Christianity Operates by Invitation

In his excellent book 'Lead, Follow, and Move Hell out of the Way,' author Scott Prickett writes, "Invitation is the mechanism for multiplication."  This simple statement echoes an important point as it relates to the evangelical nature of the Christian faith.  Namely, that you invite people to meet Jesus, but you cannot argue anyone into salvation.  Some have stated that other religions rely on compulsion or an almost cult-like adherence to rigid rules and traditions (i.e.: "You must comply with our way of worship, or else.").  This type of fear mongering, however, often leads to problems with compliance and conversion over the long haul.  There is no grace here.

If we look at the Gospel of John, we see an entirely different way of thinking about faith.  John 10:17-18 says, "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life - only to take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.  This command I received from my Father."  With this passage, Jesus not only speaks about his Lordship and God's sovereignty, but also about his willful sacrifice for us on the cross.  He lays down his life willingly.  Jesus suffered, died, and was buried, only to rise again on the third day.  This is the Easter miracle, and the lynchpin of our Christian faith.  

Now just imagine if his death and resurrection were out of compulsion and not love.  Think how much that would change the nature of Christianity.  The atonement for sin may not exist, and the cross would no longer be a symbol of love and grace.  Fortunately for you and I, the death of Jesus was instead a sacrificial act of love in order to reconcile humanity's sins.  Just as God called for Old Testament animal blood sacrifice, Jesus was mankind's sinless and perfect penitent (the blood of the Lamb).  And I believe that from this willing sacrifice, comes a tradition that is propagated upon the idea of grace through faith, by invitation.  He invites; we respond and follow.  

God never forces anyone to come to reconciliation with Himself via the cross.  He gives us the ability to choose Him (or not).  Although some interpretations of salvation Scripture argue a type of choice-less determinism (called predestination), I believe this to be a misnomer.  Hopefully the Calvinists will forgive me here, but I see no convincing argument to be made insisting that we cannot choose our own fate.  Believe that God raised Jesus in your heart, and speak about him with your mouth, and you will be saved (Romans 10:9).  Likewise, anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13).  These statements are part of something called the Roman Road to Salvation, and it outlines just how you and I might reach out to God and take Him up on His invitation for salvation.  He will not force us to come to Him, but He will definitely accept us if we do.  This is the promise of our faith.  

Take some time now, to think about the difference between two different types of religious examples.  The fear-mongering proselyte versus the grace-filled evangelist.  The first walks around attempting to argue or scare people into the Christian faith.  They may focus on hell and damnation, without ever mentioning Heaven or forgiveness.  Their protocol is to win over a new convert through force or coercion.  But now imagine the other type of individual.  Talking to them about God results in peace and good fruit (patience, kindness, joy, etc.).  They draw a portrait of God which includes goodness, grace, and love.  More like a good Father than an angry dictator.  Now, which version of the faith would you be more inclined to respond to?  The second type I'm sure.  

We are lucky to have such a unique and loving invitation to go deeper from God.  In fact, we are invited to look further into what it means to walk beside Jesus on a daily basis.  To find out what it means to be granted salvation by no means of our own.  This invitation waits for all of us - it is the Good News.  See now this remarkable passage from Matthew 7:8, "For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."  If you haven't already, it's time to start knocking on God's door.  Be assured that if you do, He will invite you in.    

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Accepting Christ is the Road Less Traveled

Jesus warns us in the Gospels about the narrow and wide gates.  He is speaking about heaven and hell, and makes it quite clear to everyone that salvation is a special gift.  For those who listen to his teachings and accept God's grace, eternal rest is promised.  But for those who do not respond to His call, a worse fate awaits.  Matthew 7:13-14 says, "Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

We understand that this truth is still at play today, two-thousand years after Jesus first said it.  This Scripture deals with the idea that those who wish to live a Godly life must pass through the narrow gate.  In other words, heaven isn't the default setting for everyone.  It takes an action on our part - namely, accepting Christ and becoming baptized in order to be saved.  Conversely, it also says that a good many people in this world will not do what it takes to seek after the Lord and be reconciled to God.  Instead, they will listen to what the secular world tells them: be selfish, acquire wealth, and run after whatever makes you feel good.  This is the wide gate, and many pass through it on a daily basis.

We have all heard the expression ‘a road less traveled.’  It is often used in conjunction with the idea that the most enjoyable destination is sometimes found in remote places.  While it may be much easier to traverse distance on a nice, paved four lane Interstate, the fact remains that this route may never move us past tourist traps and traffic jams.  If we really want to see nature, we must take the old, gravel road sometimes.

Rest assured, once we get out of the car and locate that special spot, the trip is well worth it.  But resisting the urge to join the rest of the pack and shop at the seductive tourist areas is difficult.  In a spiritual sense, the outside world is constantly calling to us.  It tells us to follow our own heart, compromise our beliefs for the sake of political correctness, and engage as a follower instead of a leader.  Let's face it, as time goes on, it will become more and more difficult to stick to Biblical theology and pass through the narrow gate unless we take the road less traveled.  It will be tempting to veer to the left or the right, and compromise the teaching that Jesus and the apostles left us.  The red letters in the Bible are sometimes difficult, but also well worth the effort.  We need not compromise our faith walk.  

We live in an era of hypersexuality, affirmation and celebration of sin, and lukewarm theology.  But this leads to the wide gate - many will pass through it.  They will mistake a spiritual feeling for true salvation.  Only Jesus saves, and this occurs through acceptance of his resurrection and grace.  It is a simple truth often left out of modern worship services today.  Grace through faith, and repentance from sin (or at least the attempt at fighting our sin).  These are the weapons of the spiritually wise. 

My prayer for all of you is that you continue to gauge what you hear today on YouTube and television against what the Bible actually says.  It will be difficult in the short run, but you will find new life through Christ in the long run.  It's a marathon not a sprint, and we must ensure that our shoes fit well during the race.  No off-brand sneakers will do ... only the real thing will hold up over time.  The Biblical Jesus is the real thing, and he always has been.  You will likely need to head off the beaten path a bit to find him, but he is there.  You just need to be willing to look. 

 

 

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The Light of Christ

Let me begin by saying that I do not believe Christianity is a silent faith.  God wants us to talk about Him with other people and show the world that Jesus has changed us.  Changed us in ways that 'rub off' on others.  Changed us in ways that we could not accomplish on our own steam.  Indeed, the Bible isn't just another self-help book, like some fad diet where we need to just try really hard to focus our will power, and then we might improve.  No, it is much more than that.  It is a religion that does something, that moves inside of us in a way that translates out from the overflow in our hearts to those around us. 

With this idea firmly in view, I want to discuss two Scriptures today.  The first comes to us as part of the famous Sermon on the Mount section of the Gospel of Matthew.  Chapter 5, verses 14-16 says, "You are the light of the world.  A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put  it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."  Similarly, in Luke 11:33, we get the curious statement: "No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light."

I believe that it can be plainly said, that the light of this world we inhabit comes from Jesus Christ.  But what about the darkness?  What about all of the sin that transpires on our planet every day?  This is a more difficult question to think about.  In order for sin to exist and thrive, it must be kept in the dark.  You may have noticed in your own life, that keeping secrets is a great way to build up animosity.  Nothing deflates trust between two people more than finding out that you have been lied to, or that someone withheld information from you longer than they should have.  It makes it that much harder to trust again.

The catch, however, comes from the fact that in order to purge ourselves of sin and begin our journey down the path of righteousness - we must bring that thing we regret into the light.  Evil cannot stand or survive in the light, much less the light of Christ.  In this glow, there is only room for confession, repentance, and healing.  Secret keeping goes out the window.  You will note that in this way, the light of Jesus will edge out sin (both yours and mine).   It's painful at first - I'm not saying it isn't - but ultimately it is the only way to permanently kick a bad habit.  There is something about illumination and confession that resets the spirit I think.

In this same way, I am imploring the reader not to hide away your faith.  Resist the urge to shelve away your personal belief system into the darkness.  Do not buy into the way of the nominal Christian, which says you can praise God one day a week at church, and then act like nothing is different Monday through Saturday.  Instead, let others see your faith in plain sight.  Let the light of Jesus shine through you, and because of that, into others as well.  This same light that quenches sin and offers salvation will hold you up when the need arises.   
The Bible tells us to be salt and light.  Allow your faith to shine; it will be okay.  Don't treat your religion as a forty-hour-per-week job, where you act one way at the office and another way at home.  Christianity asks more than that from us (and we should be grateful for that I think).  Otherwise, it would be just another social club or mundane organization.  Unfortunately, I have been to a number of funerals in my time.  I have been to funerals for both family members and friends.  And I think we can all relate to attending a funeral now and then, where we simply cannot be certain of the deceased person's eternal state.  We hope always that the person is in heaven of course, but we know from the Bible that the 'narrow gate to salvation' is difficult to enter, and there are many who don't make it. 

By grace of God, the funeral for the true believer is an entirely different thing.  Oh there is grieving that occurs, don't get me wrong.  But there is also hope, faith, and a certainty that this person is now with God forever.  They had the light of Christ in them.  We can have assurance of this because they were a light in the world while they were living.  They talked about Jesus, they went to church, and they glorified their Father in heaven on a regular basis.  My grandmother was like this.  No doubt about it - everyone knows that lady is in heaven today.  We miss her of course, but there is an assurance.  She was salt and light.  Anyone she talked to could tell she loved God within the first five minutes of the conversation.  It was never in question.

Jesus is ultimately the judge, and we must be careful also that we don't become arrogant in our spiritual assessment of others.  Someone's eternal salvation isn't secured by what we think of them, but rather by whether or not they are born again.  So often it is human nature to forget that fact, I think.  And so much more comes from the way in which we live, not just how we die.  Are we living for God now?  Do others around us sense and see our faith?  Does the Spirit preserve us and enhance us like salt?  And finally - do we reflect the light of Christ with our actions, our language, and our hearts?

Christianity is not a silent faith; it is too important for that.  If you are loved by God, and you love God back, then good luck containing the light that abides inside of you!  It will spill out.  If others don't see this light, then it's time to take stock and examine your walk with God.  Don't keep the things that God has done in your life quiet.  And if you boast about it, then boast for His glory, not your own.  For it is Jesus that saves each of us, and who lights the flame which can never be extinguished.

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"Holy House: The Mystery of Marriage" sermon

Looking to get married, or simply to improve your existing marriage?  Then this sermon from my friend Pastor Jacob Sandholm is for you!  Click the link below and listen today:

Marriage Sermon

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