"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works shall be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness. . . (2 Peter 3:10-11, NASB, emphasis mine)
What sort of people should we be? Too often that is the unasked question. We sometimes busy ourselves worrying over what sort of people our neighbors should be. But God has never given us any commandment to even think that way. In fact, that is the polar opposite of how he wants us to think.
Such thinking leads us away from God rather than closer to Him. It is the kind of the thought process that leads us into thinking we are somehow capable of judging other's hearts and with that capacity we are granted the right to condemn them, or worse, rule over them with a holy rod, forcing the world into holiness.
If that were God's intent, He would have given the Christ a different mission - one closer to the vision the Jews had of the Messiah - a mighty warrior who would restore God's earthly kingdom on earth. But that isn't God's plan at all. Not for His Christ; not for us; not even for this earth. The earth is destined for destruction, so there is no value in even trying to establish a holy kingdom here.
The question is "What kind of people should we be?" The hearts we need to judge, you and I, are our own. How close are we, really, to holy conduct and godliness? How loving are we, really? How willing are we to sacrifice our own comfort for the sake of others' spiritual well being? How quick are we to forgive the faults of others? Are we eager to lead others to Christ? Or are we just eager to enforce a holy life style on the world without considering what that really means for ourselves?
In truth, most often we fail, and fail miserably. We examine ourselves with too keen an eye for our righteousness, and too dull an eye for our faults. Do we really believe that God has a hierarchy for sin and that one sort of sinner is worse than another? Do we ever look at ourselves as liars, or cheats, or consider the murders we commit in our hearts when we pass judgment on others? Do we think we have moved beyond repentance? In Scripture, "repent" is a verb of continuing action, not a one time event.
Peter reminds us that the things we hold dear on earth are temporary and the things that are permanent are not of this earth at all. Gaining permanence with God requires a keen sense of our own failures and a determination to use those faults as spurs to forgiveness of the frailties of others. We need to move with kindness and love, not just for brothers in Christ (and sisters, too), but for those who are far from Christ, as well. We must never let ourselves forget how we became Christians in the first place. Or why.
Something Paul wrote to Timothy resonates with me more than anything: The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition if perhaps God my grant them repentance leading the the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil having been held captive by him to do his will. (2 Timothy, 2:24-26 NASB)
There is holy conduct and godliness in action. That is the sort of people we should be - kind, gently teaching, patient when we are wronged, always working to lead others out of the devil's snare. That is our mission as the end draws near. Such people will not be left behind in any sense because these are the ones that draw near to God and strive to draw others with them.
Christ said to Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world." Neither is ours and we need to stop thinking that it is. We need to be mindful of what kind of people will inhabit that kingdom when this world passes away and to strive within ourselves to be just that kind of people.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Surprise!! I Am Still Here
This past week has been filled with news about the "rapture" scheduled for Saturday, May 21. My comment to friends was that no matter what happened, there would be some very surprised and disappointed people on Sunday morning.
One of the topics I rarely debate is the entire Left Behind thinking. It is not because I think it wrong, the believers silly. From my perspective it is misguided because it misses the point. While we busy ourselves making rapture preparations and spreading the news, we bypass two very important teachings in the Scriptures.
The first is elemental - No man knows the day or the hour. The return of the Son of Man will come as a thief in the night. For that reason alone focusing on the when and the who will be taken from the world is rather pointless. My faith convinces me that when the Time comes, we will know it and those who are prepared will go and those who aren't won't.
The second teaching is also elemental and often forgotten. God has told us what the signs are of the approaching time. He wants us to know the clock is ticking towards the appointed hour not because he wants us to focus on the time, but on the preparation for the time. Like the virgins in the parable, we need to be trimming our own lamps and keeping them oiled and ready. Burning lamps are a light for the world and a beacon for the bridegroom. It isn't the clock we need to be watching, but the lamps.
There are two essential things that Christians need to be doing, then. The first is trimming the wicks. The Hebrews writer puts it this way: and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (Heb. 10:24-26, NASB - emphasis mine)
Our duty, then, is to keep each other strong in the faith, helping each other and encouraging each other to love and to doing good. We need to keep each other alert and on watch. We, in a sense, are our brother's and sister's keepers in this. Never forget what Jesus commanded in the upper room: Love one another as I have love you. He followed that up with a command to go and bear fruit. (John 15:12 ff, NASB)
Which brings me to the second task of keeping the lamps oiled. We can do this by staying in the Word. That is what will keep us on guard against several light killers. If we are in the Word, we are closer to knowing the mind of God and to living in His will. It actually makes us less judgmental of others because it reminds us of how frail and sin prone we ourselves are. Paul says the Law was his schoolmaster - teaching him not how to look at others and see how bad they were, but to look at himself and see how good he wasn't.
Therefore, rather than worrying about when and how we are going to be called up, we need to focus on being called up at all. We also need to focus on who we are going to take with us when we do go. Rather than focus on who isn't going and how dire their fate will be, concentrate on whom we can bring with us and how great their joy. Let the fruit we bear provide the oil for our lamps so we work harder to bear more fruit.
So, yes, I am still here and thank God there is still time to fill my lamp and keep it burning, not just for me, but you as well.
One of the topics I rarely debate is the entire Left Behind thinking. It is not because I think it wrong, the believers silly. From my perspective it is misguided because it misses the point. While we busy ourselves making rapture preparations and spreading the news, we bypass two very important teachings in the Scriptures.
The first is elemental - No man knows the day or the hour. The return of the Son of Man will come as a thief in the night. For that reason alone focusing on the when and the who will be taken from the world is rather pointless. My faith convinces me that when the Time comes, we will know it and those who are prepared will go and those who aren't won't.
The second teaching is also elemental and often forgotten. God has told us what the signs are of the approaching time. He wants us to know the clock is ticking towards the appointed hour not because he wants us to focus on the time, but on the preparation for the time. Like the virgins in the parable, we need to be trimming our own lamps and keeping them oiled and ready. Burning lamps are a light for the world and a beacon for the bridegroom. It isn't the clock we need to be watching, but the lamps.
There are two essential things that Christians need to be doing, then. The first is trimming the wicks. The Hebrews writer puts it this way: and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (Heb. 10:24-26, NASB - emphasis mine)
Our duty, then, is to keep each other strong in the faith, helping each other and encouraging each other to love and to doing good. We need to keep each other alert and on watch. We, in a sense, are our brother's and sister's keepers in this. Never forget what Jesus commanded in the upper room: Love one another as I have love you. He followed that up with a command to go and bear fruit. (John 15:12 ff, NASB)
Which brings me to the second task of keeping the lamps oiled. We can do this by staying in the Word. That is what will keep us on guard against several light killers. If we are in the Word, we are closer to knowing the mind of God and to living in His will. It actually makes us less judgmental of others because it reminds us of how frail and sin prone we ourselves are. Paul says the Law was his schoolmaster - teaching him not how to look at others and see how bad they were, but to look at himself and see how good he wasn't.
Therefore, rather than worrying about when and how we are going to be called up, we need to focus on being called up at all. We also need to focus on who we are going to take with us when we do go. Rather than focus on who isn't going and how dire their fate will be, concentrate on whom we can bring with us and how great their joy. Let the fruit we bear provide the oil for our lamps so we work harder to bear more fruit.
So, yes, I am still here and thank God there is still time to fill my lamp and keep it burning, not just for me, but you as well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)