What is life in the Kingdom of God? what makes us different. Doing good things plus going to church? Morals plus attendance. I wonder if that's how we often think about our faith, i wonder if that's how we present our faith. We give to charity and go to church, and we're welcomed in the Kingomd of Heaven. We vote Republican and eat at Chick-fil-a, so Jesus stamps our ticket.
But we know this caricuture isn't Christianity. Why isn't it? Why can't we just modify our behavior, 'be nice' and go the Church? Why is our problem not solved with this answer?
The answer is found in Mark 7:14-23.. Verse 14 sums up the dispute with the Pharisees, and then Jesus moves away with His disciples to start teaching them. But verse 17 tells us the disciples are confused. Jesus has just told them, and everyone, that nothing that we put into our bodies can make us unclean, make us unacceptable to God. Again, this was absolutely world changing news for the Jewish people, in fact, so unusual was this teaching to their ears that they thought it must have been another parable! It’s no wonder He is asked to explain in verse 17. I love His response… ‘are you kidding me?’ is basically what He’s saying, are you as bad as those other guys who don’t get it?’ Jesus explains to His disciples, and to us in 17 and 18 why Christianity is about the heart, why performance is not how we get saved. When you eat food, it eventually leaves your body. It doesn’t stay, it can’t hurt you long term because it’s not there for long, it gets expelled. It’s the heart that’s the problem; it’s the heart that causes issues. Look at what comes out of the heart…evil thoughts, immorality, slander, envy, pride and foolishness. That’s bad. It’s the heart that’s the problem; the heart is deceitful above all things and totally wicked. It’s our hearts that need changing. Our hearts are the same wherever we take them, church, the mall...sitting in front of the TV. Entering a building doesn't give us the change we need! Our problem is bigger than that.
This is why Christianity is inward, because the problem is
inward. This is why Christianity is radical, because our problem is radical.
Christianity is not morality plus attendance. The moralistic attenders were the
ones who Jesus reserved His most bitter words for. Jesus demands not a new
diet, but a new heart. And why? Because we are heart sick, we are inwardly
sick, and we need an inward Saviour.
An inward salvation, not an outward one. Goodness knows, we need to more committed to church attendance and Bible reading, but not like a Pharisee, but like a Christian. Not coming to church to be seen or to tick a box, but to worship. Not to use good deeds as gambling chips to cash in at the prayer counter, but seeing them as the natural fruit of the Gospel tree.
Our hearts are the problem. Our hearts are sick and desperately so, only Jesus can give us the medicine we need.
An inward salvation, not an outward one. Goodness knows, we need to more committed to church attendance and Bible reading, but not like a Pharisee, but like a Christian. Not coming to church to be seen or to tick a box, but to worship. Not to use good deeds as gambling chips to cash in at the prayer counter, but seeing them as the natural fruit of the Gospel tree.
Our hearts are the problem. Our hearts are sick and desperately so, only Jesus can give us the medicine we need.
No comments:
Post a Comment