This post was inspired by a short message I heard from Pastor John Piper ( https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/the-heart-of-fake-happiness). In this he asked a fundamental question: “Do you feel more loved by God when he makes much of you, or when he, at great cost to his Son, frees you to enjoy making much of him forever?” And he went a bit further and was very hard hitting that millions of us so called nominal christians who think they believe and are saved or possibly like what I was for 30 years- on the sure road to eternal death!!!
For nearly 30 years of my life as a nominal christian ( christian by a baptism certificate issued in a church) I had little knowledge that I was surely destined for hell. Yes I got it right – destined for Hell. I believed in Jesus. I lived life like most of us and did the little good I could and when I thought I had committed a really big mistake tried to say sorry. And then carried on. So does this guarantee our salvation. Well to be frank was not even sure of what salvation meant fully.
Pastor Piper in his sermon clearly demonstrates much of religion as we practice it and the so called ‘belief’ is still about leading the old life we led…only instead of saying “I want this and that” we have changed the request to “ God I want this and that, please make sure you give it to me as I have been good”. We have just added the audacity and the arrogance of false faith to our past already sinful life. Nothing wrong in asking and seeking god for help in trouble. In fact he commanded us to do it. But when our whole understanding of God has reduced Him to a paid Santa Claus for all things we want, we have completely lost the plot. Our whole focus of religious life is on what God can gift us rather than “Who God is and why He is My Treasure”. What we treasure is not God , but rather his gifts. Oh how self centred and self gaining are we, and how shameless we are when we do this with the new hat of “ I am a Christian”. So, what is the essence of belief and how do you be assured you are indeed on the path to salvation?
It is only in the last year or so after truly coming to the Lord I have seen a deep sense of faith and true realisation of the truth, a truth that frees you. But before the “freeing comes the frying”!!! A heart that is set on fire. Cut by the double edged sword of the Holy Spirit ( The Word of God). The tears shed in repentance, the knees bent in humility, a mind renewed daily by the truth, a soul riddled by a million questions. And when all of these put sin to death and you learn to see the glory of God in ALL THINGS you come out truly liberated and with a ‘peace that surpasses all understanding’. Your death and rebirth is complete. An absolute reality and you know that for sure. Oh how I wish I had not lost those 30 years of mine. And how I wish all whom I know need not loose the years of their lives like I lost.
So here are my questions and my reflections from my experience:
Why do we land in this situation in spite of our willingness to be christians?
The answer is simply because we just follow fake religion and external religious practices that we have been often handed over to us by our parents or society. We were lazy to find what the truth is. We just took the fast food approach to saying ‘All is good” if I said few prayers and attended church and gave alms when I can. We embrace christianity largely for it’s social impact rather than the ‘truth’. We all build our houses on sand or we all are like the seeds sown amidst the thorns.
- But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!” Matthew 7:26-27
- The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful… Matthew 13:21
What keeps on to this fake road?
We have gotten used to treating God like a vending machine. Feed in the right coins. select the right product. and press ‘Go’ and voila out comes what you asked for and paid for. Yes we have been bribing and paying God for what we want and feel it is hence our right to ask what we want on that basis. Oh what a great mistake. We have changed God’s infinite mercy and and grace into a business transaction and get satisfied at being “good” in such terms. I did good, I deserve good! We forget All things are from Him and for Him and it’s by His grace alone we have what we have in this world.
- For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
- “Who has first given to God, that God should repay him?” For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:35-36
How do we stop, reconsider and find the narrow path to the narrow gate?
I should confess that this reconsideration in life happened only when I was brought to my knees. Even then I didn’t realise it was His Love trying to show me the right path. It is His calling, His grace, His faith, His mercy. Oh how vigilant we need to be to His call. And how different the reality of a true christian’s life is. He guaranteed that we will have trouble in this life. We will be persecuted for our faith and belief. Have we put on the armour God and committed our whole to follow Jesus.
- Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.…Luke 9:23-24
- For many are called, but few are chosen.”Matthew 22:14
- Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14
Having found the right path, how do you stay on it?
I should confess I am least qualified to even discuss this from my experience. The last 2 years or so of walk with Christ has felt like an eternity. But in a way I am slowly beginning to enjoy that eternity in trials and tribulations as it has kept me close to him, holding his Hand tight and always seeking Him. I am no way done and even for this beginner the communion with Christ is sweet indeed. There is no greater Joy than knowing and experiencing the glory of God and learning to trust him completely. You stay on this path by only one way- faithful obedience. And to keep you encouraged on the journey by believing in his promises.
- Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
- Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.…James 1:2-3
- God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.. 1 Corinthians 1:9
