What's The Point?

Many Christians believe the reason for faith in Christ is to rescue us from hell and secure a place for us in heaven. Take for instance the evangelical question posed by many, “If you died today and God asked you why He should let you in to heaven, what would you say?” If you answer anything other than Jesus you’re not getting in. In other words, Jesus is the key to the door of heaven. But I have a problem with this question. It assumes that the point of the Christian faith is heaven, and I don’t think it is.

While Jesus’ work on the cross does deliver us from hell (rescued from God’s wrath) and set us aside for heaven, when we reduce salvation to our eternal destination we miss the point. So why does He save us? Doesn’t Jesus say He came to bring us eternal life?

The problem arises when we equate everlasting life with heaven. Jesus, instead of focusing on a destination, describes eternal life in terms of a relationship, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Even Peter, Paul and the early missionaries didn’t focus on heaven as they evangelized. They didn’t sell Christianity with the reward of heaven. They didn’t say, “Believe in Jesus so you can get to Paradise,” as if heaven is the point.

Instead, Peter says, “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). Sin doesn’t merely keep us out of heaven; it separates us from God. In fact our transgressions severed our relationship with Him. Our sin ruptured the union between us and our Creator. In Christ, though, God takes sin out of the way, nailing it to the cross (Col 2:14).

And because He has a set a day in the future to judge sinners, He beckons us now to repentance, “that [we] would seek God, if perhaps [we] might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist” (Acts 17:27, 28ff). As Paul writes, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them” (2 Cor 5:19; italics mine). Knowing God, not entrance to heaven, was, and is, the hope offered.

But I wonder, do we see Him as our reward? Is He the one we long for? What exactly is our motivation for believing in Christ? Is it to get to heaven, or to get to know God? Are we more excited about the thought of Paradise, of some life-long stay at a resort in Hawaii, laying out by the pool, sipping on non-alcoholic piña coladas? Or do we yearn for God’s nearness, to live in His presence, seeing His eyes, feeling His embrace, smelling His glorious aroma?

In Scripture, when the authors write of heaven, they focus, not on its perfection, but rather who resides there. John writes of the new Jerusalem, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them” (Rev 21:3). Is heaven perfect? Yes. Is it free of pain, sin and death? Yes. Is it full of utter joy, complete satisfaction and relentless love? Yes, but as David writes, “In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand are pleasures forever” (Ps 16:11). Heaven is all these things because heaven is where God is.

So we Christians do hope for a future place, not because of the location itself, but because of who lives there. Jesus says, “I go and prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am there you may be also” (John 14:2, 3). Jesus doesn’t save us merely so we can enjoy Paradise. He rescues us for Himself.

If in our longing for heaven then we find ourselves yearning for something or someone more than God we miss the gospel. We fail to grasp how good the good news is. Paul says, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21). Feeling torn between evangelizing and leaving this world he further says, “But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for this is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake” (Phil 1:23). Paul didn’t focus on death as a passage to heaven; he welcomed death as entrance in to the Savior’s presence.

So let us examine our hearts. Do we only or primarily say yes to Christ to get out of hell and get in to heaven? Or do we say yes because we’ve tasted His goodness and feel overcome with awe and joy that He mended what our sin tore, that we can in fact know God once more? If it’s anything less than the latter, may we wrestle with Jesus’ words of warning, “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matt 7:22,23).

God saves us from an eternity separate from Him; He rescues us that we may know and enjoy Him. I fear for our eternal destination if we’ve said yes to Jesus solely as access inside the pearly gates. For those, contrarily, who come to Christ to gain Christ Himself, count all things as loss to know Him now (Phil 3:8), while eagerly awaiting His return (Phil 3:20) when we will see Him face to face, knowing Him in full (I Cor 13:12).

Distressed But Full of Joy

“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls” (I Pet 1:6-9).

Marital conflict. Job loss. Cancer diagnosis. Defiant children. Car accident. These and many other trials fill our weeks, months, and sometimes, years. And as they beat down upon us, they test not only our character, but our faith. Will we keep trusting God? Can we believe He will see us through? Will we dare to keep hoping?

Peter, like to the men and women he wrote, was separated from friends and family, enduring harsh persecution (v.1). And yet he describes the possibility of joy inexpressible in the midst of such suffering. How, I wonder?

Peter directs our attention to God's salvation. It seems he longed for those scattered abroad, and for us, to so prize God’s grace, to look beyond what is seen and temporal to Christ's final return, that we not only endure life's trials, but that we do so with joy that abounds.

But we often mistake happiness for joy. While happiness comes from the feeling we have when life is good, joy remains in the shifting of circumstances, even in the presence of pain.

It’s difficult, though, if not impossible, to feel joy when we feel anxious. Joy results from trust and confidence; anxiety, contrarily, often results from insecurity and uncertainty. Peter, and all believers, can express inexpressible joy because of Christ. No matter the circumstance, He remains faithful and our salvation secure.

Many days, however, my hope is not fixed completely on the grace to be brought to me at the return of Christ (I Pet 1:13). In difficult times, I often place my hope in improved circumstances. I begin to demand too much from this world, to set my heart on secure employment, enjoyment of friends and family, a rich church community.

It's not wrong to long for these good gifts. But to have a life of worry, stress and even despair reveals a heart that is not consumed with the love and grace of God. It exposes a heart that needs adjusting.

So what do you feel stressed and anxious about? Can you identify a current trial that may be challenging your faith?

Let us, as Peter exhorts, cast our worries upon Christ knowing He cares for us (I Pet 5:7) as proven at the cross. And let us yearn for His return more than we long for the comfort and riches of this world. May we enter into His joy by clinging to His enduring love and abiding presence that sustains us on this often rocky journey home.

Christmas Wonders

I wonder what Mary thought as she held God’s Son for the first time. Did she reverently hold such a holy baby, fearing disappointing God if she made Him cry? Was she perplexed by raising her Savior, knowing she would one day submit to Him? How did she respond to the scowling faces that surrounded this scandalous, glorious birth?

I wonder what Joseph thought as his virgin wife nursed the Son of God. Did he feel overwhelmed at having to provide for his family’s needs, for the divine baby? How would he rear Jesus when His true Father reigned in heaven, ruling the earth? Did he often think back to the angel Gabriel, trying to convince himself all this had really happened, that Mary truly did give birth to God’s Son, that they are responsible for the Savior of the world?

I wonder what God felt when Mary delivered His Son, now in human form. Did He excite as He saw His salvific process coming to a climax with the birth of Jesus? Was He saddened to see His Son restrained by human body? Did He wince with pain at the thought of the agonizing, lonely life that awaited Him?

I wonder what Jesus thought when He left heaven to become a baby. Did He ponder what living like a human being, His prize creation, would feel like? Did He look forward to hugs and kisses, dinners and parties, smiles and laughter? Was He sad to leave the intimacy of the Father’s presence in order to bring salvation to the world?

I wonder what life would be like today if this baby was never born. Would people still live on the earth, or would God have already brought His judgment of fire and emptiness? Would we know only fear, anger, depression, loneliness, sin? What hope would remain of life and freedom and joy?

But the Wonder of all Wonders is that He did come to earth. He humbled Himself out of love to become a baby, who would become a man, who would become a sacrifice for sins. Our sins. He took on human skin to have whips lashed across His back, to have nails driven into His wrists, to have His blood drop to the ground. All to pay our debt, reunite us with the Father, give us life.

Our salvation has begun but it is not yet complete. So we wait. We look to the dawn of the everlasting day, where again the Son of God will come to earth and finally complete this salvation He has begun. And so I wonder.

I wonder what it will be like for humans to be born anew, sharing in His divine glory, enjoying life forever. How will relationships work without sin? What does unending joy feel like? What will we see when we look into the Savior's eyes? I wonder…

Santa and Jesus

Jesus is coming to town. You better watch out. You better not cry. You better not pout. He sees you when you’re sleeping; he knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so please—be good. He’s making a list, checking it twice, going to find out if you’re naughty or nice. Jesus is coming to town.

Don’t we often live like Jesus is Santa Claus? Like children who want gifts instead of coal, we think we can convince God to save us by our good deeds. We attend church, give our change to the Salvation Army, pay our taxes, abstain from wine, obey the 10 Commandments. We work hard to be good, to right our wrongs, to keep our behavior excellent under His watchful eye.

But the message of Jesus differs dramatically from the reward system of Santa. If God had a good and bad list, He would write all our names under “Bad” (Is 53:6; Rom 3:10-18). None of us is good enough to warrant any presents from Him. And the punishment we deserve far surpasses a lump of coal.

But while Santa has a list, God has a book, the Book of Life. In this book are written all the names of those to receive the gift of eternal life (Rev 21:27). To get your name in this book, you have need of one thing only: grace.

At Christmastime we remember the baby Jesus born to live for God and die a sinner’s death. He, the Son of God in human form, took upon Himself our sins, those actions and rebellious attitudes against God and humanity that put us on the “bad” list. At the cross He bore the penalty for us. In His Son’s life, death and resurrection, God offered forgiveness, pardon, and redemption. Grace.

Because of His great love, God sent us this most marvelous gift wrapped in swaddling clothes. His message is not one of judgment according to a good/bad list, but a message of salvation (John 3:16-18) to all who believe. Grace.

To unwrap this beautiful gift we need only have faith. We believe with our hearts, profess with our mouths, confess that Jesus is our Savior (Rom 10:9, 10). Grace.

Since then salvation comes through God’s grace alone, let us stop living as if He is a type of Santa Claus. Why do we think that somehow our behavior will influence His favor toward us? The way of Santa is the way of the law, which Christ fulfilled and did away with ushering in the new covenant (Rom 8:1-4; Heb 8). The Gift has already been given, God’s favor on us bestowed. It is ours to receive, taking hold of Him through faith.

Instead of trying to gain God’s favor through our efforts, we need to rest in His mercy through Christ. Jesus labored for us, giving us what we could never earn. And as we tarry in His grace, His mercy and love will transform our hearts (Col 2:6).

So then let’s again rewrite the old Christmas tune.

Jesus came to town. He was watching out. He heard your cries. He never uttered a pout. He still sees you when you’re sleeping; He knows when you’re awake. He knows you’ve been bad but He’s been good for you, so please—trust in Him. He has the Book of Life, offering eternal life, the work is already done, take and receive, rest in His mercy. The Savior came to town.

One of Those Days

You know those days when everything seems to go wrong? Today was one such day for me. I had problems at work, issues with peers, frustrations over broken appliances. Even the sprinkler system soaked me as it watered the autumn ground. Nothing went right; everything went wrong.

In my angst, I turned to God, “God, how can I deal with this?” In that moment I realized I spoke to One who knew my struggle. Not much has gone right for God either, so to speak.* He made us to image Him, to enjoy Him, to know and share His love. But ever since the bite of the forbidden fruit, this divine call and gift shattered. God’s world broke, His creation started decaying, death took over. He subjected His creation to futility. Ever since then He pursues us, broken and rebellious image-bearers, many of whom refuse to acknowledge His presence.

How did He respond when things didn’t go His way? One word: redemptively. Even though He subjected His creation to futility, He did so in hope. Starting in Eden, He began fixing what went awry, what we broke. He initiated. He pursued. He engaged. He forgave. He loved. He went so far as to send His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, to restore His image in us.

God didn’t and doesn’t give up. What He started, He will finish. When people failed to respond correctly to Him, He refused to abandon us. Instead He engaged with the broken pieces, seeking out restoration, and will one day finalize His glorious redemptive masterpiece. That’s what God does; He restores. In a broken world full of broken people, God brings hope through His creative redemptive work in Christ.

A recipient of this restorative love, I want to respond as my Maker. Today that means forgiving and loving those who hurt me. It means I interact with friends and family in view of God’s grace imparted to me. It means when the heater fails to usher out heat, I look to heaven where moth, rust, time cannot destroy.

When things go wrong, we can find hope through knowing we have Savior who empathizes with our groanings. Through His Spirit, we learn to respond as He does—in engaged love in view of the hope of restoration.

*It should be noted that from the beginning, God determined to carry out His plan of salvation. Humanity’s rebellion did not catch God off guard and cause Him to rethink His plans. His plan has always been a plan of redemption culminating in Christ’s return and entrance into the eschaton. Eden is not perfection; heaven is perfection. It is a great mystery that God should plan to create the human race with the ability to rebel, only to have a salvific plan installed from the beginning. Surely His wisdom, His grace, His love none can fathom.