Lately I have had interaction with two people who have challenged me to question what it means to put complete faith in the finished work of Christ. They both seemed to think that if that one statement was not true, that I have set my life up for failure because all my other truth would fall away. I think that is a very deceptive point of view. Honestly, I don’t see how they can think this is a well-founded view, because finding truth elsewhere isn’t any easier. In fact I don’t think any human can understand truth in its absolute sense while here on earth because there simply is not enough conclusive evidence to support any such claim. (1 Corinthians 13:12 "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."). Just because I already found truth and no longer need to seek for another source of truth does not make all other truth relative.
Every person has an innate sense of morality seeded within them from the beginning. And every person also has a propensity to do evil (a result of the Fall). C.S. Lewis states it like this, “we are forced to believe in a real Right and Wrong. People may be sometimes mistaken about them, just as people sometimes get their sums wrong; but they are not a matter of mere taste and opinion any more than the multiplication table. Now if we are agreed about that, I go on to my next point, which is this. None of us are really keeping the Law of Nature.” We know these things to be true of ourselves, yet we still choose to search within ourselves for answers.
It is what every religion, from atheism to scientology, Taoism to Mormonism, teaches. They all teach that you (the self) are able to either be your own god, or find your way to god through self-discovery and discipline. That is with one exception: Christianity. Christianity claims that God does all the work and you can do nothing to earn heaven.
This is all very well and good, and an interesting train of thought, but here I would like to go on with the initial proposed question. What does it mean if I place all my trust in the life, death and resurrection of Christ and then come to the end of my life finding that He did not exist? I think, very simply, the answer is this: It won’t matter. (And by the way, if it is true, it is of utmost importance)
Why do I say this? Well, what are the other options?
One- God does not exist. At this point life has no eternal value, only the value I place on it while I exist on earth. Therefore, life is what I make of it. If I choose to enjoy earthly pleasures at the expense of my fellow man, it makes no difference. If I choose to live a life of poverty and pain, I have simply suffered, it matters not. If I choose to benefit my fellow man with good deeds and generous acts, I simply receive the earthly joy, but ultimately it means nothing.
Two- There is a deity, but heaven is guaranteed to all. Regardless of my actions I get to go to heaven. Maybe it’s a lower realm of heaven, but none the less, it’s still heaven.
Three- There is a deity, but I have to earn my way to heaven with good deeds. If all my good deeds don’t outweigh my bad deeds, at the end of my life I will spend eternity in hell. How does one know what is good and what is bad? One must have a sense of universal morality for this to work. Therefore, when we look inside ourselves we can use our conscience- our God given sense of right and wrong- to determine those things we should and should not do. We can then make good choices based on this innate understanding of right and wrong. I get into heaven simply by choosing to do right.
Four- There is a deity which we must strive to become one with. God is part of nature as He has created it and it is our duty to become one with that nature. To return to God as you will. If I fail at this task during this life I will be given repeated opportunity to achieve this goal, as all life must eventually return to God, and I will be reincarnated until I reach this state of perfection.
So, the last option is this, the Christian option: God is real and alive. He is a living, breathing, all-powerful deity who is Holy and cannot accept sin. Because of this, and because He loves His creation, He has sent His Son to purchase my salvation. The only way to receive forgiveness for my bad deeds is through acceptance of the sacrifice of Christ. Once I have accepted this gift God begins to work in me and through me by the Holy Spirit to rid me of my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. He helps me to achieve holiness and to attain to a moral behavior. Even if one doesn’t believe that the bible is truth, one can see that it teaches moral behavior and directs us to love one another. This is beneficial for all of society. Truly walking like Christ (not claiming Christianity as your religion, but living as his student) is a call to love one another with self-sacrifice and absolute conviction.
Side note: I think I need to establish here that there is some real, true pre-conceived bias toward Christianity that I will not be able to overcome. The mind of some readers is already made up that Christianity has made the world a worse place. There have been many a war waged in the name of Christ. I do not think that True Christ followers should be saddled with all of the history through the ages that has followed the bible. There are many who have taken its words out of context and have spilt blood out of selfish and evil desires. To saddle Jesus' message with every person who has ever claimed Christianity is to believe that Jesus was a liar. For he said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" ~Matthew 7:21-23.
Personally, I choose to believe that the bible in the inspired Word of God. Interestingly enough the Bible repeatedly gives the gospel message of Christ throughout the old and new testament, and then makes the claim that (John 1:1) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. “
I don’t believe the bible is antiquated or manipulated. Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” It is alive because it IS GOD. Why are we so quick to dismiss God and say that He would allow Himself to be manipulated? If He is (and in my mind He certainly is), then He is sovereign in all things. Isaiah 46:10 “Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'” Then why expect any less from Him than that He would not protect His word from manipulation?
I choose to believe Hebrews 11:1-3 “1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” And vs 6 “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” So, whether or not men and authorities can be trusted, God can, because He is above reproach. But He expects me to be faithful. Therefore, I must have faith that He will reveal to me His truth.
So here is the point. We are NEVER going to understand absolute truth here on this earth no matter how long we persist at the task. But I know inherently that I want to do right, and yet cannot accomplish this on my own. I have known myself and have seen my soul to possess selfishness and evil. Therefore, my only hope is that the gospel message is true, that Jesus truly saves, and that He is willing to bring the Holy Spirit to life in me in order that I can turn from the evil that I would otherwise chose to do.
Aside: If you think I am demonizing the self, I am not in the sense of individuality. The individual, the intrinsic value of each human, is unique and beautiful. It is to be desired and explored. We build each other up through our unique skills and differences. We learn about life because of our interactions with those who share a different perspective. It is good to dive into one's very soul to achieve an understanding of the self and its potential. It's silly to think I am suggesting that 'the self' in that sense is not something to be explored. Rather, I simply see that at the very core of every man there is a desire to do right, and yet a propensity to do wrong. That is the only self I am demonizing.
And let me also say, I have gone down that road. I have spent many a year focused on my own self: my wants, my desires, my dreams. All it ever got me was a sense of despair and depression. A total hatred for my own insufficiency. I could never live up to the person I want to be. That's why, when I took the focus of my life off myself and placed it in Christ's grace, I achieved a sense of peace I could never achieve on my own. I don't have to be perfect for God to love me, and accepting His grace ensures that I can know that peace for eternity.
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