Today we have far too many desires and interests, and our lives are being consumed and wasted by them.
And he was writing this in 1935! Imagine what he'd thing of all the distractions we have NOW in 2011!!
The preaching of the gospel awakens an intense resentment because it is designed to reveal my unholiness, but it also awakens an intense yearning and desire within me.
I remember Dr. Charles Stanley saying that the reason some people get angry when you confront them with the gospel is because it forces them to make a choice: you either choose Jesus or you don't. Many people don't like to think of salvation or "a ticket into heaven" hinging on a black or white, all or nothing question. We want to believe that good people go to heaven and, of course, most of us are generally "a pretty good person;" just ask us! We like the comfort of our moralistic therapeutic deism whereby we've got all sorts of wiggle room and grey area within which to be "a good person." In our current American culture we have grown used to and even expect accommodation. We know what the rules are but we expect to be able to bend and maybe even break them if it serves our purpose or convenience of the moment. If God loves us and wants us to be saved then certainly He'll provide some accommodation for those of us that came up a bit short of the standard? (Well, He actually does, it's called grace, but that's a topic for a different day). I think it takes a certain level of 1) maturity, 2) open mindedness and 3) spiritual maturity to accept that God has a standard and it's not up for debate.
God has only one intended destiny for mankind— holiness.
If you were to walk up to me and ask "what's God's intended destiny for mankind?" I'd probably say "salvation." Is that the same thing as holiness? Holy means special, set apart. Salvation means redemption from sin. Do we want to presume to know God's "only one intended destiny for mankind?" Which is not to say that He doesn't want us to attain holiness, He does. But I'd also offer that He also wants us to attain salvation, righteousness, justification, peace, etc. I think it's hard to pick just one.
Holiness is not simply what God gives me, but what God has given me that is being exhibited in my life.
Being a good witness . . . that's one of the many things I need to work on. I'm much better at learning it than I am living it.
Yep...I certainly see that God's standards are not up for debate. Neither are they up for negotiation. I can decide to believe Him or not. But ultimately, my disbelief will only affect me...not Him. Just because I decide He does not exist..."for me"...does not nullify his existence, His power or His standards. It only nullifies my opportunity to benefit from the "negotiation" where God's standards demanded the full payment of Christ's own life. Negotiating is done...and He paid the price for me.
ReplyDeleteAnd...I see that both "salvation" ...and "holiness" are commands given to us. "Repent" is given to us in the imperative...as is "be holy" Looks like there's really not any negotiation there, either. To follow Christ is to begin...walk...mature...metamorphose. Once we begin...we "are holy"...and...we are becoming holy. Like you said...we may be better at learning it than we are at living it!
"I can decide to believe Him or not. But ultimately, my disbelief will only affect me...not Him. Just because I decide He does not exist..."for me"...does not nullify his existence, His power or His standards."
ReplyDeleteI like this, it reminds me of the points Andy Stanley makes in his book “How Good is Good Enough?” I think he uses the example of the sun: you can refuse to believe in its existence, but that won’t stop you from getting sunburned. And so it is with some people and God.