I am indignant because this should not happen in a place that is so dominated by a "church" culture. This student made this choice herself, but my question is what drove her to such an act? Many will be quick to blame Satan for making her believe the lies that she had no hope, or that this will make people sorry, or whatever thought was circulating the track of her thoughts. My question is if the lies we believe bring us into bondage, where is our freedom?
"So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”"
(John 8:31-32 ESV)
If our freedom is found in truth, why does the church continue to refuse to proclaim it? Why are we so vocal about the "issues" but not about the savior? The message of the early church, the Gospel of Christ, was "repent and believe." We have generations of people in this "great country" of ours dying daily only to face an eternity in hell because we couldn't think up the right type of church program to draw them in. This may be an odd point for a Reformed thinker to make, yet I proceed.
"How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?"
(Romans 10:14 ESV)
The purpose of the church is to proclaim the Gospel. Yet, we have become so caught up in the lie that "God just wants us to be happy," that we fail to do the job we were meant to do. You wonder why our nation is on the path its on despite the numerous "Christian" organization who are active politically and socially, despite the number of mega-churches that flood our major cities. It is because we no longer proclaim the Gospel. Revealing man's sin and providing him the opportunity to cling with all of himself to the cross of Christ is no longer a priority. We are too busy trying to be politically correct and to get people to make a profession of faith, but we are so lazy and socially rooted that we don't dare ask them to bear fruit.
"“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits."
(Matthew 7:15-20 ESV)
We spend so much time, energy, and money on programs and events, yet where is the harvest? Church growth numbers? Please! Statistics show just as high a number leaving the church as there are coming into the church. You want a reason for this? It is simply because if Jesus didn't get them through the door, Jesus won't keep them there. You have many who may claim that it worked for them, but where is their fruit. Take away the fun services, the get-togethers, the lights and the music, and will they still stay? Are they bent in anguish for the cause of Christ or caught up in the american church culture and what God can do for them instead of the other way around? We are no longer acting like the church, but we have made post-modern moralistic humanism our religion, where self and community service is our god.
"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people."
(2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV)
I don't know how anyone could read the passage above without thinking our "America," let alone the world in which we live. We are a proud and arrogant people. We seek self-satisfaction above all else. Our youth are disrespectful, people are ungrateful, and we are such a slanderous people. Notice the last part of this passage: "having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power." What do you think this means? That people want to deny the power of God? No! That would be foolish.
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”"
(Romans 1:16-17 ESV)
Denying the power of God is to deny the Gospel. We build churches in the name of Christ. We start programs and small groups and Christian living bible studies all in the name of Christ. Yet, how many of us have every proclaimed the Gospel to the sinners with which we come into contact daily? We are so worried about driving them away. Worried about offending them. Worried about their heart, their self-esteem, their friendship. If our hearts are truly bent on pursuing Christ and fulfilling his commission, we have no choice but to act. Not by our weekly attendance, but our daily proclamation. "Oh you need to speak the truth in love." "Tell them about God's love."
My issue with the first statement above is that people are spending too much time "loving" and far too little time speaking the truth. If the vessel of someone's freedom is not released by our mouths, we are not loving them. My issue with the second one is that it isn't biblical. We are quick to quote that God so loved the world, but rare to never quote that He hates all who do wrong (John 3:16, Psalm 5:5). God is just, we are not, therefore He hates us in our sin-nature. Yet out of His love for His creation, He provided the precious blood of Christ to cloth us in righteousness so that we are then acceptable to God. Not of our own merit, but ONLY through the precious blood of Christ. To this redemptive work should we cling! Not to our programs and our culturally relevant services!
"But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose."
(Galatians 2:17-21 ESV)
We do not live to our satisfaction, but to the glory of God! This lie that "God just wants us to be happy" is nothing more than a guise by Satan to place the focus of man inward on self rather than outward on the beauty of Christ. Yes, God wants us to be happy, but He wants to be our happy. Not the things of this world, Him and Him alone! Are you satisfied in Christ? Are you so satisfied that if your were stripped of everything in this life as Job was, that you would be fully content in Christ? This is the aim of the Christian. This is the ultimate goal.
"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."
(1 John 2:15-17 ESV)
"If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."
(John 15:6-11 ESV)
We are to abide in Christ, which is the word of life. This word is the Gospel. We are to "hide it in [our] heart so that [we] might not sin against God." We are to, in the example of Christ, live this word. We were not meant to be hearers only, deceiving ourselves in our knowledge, but doers of the word (James 1:22). We are called to examine ourselves to see that we are in the faith, lest we fail the test (2 Corinthians 13:5). We are to hold one another accountable so that God is glorified in our lives (Proverbs 27:17), but we are so afraid to be labeled zealot, self-righteous, or judgmental."You will know them by their fruit." We are to judge the fruit of our brothers to ensure that the church is bearing it. We hold each other up in grace and in patience, but most of all in truth.
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
"If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."
(Galatians 5:16-26 ESV)
My petition to you is that of the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15 ESV). Other translations say "study to show yourself approved." We must be Bible Christians. We must study the word of truth and do our best to show ourselves approved. You are not saved, nor justified, by your works or your will. It is only through the blessed blood of Christ. But we are to remember that "faith without works is dead." Wake up church, and spur your brothers and sisters to action. It is time for revival, it is time to live the truth we seem to have forgotten how to proclaim.
"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
(James 2:14-17 ESV)
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