Nate
~ Please bear with
the way I write. I write like I think - and that is often confusing.
By the year 2008, I had made two different professions of faith in Christ, neither of which were genuine decisions based on faith in Christ. I could add to that, but it is not the focus of this blog post. It was not until 2008 that I realized that I didn’t know what I believed. I didn’t know how to know. I believed there was a God, but I didn’t think I (or anyone else) could prove who that God was. To attempt to shorten this, I went through a time where I met with my pastor to seek counsel and I talked with my wife. They both encouraged me to keep asking questions and looking for answers. They gave me their thoughts and support, but ultimately, nothing they said convinced me. Which is good because now the answers are mine and no one else’s. I was ready to leave the church and my wife in 2008 because I was so frustrated with my doubts and the hypocrisy that I saw in churches. I now look back and see that I hated my own hypocrisy and so I assumed others were being hypocrites too.
One thing I understood was that Christianity hinged on the Bible, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Either it was true (and Christianity was true) or it was not and none of it was true. I knew the facts. I knew the data. I spent months consciously wrestling with all of these details and my own doubts. I then came to a conclusion in August of 2008. I prayed and I told God I was going to trust Him and we would see how things turned out. It turns out, that’s all it takes - a faith in Jesus Christ. That faith has changed my life and who I am. It has given me freedom to be more than I would be on my own, as I have the Holy Spirit helping me in life and a Father I can pray to at any time for help.
One of my problems during this time was understanding why Christians felt so sure they were right. I mean, what arrogance to assume that their religion was correct and everyone else’s was wrong. Who were they to make that determining factor? The irony is that in hindsight I can see that everyone does this. The Christian, Muslim, Mormon, Buddhist, even the atheist and agnostic assume that they are correct and everyone else is not. In fact, the person who assumes all religions are true is just as arrogant in assuming something that most of the religions of the world contradict. Today I was thinking, is it really arrogance? For example: If you lived in a city that had 100 wells and everyone drank from the wells every day. However, one day you discovered that 99 of the wells were poisoned but it was such a subtle poison that those drinking didn’t know they were being poisoned. If you discovered (or were told) which of the wells was the only clean, non-poisoned well, would it be arrogance for you to tell people or just your responsibility?
In truth, the true arrogance that we show is that we know the truth and we do not share it. Is it arrogance to tell everyone that their well is poisoned but you know which one isn’t, or is it a greater arrogance to simply not tell them at all? Except, it is not their body that is dying, it is their soul. The Bible is clear that once the power of the Holy Spirit came upon believers (which it has) they were to be witnesses of Christ. They were to preach to the entire creation what Jesus Christ had done. That is, that Christ, being God himself, was willing to be humbled. He became a child, lived a perfect life so that he could die and that innocent death would cover the sin of the world. This satisfies a just judge who required payment to account for our sin. This satisfaction of justice allows Him to give us mercy where we do not deserve it and to see us as he sees his Son: without sin. That is our gospel message. That is the well with pure water. That is the one well that won’t leave a person poisoned and dying.
Are we hearers of the gospel message only, or do we do something about it as well?
By the year 2008, I had made two different professions of faith in Christ, neither of which were genuine decisions based on faith in Christ. I could add to that, but it is not the focus of this blog post. It was not until 2008 that I realized that I didn’t know what I believed. I didn’t know how to know. I believed there was a God, but I didn’t think I (or anyone else) could prove who that God was. To attempt to shorten this, I went through a time where I met with my pastor to seek counsel and I talked with my wife. They both encouraged me to keep asking questions and looking for answers. They gave me their thoughts and support, but ultimately, nothing they said convinced me. Which is good because now the answers are mine and no one else’s. I was ready to leave the church and my wife in 2008 because I was so frustrated with my doubts and the hypocrisy that I saw in churches. I now look back and see that I hated my own hypocrisy and so I assumed others were being hypocrites too.
One thing I understood was that Christianity hinged on the Bible, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Either it was true (and Christianity was true) or it was not and none of it was true. I knew the facts. I knew the data. I spent months consciously wrestling with all of these details and my own doubts. I then came to a conclusion in August of 2008. I prayed and I told God I was going to trust Him and we would see how things turned out. It turns out, that’s all it takes - a faith in Jesus Christ. That faith has changed my life and who I am. It has given me freedom to be more than I would be on my own, as I have the Holy Spirit helping me in life and a Father I can pray to at any time for help.
One of my problems during this time was understanding why Christians felt so sure they were right. I mean, what arrogance to assume that their religion was correct and everyone else’s was wrong. Who were they to make that determining factor? The irony is that in hindsight I can see that everyone does this. The Christian, Muslim, Mormon, Buddhist, even the atheist and agnostic assume that they are correct and everyone else is not. In fact, the person who assumes all religions are true is just as arrogant in assuming something that most of the religions of the world contradict. Today I was thinking, is it really arrogance? For example: If you lived in a city that had 100 wells and everyone drank from the wells every day. However, one day you discovered that 99 of the wells were poisoned but it was such a subtle poison that those drinking didn’t know they were being poisoned. If you discovered (or were told) which of the wells was the only clean, non-poisoned well, would it be arrogance for you to tell people or just your responsibility?
In truth, the true arrogance that we show is that we know the truth and we do not share it. Is it arrogance to tell everyone that their well is poisoned but you know which one isn’t, or is it a greater arrogance to simply not tell them at all? Except, it is not their body that is dying, it is their soul. The Bible is clear that once the power of the Holy Spirit came upon believers (which it has) they were to be witnesses of Christ. They were to preach to the entire creation what Jesus Christ had done. That is, that Christ, being God himself, was willing to be humbled. He became a child, lived a perfect life so that he could die and that innocent death would cover the sin of the world. This satisfies a just judge who required payment to account for our sin. This satisfaction of justice allows Him to give us mercy where we do not deserve it and to see us as he sees his Son: without sin. That is our gospel message. That is the well with pure water. That is the one well that won’t leave a person poisoned and dying.
Are we hearers of the gospel message only, or do we do something about it as well?
Nate,
ReplyDeleteI always hesitate about what to say when someone is bold and opens their heart up a little bit. So forgive my words if they fall short.
Thank you for sharing your testimony about how God drew you to Himself! Thank you for testifying about the hope that is found in Jesus Christ & challenging to me to do the same.
I am so glad my sister married you :)