The simple answer is that
we cannot save ourselves from God's judgment, no matter how good, or religious or ethical we think we are. Apart from God's grace, we are all guilty of sin. Sin separates us from God. However, there is good news: No matter how good or bad I may think I am, if I am born again, my sins are forgiven and I enter into a new and
infinitely better life – a new life presently in relationship with God
with an eternal future in God's kingdom.
Now the skeptic might respond: “I am
happy or content with the life I lead now;” or “I have personal,
financial or relationship issues that religion can't fix;” or “Even
if I change, I don't think my life will change much because most of
the people I live and work with are not believers;” or “I am an
ethical and moral person, and I don't think a just and loving God
would send a person like me to hell.” I will respond to the
skeptic from a Christian's perspective.
The Christian undergoes a
profound change in character affecting virtually all aspects of his
or her life. This change in character is first activated by the
personal relationship the individual enters into with God through
Jesus Christ; from there the individual's character is transformed
into the likeness of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit working
within the individual as he or she follows Christ in discipleship.
This inside transformation of the individual expresses itself
outwardly through what the Bible sometimes refers to as “the fruit
of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22), namely, through the capacity for love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control. These character traits are gifts from God, which
come about through the individual's relationship with God, and differ
substantially from how they are conceived or expressed in the secular world. I
will explain this difference using the example of the gift of love.
Most people, Christian and
non-Christian, could probably agree that love is a good thing and that the
world would be a better place if more love was present in it. Love is central
to God's order also: Jesus' purpose for coming to Earth and his
entire earthly ministry were built on God's love for humanity, and
Jesus' commandments to us are to love God with all our heart
and, secondly, to love our neighbors as ourselves. (Mat 22:37-39)
Christian love has God for its primary objective, and expresses
itself in obedience to God's commandments. More than that, it is the
capacity given to Christians to love others the way God loves us.
Therefore, Christian love,
whether exercised toward other Christians, or toward people
generally, is not an impulse from feelings, it does not always flow
from natural inclinations, nor does it invest itself only upon those
who will respond reciprocally. Christian love seeks the welfare of
everyone, without expecting anything in return (Rom 15:2), and seeks
to do good to everyone, especially those who are of the household of
faith. (Gal 6:10) There is freedom in Christian love. There is no
score-keeping; no expectations of reciprocation; and no worry of being taken advantage of. The Christian sees the
other person just as God sees that other person: as a person worthy of God's love.
As I indicated above, the
capacity for Christian love, as with any of the fruit of the Spirit,
are gifts from God exercisable through the Holy Spirit, which dwells
in the heart of the Christian. It is beyond the power of the human
will to live this way. On the other hand, for the individual who
accepts Christ's invitation for a relationship and submits to the
transformative power of the Holy Spirit, that person can exercise these traits in powerful ways that will benefit the individual as well as those in contact with him or her. And more than that, through a new
life and a new reality under God's dominion, the Christian will receive the
vision to see what Nicodemus what unable to see.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are always welcome. Please contribute to this Post with comments that build up the community.