Ok, before there is a call to have an emergency vote as a congregation to fire me for heresy or irreverence, let me explain.
This past week, we have unfortunately watched in horror as wickedness has run rampant in the Middle East.
The response to those horrors, by some, has been nauseating as well.
Closer to home, we are watching Issue 1 be dominated by proponents of infanticide with misleading and completely false claims.
These two poignant issues are on top of the already heinous matters taking place across Europe and the US regarding gender (particularly aimed at minors).
It is horrifying, shocking, and disgusting to watch and leaves us asking how God allows such matters if He is good.
His answer back, through His Word, is that He is equally long-suffering and just; we may never fully understand how these two virtues are not in conflict or competition on this side of heaven, but we can default to believing it to be true based upon God's goodness.
Back to my original heresy in the title...such moments typically get the, "Jesus is coming back" meme's rolling on social media.
People seeking signs, news reports being cited, and pastors on TV using their best "preacher voices" to call us to understand that Jesus' return is imminent.
I mean...how could He not be coming soon based upon all this wickedness?
So, let me turn this article on its head- it just does not matter.
What I mean is that it matters very little if Jesus' return is today and we believe that wholeheartedly if it does NOT alter our state of obedience to Him (in thought, motive, and choice).
Let me put it another way- you can believe in the virgin birth, know Jesus freely died to forgive you as damned sinner, espouse the biblical view of sexuality, firmly hold to a literal six-day creation, claim to understand your identity is settled in Christ, know that the Church is Christ's primary vehicle for evangelism and sanctification, have confidence that your eternity is secured as Jesus is the Victor over the grave, etc.
BUT- if all that does is translate to following Jesus in a way that is characterized by a consumeristic focus, what does it matter?
All the right belief in the world is of no value if it is not implemented in faith-based obedience.
Actually, Jesus, Paul, and James made it clear that places us in a position of GREATER accountability for having the truth and not acting upon it in faith.
I fear that each of us (myself included) is so prone to self-deception about how we are doing as a follower, but have blatant, glaring areas of disobedience or consumeristic "following".
The same person who claims all the right beliefs cited above will also skip church for their kids' sporting event.
The same person who claims all the right beliefs cited above will also not give to the Gospel.
The same person who claims all the right beliefs cited above cannot serve because they are chasing temporally driven goals.
The same person who claims all the right beliefs cited above will still vote for people who benefit their pocket book rather than uphold biblical values.
The same person who claims all the right beliefs cited above is arrogant in their heart towards and critical of their church, pastors, deacons, church members, other Christians, their child's teacher, their boss, etc.
The same person who claims all the right beliefs cited above adopts the idea that forgiveness is optional in relationships and that accountability is intrusive.
The same person who claims all the right beliefs cited above does not honor their God-given role as a husband, wife, or young person in the home.
On we could go, but I think it serves the point- knowing calls us to obedience, not exception and exemption.
Eternity beckons us to create our entire life (day by day, week by week) around God's priorities rather than the pursuits of this realm.
I have heard more than one atheistic person, professor, or debater rightly identify this issue- Christians seem to be good at knowing much, but doing little about what they claim to "passionately believe".
That if we believed what we claim to believe, then our choices would be dramatically different and it would be easy to identify us in our communities.
How can we assess, address, and act on this issue of knowing but not being altered?
Expose yourself to truth and make it your final authority- You need to read the Word. You need to hear the preaching in your church. You need to memorize passages. You need to ask what the Bible says about matters that come up in your daily life. While we have access to the Word of God in our language like never before in human history, it seems we can often just be familiar with it or dismissive of it if we are not careful. It is your authority, not your "side-chick".
Consider brothers and sisters in the past- While Paul gave us warning about pridefully comparing ourselves to others, he also implored us to look to others as examples of faith-based obedience; they are an example of what living for eternity looks like in the lives of imperfect people. Read the Scriptures and Christian history regularly to see what "take up thy cross and deny thyself" means vs. what our current culture says is "good". Fair warning- this will upend your world and reveal how much idolatry is rampant in your life.
Ask yourself hard questions- Who have I actually tried to talk to about Christ this week? What conversation did I steer to Christ? What act of love did I do for someone else that was inconvenient? What person, who I dislike, did I ask God to help me love? How have I helped my child towards Christ today? Did I care about my spouse's spiritual state enough to speak transparently about my own with them and about theirs? Would I describe my prayer time today as crucial to my soul or ...?
Invite others in- If you do not have someone that can ask or does ask you accountable questions regularly, that should change this week. We should qualify this- if they are not actively pursuing Christ, evangelistic, accountable to a local Church, generous towards the Gospel, and practicing the one anothers- they are not the right person regardless of how long you have known them or what you have been through.
These are a few quick ideas to help push us down the hard but needed path of self-reflection towards the intersection of knowing and obedience. Again, not much else matters about what we say (particularly about Christ's return or any other doctrine) if our lives seem to indicate that we are the king we serve.
Serving together,
Pastor Paul