in these days that christians call the last days, the days the seem to creep closer and closer to the return of our King, what are people more worried about. what are people really spending their times wondering, studying and concerning themselves with. i could just use the cliche topic of "the church today is concerning themselves with the latest fashions and the latest gossip of who's who in hollywood these days." i know that people concern themselves with that, i know that people are so concerned with the things of this world. but what i'm referring to is the mere fact that Jesus is being marketed and merchandised as if He were your "next big thing" in hollywood. christians are selling the name of Christ and disguising it as "ways to get people's attention" in the world to tell them about Jesus. now, don't get me wrong - i'm okay with christian t-shirts and the like, i think they are cute and a nice alternative to some of the trashy things out there that are available. but what i'm mostly talking about is that the world is publishing a God that they don't know anything about. sure a lot of people can slap christian fish on their cars and claim to be a "christian", they may even go to church on sundays, be able to quote scripture, sing worship, go on missions trips, and they can still not really know who Jesus is, who God is and what role the Holy Spirit has in your life. the problem stems from the fact that people are noting their spirituality and their "christianity" in regards to other people, not in relation to Jesus Christ.
"The terrible condition of man's heart will never be recognized by people who assess it only in relation to other men." - john piper
i know that, for example: in america - people want to call this a nation that was founded on the gospel of Jesus Christ. people act as though because we have these megachurches and a lot of people who profess the name of Christ that we're okay. that if you go to church on sunday, if you say the sinner's prayer - then you're safe. that you're going to go to heaven, that you're "Christ's body." but i want to make something clear. a prayer doesn't save you. going to church does not save you. what saves you is a true repentance of heart, a true understanding that without Christ, we're doomed, which can only be granted to us by God's sovereign favor (grace)! we're not able to win our ways into heaven, work our way into heaven, be a good person and get into heaven. the world today does not fear and tremble before the God of the universe. they have made God a gigantic teddy bear who will make all things great for you. they have made God this image of what the WORLD views as true love. but if the world truly knew who God was, they would tremble and fear for their lives and be on their face pleading for forgiveness. if the world understood who God was, why would anyone be anything but reverent and have a holy fear before the God of all creations, the one that could snuff out this whole world if He so desired. but the world doesn't see it like that.
man is inherently evil, we're born into sin and its only by grace that we can be saved from eternal damnation. "I know that no good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh." - romans 7:18. in the flesh, we can try to do good, but the Bible says anything done not in faith is sin. flesh is man's natural self - outside of the grace of God. i know what you are thinking, you're thinking "well, Christin, i said a prayer, i don't do bad things, i'm a good person - so i'm okay, i'm going to heaven." but what i want to plead is that if you are not doing "good" out of reliance and to the glory of God, if you're not doing these things because the almighty saving grace of God has fully compelled you to do these things, then i'm sorry but its nothing but chaff in the wind. Jesus wants to burn up that chaff, replace all that is you and replace it with Him, but its not a prayer or a "good lifestyle" that will do that for you. only true conversion, only the true acceptance of God's irresistable grace, understanding that apart from God we can do NO good as we are totally depraved. understanding that as God's church we have been and are His elect and have been spared a life cut off from him. knowing that God shows no partiality, all have sinned, all have fallen short, no one is "good." all of us are depraved and cannot come to God without accepting and being born again, by God's grace that ONLY comes through the sacrifice of Christ and the shedding of His blood which is the propitiation of our sins, then as John Piper states it perfectly, "... salvation of any of us is owing to God's election." and that there is no condition in which we can strive to achieve that warrants God to choose us and save us.
"There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality. For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified." - Romans 2:9-13 (continue reading this chapter for even more clarification)
"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So it depends not upon man's will or exertion, but upon God's mercy." - Romans 9:15-16
i know that this seems a lot more harsh than what you're probably used to hearing me say. i know that i have preached "Christ crucified" and have told people that "God is love." and the statement in and of itself is true. but i have explained it with a flawed sense of love. i did not understand it and comprehend it for what it truly means. God is not a "sky fairy" (as quoted by mark driscoll) who by the wave of a wand, makes all things wonderful. its quite the opposite. God has every right to allow us to burn us up along with the chaff of this world. He could wipe us out for all our wickedness. our righteousness is but filthy rags. but He does show compassion, we do have a promise and a savior and that savior is Jesus Christ. Jesus came to the earth, lived a sinless life, died a horrible death on a cross, His blood was spilled to cover and wash away sin, rose again and is now eternally triumphant over all his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy. without Christ, we are God's enemy and will be condemned for our sin - but by accepting Christ' sacrifice, we are able to really know and taste the grace of our Father, and through Him and ONLY through Him, we can know that we are saved from the very pits of hell. there is full preservation for those that trust in Him.
i don't say this to come off as though i'm trying some fire and brimstone scare tactic. i'm saying this because until recently, although i knew God's love and sacrifice and made Him Lord over my life, i did not have such an understanding of the fullness to what i would talk about. i knew and read the scriptures and understood. but it was like a veil was taken off my eyes, to fully understand the depths of Christ' sacrifice, to fully understand what "God is love" means. i say these things to you in hopes that you will run to Jesus, that you will see how wretched and dirty you are, even when living a "good life" (because without Christ - you are incapable of truly doing GOOD - and i mean good in the sense of what God deems good.) i’m pleading with you to lay down your rebellion, your idea of goodness. i plead that you embrace the gospel that Jesus Christ, the Son of God died for your sins. He was raised on the third day, conquering over all His enemies. that one day he will put all his enemies under his feet. that forgiveness of sins and a right and true standing with God comes freely through him alone, by faith alone. we can do no good and make no "change in our life" to make ourselves more prepared for Jesus. anything that you try to do on your own will, out of your own strength, WILL fail you. the only strength you can fully trust in is the strength that is God ordained, in accordance to His word, in accordance to His gospel. i love you. i'm here for you. but above all, there is One greater that has paved a way for you and His name is Jesus Christ and He loves you more than anyone ever could. and that my friends, is worth more than anything.
i know that, for example: in america - people want to call this a nation that was founded on the gospel of Jesus Christ. people act as though because we have these megachurches and a lot of people who profess the name of Christ that we're okay. that if you go to church on sunday, if you say the sinner's prayer - then you're safe. that you're going to go to heaven, that you're "Christ's body." but i want to make something clear. a prayer doesn't save you. going to church does not save you. what saves you is a true repentance of heart, a true understanding that without Christ, we're doomed, which can only be granted to us by God's sovereign favor (grace)! we're not able to win our ways into heaven, work our way into heaven, be a good person and get into heaven. the world today does not fear and tremble before the God of the universe. they have made God a gigantic teddy bear who will make all things great for you. they have made God this image of what the WORLD views as true love. but if the world truly knew who God was, they would tremble and fear for their lives and be on their face pleading for forgiveness. if the world understood who God was, why would anyone be anything but reverent and have a holy fear before the God of all creations, the one that could snuff out this whole world if He so desired. but the world doesn't see it like that.
man is inherently evil, we're born into sin and its only by grace that we can be saved from eternal damnation. "I know that no good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh." - romans 7:18. in the flesh, we can try to do good, but the Bible says anything done not in faith is sin. flesh is man's natural self - outside of the grace of God. i know what you are thinking, you're thinking "well, Christin, i said a prayer, i don't do bad things, i'm a good person - so i'm okay, i'm going to heaven." but what i want to plead is that if you are not doing "good" out of reliance and to the glory of God, if you're not doing these things because the almighty saving grace of God has fully compelled you to do these things, then i'm sorry but its nothing but chaff in the wind. Jesus wants to burn up that chaff, replace all that is you and replace it with Him, but its not a prayer or a "good lifestyle" that will do that for you. only true conversion, only the true acceptance of God's irresistable grace, understanding that apart from God we can do NO good as we are totally depraved. understanding that as God's church we have been and are His elect and have been spared a life cut off from him. knowing that God shows no partiality, all have sinned, all have fallen short, no one is "good." all of us are depraved and cannot come to God without accepting and being born again, by God's grace that ONLY comes through the sacrifice of Christ and the shedding of His blood which is the propitiation of our sins, then as John Piper states it perfectly, "... salvation of any of us is owing to God's election." and that there is no condition in which we can strive to achieve that warrants God to choose us and save us.
"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So it depends not upon man's will or exertion, but upon God's mercy." - Romans 9:15-16
i know that this seems a lot more harsh than what you're probably used to hearing me say. i know that i have preached "Christ crucified" and have told people that "God is love." and the statement in and of itself is true. but i have explained it with a flawed sense of love. i did not understand it and comprehend it for what it truly means. God is not a "sky fairy" (as quoted by mark driscoll) who by the wave of a wand, makes all things wonderful. its quite the opposite. God has every right to allow us to burn us up along with the chaff of this world. He could wipe us out for all our wickedness. our righteousness is but filthy rags. but He does show compassion, we do have a promise and a savior and that savior is Jesus Christ. Jesus came to the earth, lived a sinless life, died a horrible death on a cross, His blood was spilled to cover and wash away sin, rose again and is now eternally triumphant over all his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy. without Christ, we are God's enemy and will be condemned for our sin - but by accepting Christ' sacrifice, we are able to really know and taste the grace of our Father, and through Him and ONLY through Him, we can know that we are saved from the very pits of hell. there is full preservation for those that trust in Him.
i don't say this to come off as though i'm trying some fire and brimstone scare tactic. i'm saying this because until recently, although i knew God's love and sacrifice and made Him Lord over my life, i did not have such an understanding of the fullness to what i would talk about. i knew and read the scriptures and understood. but it was like a veil was taken off my eyes, to fully understand the depths of Christ' sacrifice, to fully understand what "God is love" means. i say these things to you in hopes that you will run to Jesus, that you will see how wretched and dirty you are, even when living a "good life" (because without Christ - you are incapable of truly doing GOOD - and i mean good in the sense of what God deems good.) i’m pleading with you to lay down your rebellion, your idea of goodness. i plead that you embrace the gospel that Jesus Christ, the Son of God died for your sins. He was raised on the third day, conquering over all His enemies. that one day he will put all his enemies under his feet. that forgiveness of sins and a right and true standing with God comes freely through him alone, by faith alone. we can do no good and make no "change in our life" to make ourselves more prepared for Jesus. anything that you try to do on your own will, out of your own strength, WILL fail you. the only strength you can fully trust in is the strength that is God ordained, in accordance to His word, in accordance to His gospel. i love you. i'm here for you. but above all, there is One greater that has paved a way for you and His name is Jesus Christ and He loves you more than anyone ever could. and that my friends, is worth more than anything.