- Vagueness about the object of our praise inevitably leads to making our own praise the object (Michael Horton).
- Nowhere is the modern church more worldly than in its breathless idolizing of such modern notions as change, relevance, innovation, and being on the right side of history (Os Guiness).
- True discipleship involves deep relationships. Jesus didn’t simply lead a weekly Bible study. He lived life with His disciples and taught through actions as well as words (Francis Chan).
- In a culture that prizes authenticity and autonomy, friendship evangelism can be received as an insult (Rebekah Bled).
TEXT: Revelation 22:12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.
As one year succeeds another, the nearer we are to the time to transit from this life. ‘Man, who is born of a woman, is of few days’ (Job 14:1a). There is a need to think more deeply about the meaning or the reason we have had the opportunity to be part of this life and what is the destination. It is good to hear the kind words eulogising those who have rested from this life as being with the Lord, which is encouraging. However, at the back of the mind, the unspoken question lingers of whether there is clarity what happens after death or it is just psychological reinforcement meant to help people cope with the loss. Might the worldview, that is a person’s or group’s fundamental beliefs and assumptions about the world that inform their thoughts and actions be guiding them to interpretation that does not agree with the word of God? When the lens that shapes how people see and understand the world around them is blurred, they will be sincere but sincerely wrong. Jesus Christ is coming and he will not accept excuses and ignorance. That is why there is need to keep examining the scripture about the origins, that is, how one becomes a child of God and what happens when the life is gone.
Clarity of the source of information and the timing matters
The story is told of a man who rushed into a railway station one morning and, almost breathlessly, asked the ticket man: “when does the 8:01 train leave?” “At 8:01 was the answer. “Well,” the man replied, “it is 7:59 by my watch, 7:57 by the town clock, and 8:04 by the station clock. Which time am I to go by?” “You can go by any clock you wish,” said the agent, “but you cannot go by the 8:01 train, for it has already left.” (Bible study on Rhema Christian Ministries – Understanding God’s Timing). What does one do when you have left home with your luggage to take the train only to find it has left? However busy one is with the activities of this life; it is wise to synchronize God’s timing and one’s timing. To “synchronize God’s timing and one’s timing” means to align your own personal sense of when things should happen with the belief that God has a perfect plan and timing for your life, even if it seems different from your own expectations, essentially trusting that God’s timing is always right, even when it feels slow or delayed from your perspective. Every moment and every experience of this life is lived with such a finality that it cannot be treated as rehearsal. The temptation to interpret God’s word through the prism/lens of people’s personal experiences, values, and passions, instead of interpreting our lives through the lens of scripture puts one on a dangerous path. Remember the words of Jesus Christ, ‘Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:22 -23). Ensure that you do not alter God’s word to fit into your culture, however ‘normal/logical’ it is.
Recognise that God’s word, like God’s character, is timeless and unchanging (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17; Hebrews 13:8; Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:25). Allow your conscience to be captive to the written word of God, not traditions of people. To act as an obedient, non-critical, nice person who needs the institution to give direction on what to do and how to behave is a subtle way of following a path that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13). It is unwise to be so preoccupied in activities and responsibilities that numb one from thinking and help escape from reality, as this makes the faith to be like opium. You can escape reality, but you cannot escape the consequences of escaping reality.
Recognise the plank in your eye
All human beings tend to view life from the experiences and knowledge they have gathered in their life journey. That calls for an open mind and patience to listen to other viewpoints. Humility and curiosity should enable each one of us to know the new life that comes as a result of having the mind renewed by the word of God. As a result, one recognises the fragility of humanity and the bias that we all possess. Jesus talked of the speck in the other ‘s eye when viewed by one who has a plank (Luke 6:41-42). Recognizing that we will never be completely unbiased makes it easier to accept the biases of others. God is unbiased; we are not. It is important to be secure in your own identity in a way that allows you to see your own bias first and then accept the biases of others with compassion. Any belief or interpretation of the word of God that makes it harder to love and forgive people should be examined.
In conclusion the beliefs that are learned and caught in regard to one’s beginning is what give the knowledge of orientation. A Christian is one who has a new birth – origin. ‘He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.’ (John 1:12-13). Those who have been given the right to become the children of God are the ones Jesus said they would not die because they already have life that is eternal. ‘Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”’ (John 11:25). Fear, blind following of others and desire for acceptance by people who may not be seeking the same destination could be a sign that one has not had the new birth. Resist the temptation to alter God’s word in hope of fitting into the success frame that people, including churches, have come up with. All the signs such as climate change, increase in wars and rumours of war and deception, that make believers focus on short term personalized solutions, are signs of last days. Jesus Christ is coming back. Those who have become a new creation as a result of putting trust in Christ, live as led by the Holy Spirit do and go to be with the Lord when they die. Actually, from what Jesus told Mary and Martha as reported in Luke 11, implies that being with the Lord begins while one is in this life. To be so busy, anxious, stressed might be indicators that one has lost focus and is on a different path. In contrast to being self-centered, living a Christ-centered life means that we are preoccupied with Christ and his kingdom. Those already in the Lord, even when their body disconnects from the real self. Those are the ones who live with the understanding that Jesus Christ is coming again. Do you consider the question of where you will spend eternity as the most important subject that cannot be wished away?
‘The problem of cultural Christianity is that the culture always predominates over the Christianity’ (Albert Mohler)