Sunday, April 25, 2010

"Why should I turn to Jesus?" How would you answer this question?

I want to start this blog with a simple question that everyone should think about very hard. If someone was to ask you why he or she should turn to Jesus, what would you say? What is the number one reason anyone should “accept” Jesus? This question is a serious problem in the church these days. Think of evangelists such as Joel Olsteen. What is his central message? Inarguably, I find that his message is that if you turn to God (the name Jesus Christ is mentioned minimally), he will bring prosperity to you and show you the plan for your life. While God does have a purpose for everyone, is this the central point of Christ’s sacrifice?

Ray Comfort (www.wayofthemaster.com) once put it very well. Imagine you are able to travel back in time to a place where you knew the people you were about to speak to were unbelievers and would die in thirty minutes. What would you say about Jesus? Would you tell them that he has a plan for their lives, that he will bless them if they turn to him? Or would you tell them that if they don’t repent and believe that he died for their sins, they would go to Hell?

The most important thing that everyone should know, especially when they come into contact with the Gospel, is that Christ died not to give them a comfortable, cushy life of blessings and prosperity, but he died so that they would not go into eternal punishment for their sins. Verses such as Mark 1:15 and 6:12, Luke 13:3, Acts 2:38, and 1 John 1:9 all press the importance of the repentance of sin. Therefore, what we all need is to realize the true purpose for Christ’s death and resurrection. We need him not to help us in our worldly life but to save us from what comes after death. The only way to salvation is to know that we are sinners, trust that Jesus is God, that he died for our sins and rose again washing away the sins of all who believe, and surrender our absolute existence to him. No one can receive salvation but through this one way.

The reason for the lack of a pure Gospel messages today is because no one wants to be told that they’re wrong, especially in our pluralistic society where a person’s emotions are placed above truth. Therefore, the church is a sanctuary for those looking for a place to “feel good.” Many think that the church is where you go where no one will look down on you or make you “feel bad.” While Christians should be open, loving, and non-judgmental, it’s our Christian duty to reveal the truth to all who seek it. This especially means the Good News of Jesus Christ.

But we must understand that God does have a plan and purpose for everyone. The main purpose for life is to live in communion with Him and glorify Him in every way. In turn, the plan that he has for us focuses around this. It varies from person to person, but it all encompasses the glory of God. Don’t take this message the wrong way. It’s a great thing to express to those looking for meaning in life that God has a purpose for them, but to take away the focal point of Christ’s sacrifice is a disservice.

Yes, God does have a plan for everyone’s life, and he does love us all, but know that he did not come to make our worldly lives comfy; he came to save us from the hell that is to come. This brings us back to the initial question. What would you say to that person asking about Jesus?

Monday, April 19, 2010

Enter the Comitatus: the Mind vs Godly Dependency

When I begin writing, a monotonous process ensues. I pace around the room speaking to myself as if engaged in conversation. I think about the topic long enough to where it seems like the thesis manifests itself in front of me. This is the skeleton of my prewriting stage, and I stress this in my classes. I tell my students not to rush, to think about the topic and the argument will eventually come to them. This works well in creative situations such as writing papers in the classroom, but there seems to be a flaw within that carries over into everyday life.

I specifically see this in myself. It took me a while to realize this, and I do not claim to have mastered it. I simply try to let go of my self confidence in a sense. I see that while I try to “think” my way through writing, I also try to “think” my way through life. I give so much credit to myself that I leave no room for things that I have no control over. I’ve sat in church many times trying to rationalize my faith; I tried to think about how God has saved me. There were many times where I couldn’t understand these points and eventually gave up trying to. It sometimes went to drastic measures where I would think until my head felt as if it could explode especially during the times I have been out of the Word and have tried in vain to think the fervor back into my heart.

Recently, Mark 10:15 finally made sense to me. At last, I was able to understand what it truly meant to be like a child. It is pure dependency. I have always depended on myself to understand what I was reading at times, what I was being told by others, and I always tried to analyze situations in my life on my own terms. I saw at that moment that I was never able to do any of those things. It is through God that I’m able to do anything in this life.

Having absolute dependency on God is the first step in overcoming our hardships. We all must understand that we can’t do anything without him. This was what I needed in my life; I knew then that the reason I couldn’t understand or rationalize my salvation was because I was trying to do so with my sinful, imperfect mind. I needed to lay all that I was at his feet and allow him to show me. In fact, I never “figured out” Mark 10:15; God revealed his wisdom to me. I can’t find, understand, or do anything without him.

In medieval Anglo-Saxon literature, the idea of Comitatus with God was overwhelming. This is the idea of companionship between servant and master where the servant has absolute need and dependency of the master. The servant knew that every fiber of his or her being depended on God. If this companionship was lost, all would cease to exist for the servant.

This idea is what we all must return to. We can’t rely on our own sinful thoughts to carry us through life. We must turn to Christ for full dependency giving full control to him, yet this is one of the greatest obstacles for most. The American culture clearly promotes self confidence and independence. Don’t be mistaken. These are all great qualities in moderation, but there does come a point in life when we must understand what each person is: a sinner who cannot live without Christ. The realization of this truth leads to a point where a person must ask, “how do I make it in this world?” Many people with serious issues such as addiction, abuse, and other dire situations ask this question; most know that they can’t do it alone. This should reveal a bit about how self righteous a lot of us may be. It seems that the ones that think they don’t need help and have everything under control are less enlightened than those who society deems less desirable. It is the ones in the darkest places in life that are sometimes blessed with the wisdom that they need something more.

The challenge is to examine ourselves at this point in life to see if we are more reliant on our own power or on God’s ultimate authority. Before we can truly make a dent in this religiously cynical world, we must surrender to God. I pray that once we submit to the Comitatus with Christ, we can allow God to work in us in ways we never dreamed. Only then can we understand what he did for us, how he died, and what it means for us now. This is the holy wisdom that we can never “figure out” with our own weak minds. God will give the wisdom, the courage, and love needed to fight through the tempering fires of life.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

New Laces, New Shoes, and New Path: The Focus of the Journey

After wrestling with numerous ideas, I could not think of a better way to begin this blog other than give a disclaimer. The path we all take in life leads to some specific destination and it is each person’s decision, of course, to follow whichever is chosen. As for the Christian, he or she should be filled with the Word to the point of zealotry and therefore, follow the path of the zealot. Unfortunately, the path is not worn; it is paved with dry dirt and stone. It is a rocky terrain which many chose not to let their soft heels meet.

When one comes to Christ, that person must understand that the path required is not filled with worldly comfort; it requires everyone to strip away all vanity and self righteousness and see the true evil and brood of wretchedness that breeds inside. Once Christ becomes the center of that person’s life, evil desires must flee, yet the temptation never completely retreats. The path grows thicker with evil’s attempt to neutralize the holiness inside; it claws at the ankles seeking to defeat all attempts of living a Christ-like life. When the difficulty of this path is realized, many either turn away or attempt to create pseudo paths to emulate what is considered the joyous pieces of Christ’s teachings and meld to it elements of the sinful world creating a comfortable yet “righteous” path.

The blog’s purpose is not to promote the joy and comfort of this world but to help bring believers and unbelievers alike to the realization of the lifestyle that Christ demands of us all. He desires a holy life with absolute devotion, yet most deceive themselves in believing that a lukewarm life is sufficient in God’s eyes. This belief is the most detrimental to the Christian walk. It is created through many mediums in this “post-modern” world. The Zealot’s Path will expose these worldly lies and lead the reader to a crossroads. This point will require the reader to make the decision as to follow the path of the zealot or continue down which ever path is desired instead. All beliefs will be questioned; all parts of our worldly life will be evaluated and required to stand before Christ. Paul instructs us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith (II Corinthians 13:5). What will we find from this examination?

The most common issue with bringing such a topic up with many is that it brings aggressive defense, not of the faith but of worldly actions. “You don’t know how I live my life. I pray every day. You can’t see inside my heart. What about you? Are you saved? You live a hypocritical life too!” Jesus encountered this himself in his ministry, but like Christ, this blog will not focus on self righteousness, for this should be nonexistent in a Christian anyway, but on what God desires for us to do: live a life that is in absolute communion with him and in turn, glorifies him. Anything that hinders the path will be brought to light and examined. Through this, encouragement and devotion will spread and will lend support to all who seek it as stated in Revelation 3:20:

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Not only does this path lead to communion with God, but it requires a lifestyle that spreads His love to others. The true works of a Christian reveal the living, breathing love of God in this world. All Christians are Christ’s representatives on this earth and must not set in a selfish, lukewarm cocoon not sharing the greatness of his glory. This does not mean that all Christians should bang on every front door, taking others by the collars to cram the Word down the throats of everyone that answers. While we all should proclaim the Good News, living life in a loving, Christ-driven way spreads his light in this darkened world in more ways than we can imagine. The Zealot’s Path aims to bring fellow Christians and those searching for the truth closer to His greatness.

Unfortunately, simply living a Christ centered life is sometimes not enough to bring a person to the faith. There comes a point in a person’s journey where questions are asked, and reasons for specific actions are sought. It is the duty of the Christian to give an account of why the belief in Christ is sufficient. 1 Peter 3:15 tells to be prepared to defend the reasons why we have hope in Christ. The Zealot’s Path is a source of apologetic wisdom to all who wish to strengthen belief and defend the faith in Christ as well as answer the mind bending questions posted by those who search for the truth.

The path of the zealot is not a leisurely stroll; it demands full dedication and full devotion in mind and spirit. I pray that God leads all who read, myself included, to a better understanding of living a life that best suits His plans and wishes for us all.