus. We must realize that this can have an impact on others accepting Jesus. If we judge someone, we fail someone. Romans 2:1 tells us “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgement to one another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.” Instead John 13:34 reads “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have love you, you also are to love one another.” We are called to love, not judge. We have freedom from judging ourselves and others. Jesus shows us love and calls us to love one another the same way. He gives us complete freedom from our past sins that no longer have dominion over us. Through Christ we are born into new life and our old self is crucified. Our past can’t hold us back! It might take us some time to realize that and we may make mistakes before we realize that but Jesus will wait for us with open arms. The parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15 explains this. A man had two sons and the youngest asked him for his share of property and lived recklessly until he spent everything he had. After he ran out of money, a severe famine spread throughout the country so he got a job feeding pigs. Even while the pigs were eating he did not get any food for himself so he decided to return to his father to work as a servant for him. He did not even feel worthy of being his son anymore but was sure that his father would provie food corn hime like his other workers. When his father saw him returning home though, he felt compassion so he ran and embraced him and kissed him. The father called for a celebration for he thought his son was lost and dead but he was found and alive. The same is true of God waiting for us to return home to Him. Regardless of how we have lived our lives, a celebration awaits us when we realize He is our loving father who we can go back home to at any time after any experience.
Some people may still held back from accepting Jesus because they have been hurt in the past and can’t imagine that God would allow such pain upon them. Jesus does not inflict burdens but helps us carry them. We will suffer, just as Jesus did. This is not because of God but because of our sin that has caused the world we live in to be broken. Jesus went through the ultimate sacrifice in public by being stripped, beaten, and nailed to a cross. His death was a severe suffering but the reward was great. We are promised the same peace and fulfillment that He experienced after He died and rose to heaven. Romans 8:18 comforts us by saying “for I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us.” This means that not matter how tough our hardships get, the glory that awaits us far surpasses any trail we may be going through. This verse helped me when I lost family members unexpectedly. Despite the grief we experienced and the pain we still face through this day, I know there is a more powerful level of glory that awaits us in heaven. Many of you may be able to relate to loss, pain, or some sort of suffering as well. It can leave us wondering why but this promise of glory has absolutely given me hope in the future and what is to come.
Others may be held back from Christianity because they care about what others think. I used to be ashamed to fully accept that I was a Christian because of this. I wanted to please people and let that influence who I was and what I did. Galatians 1:10 asks us “For am I now seeking approval of man, or of God?” This is a great reminder that the only one we should be trying to please is God. It is another form of protection because we can get caught up in trying to fulfill others but we need to realize that man will fail us and Jesus is the only one who can fully complete us. Unlike the selfish desires of man, Jesus wants nothing in return from us. This gives us freedom too because He is the only one who will truly love us unconditionally despite the past, present, and future.
Another reason some do not want to accept Jesus may be because they struggle with wanting to be in control. God’s plans are far more fruitful than our own minds could ever imagine though. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” This is a stronghold in my life that I have been learning to let go of. We want to be in the driver’s seat instead of trusting God as our navigator. It is much more peaceful to let Him guide us and to trust in His plans though. We still seem to put our faith in the back seat because we may feel we don’t have time for it. We have responsibilities such as work or school and we may have families to provide for. Matthew 11:28 says “come to me all you who labor and are heavy burden, and I will give you rest.” God does not want to add to our schedule He wants to shift our schedule and simplify our lives. He offers peace, rest, and provision. God wants to give us time not take our time! He doesn’t want us to lose a single hour over anxiety or worry. Instead He has us consider the birds and how He provides for them. He tells us we are of much more value than they. We have no need to worry about food or clothing because God already has a plan to provide for us. How freeing to know we can fully let go of the steering wheel and surrender it to God. He has already gone before us so He is sure to lead us safely.
Others may be struggling to surrender because they are caught up in what the world has to offer instead of what Christianity does. We may be focused on things like beauty, success, and wealth. We think that Jesus can’t compare to these desires and wishes. He warns us against this though. 1 John 2:15-17 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. For all that is in the world-the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life-is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” So why would we waste our worries on what clothing we wear, if we can have a nice house to live in, or car to drive? All of that is temporary like our life on earth but it is our life in heaven that is eternal. We won’t be able to bring any of our possessions to heaven with us so why let our society and culture conform us to what they say is priority. Matthew 16:26 asks “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” We may chase after worldly riches but is it really worth it to sell our salvation and not inherit eternal life in heaven?
These are a few examples of what could be holding us back from Jesus as a whole, or from a deeper relationship with Him. There are many more things we could discuss and I’m sure there is even more scripture to support that Jesus is worth far more than whatever is holding someone back. In the end, we need to look at scripture that shows us that despite the fact that we choose things other than Christ, Christ always chooses us. 1 Peter 2:9 says “but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of the darkness into his marvelous light.” We are a chosen race, and royalty who receive mercy through nothing of our own doing! God wants everyone to realize this and has no restrictions on who this applies to regardless of our past, present and future. He created each and every one of us and wants us all to be with Him for eternity in heaven. The book of Ephesians explains that before the start of the world He chose us and offered us adoption into His family as His sons and daughters! Verse 19 of Chapter 2 goes on to say “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” We are saints! Not just those who are perfect, or holy, or have it all together, but each and every one of us. Jesus was the only one who was tempted yet did not sin. He came not for the best of us, but for the broken among us. Knowing this, let’s not allow anything to hold us back from what God has to offer. We are heirs with Christ and having received that inheritance we ought to act like it. Royalty lives up to their family name and carries themselves in a way that brings honor to their family. Jesus already accomplished that family fulfillment for us as the son of God yet He still shares the royalty with us. He paid the price yet gives us the reward free of charge. We ought to be honored by this offer and let our lives be an example of living royally as saints and sons and daughters of the Highest King. Whatever may be holding you back, lay your chain at the feet of Jesus and let Him break that bondage! Enjoy your ordained eternal life in the heavenly kingdom!
