Now that we have been freed to live our lives for Christ (see LOTL: Compelled), what are we to strive for?
2 Corinthians 5:16--"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer."
Over the past few days I have talked about having Christ's perspective on others. But the passage doesn't just call us to a new outlook on other people, it also calls us to repent of the way we regard Jesus.
Paul is talking about himself here when he says "we." I use this language tool but normally I use it when I really mean one of my kids. "Oh, Gareth, WE need to clean up this room" (I have no intention of helping...I don't know why I use "we"). Before Paul's dramatic meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), his view of Christ was not exactly favorable. Paul considered Jesus a blasphemer, and I would imagine that he thought Jesus got exactly what He deserved on the cross. But then Paul actually meets Jesus and through becoming blind begins to SEE Christ for who He is, the incarnate, victorious God. Paul abandons the Jewish world-view, and passionately takes on a more accurate view of Christ.
So how does our culture view Christ? I don't think one blog post can cover this topic well. I wonder if 30 would be enough. So I'll pick one view to talk through. One that I think the church secretly agrees with--the "up-to-a-point" view of Christ.
I think most unbelieving people are fine with Jesus, UP TO A POINT. Jesus was kind and wise, He acted on behalf of the poor and the outcast. A lot of popular books in our culture quote Him. But the world only stays "OK" with Him if He is a just a part of who you are, not the center. If you give Him the same attention you give your facebook page...well Ok, that's not a big deal. But when He starts to take up too much of your life, too much of your time, too much of your conversation, too much of your facebook page...then there could be a problem. And the idea that Jesus claims to be THE WAY to God is hard--it's a deal-breaker. It's a deal-breaker for the world, and come on chruch...it's a deal-breaker for us.
We don't want to give the Lord all that we have. We don't want to hear His call to holiness and definately not His challenge to simplicity. Being missional (talking about Jesus to non-believeing friends), sacrifing all right to live out of self-motivated actions and flinging ourselves on God's good and sufficent grace--BLURG! Most of us feel exhausted just thinking about it. So we adopt a version of this "up-to-a-point" faith. We allow Him space and lordship in the areas of our lives where we already agree with Him--tithing, church going, smoking...But other areas that are too hard, too consuming, or frankly areas where we think scripture is wrong, (pride, racism, purity, generosity...etc.) we ignore. We pretend. We defend.
But brothers and sisters we can't live in this "up-to-a-point" faith anymore. It makes us an untrustworthy people, which reflects that God is not to be trusted. And the only WAY to enjoy God is to strive toward being just like His Son...not sort of like Him. We need to get serious about Christ being our LORD, and let Him in to those areas that frankly He is going to rip apart and then make whole.
I need to do this. If I say I am a Christ follower I need to follow Him into all areas. I need to strive to make Phillippians 2:5-11 as much a description of me as it is of Christ. I need to love the poor, dine with the lost, enjoy my God, serve those around me. I need to forgive (OUCH!) I need to forgive every single time.
"God consume all parts of me. Flood all areas, even the ones where I try to shut you out. Make me more and more like Your Son, Jesus."
Are there any other ways that the world's view on Christ and faith has invaded the church or more importantly your life?
No comments:
Post a Comment