Who Are You?
Who are you? No, really, who do you think you are? Who do people say you are?
Are you a parent, grandparent? Blue collar, pink collar, white collar worker? Are you a daughter, a son? Who are you?
Better yet, what is your identity? Are you straight, curved, gay, not gay, black, white, republican, democrat, independent, Christian, atheist, deist, Buddhist? Just who are you?
Everyone identifies with something, believing that this is who they are, but for those of you who identify as a conservative, a good person, a Christian, just what makes you so?
Last month, I attended a funeral. At this funeral I spoke with a couple regarding the person we just said goodbye to, and something they said hit me wrong. I probably should have said something, but I was still so raw with emotion that I didn't trust my words or attitude, so I chose to smile and say nothing. What they said was this: "So and so was a good person, we're sure (this person) is in Heaven now."
While I did not disagree with them, having had many conversations with this person prior to their passing, I did disagree with their mindset.
The following is an excerpt from The Trial of Andrew Osher*:
Another Taskmaster goes by, dragging a man with no eyes. The man is grasping at the ground frantically trying to get a solid grip on anything that will keep him from his final destination. Crying, struggling, and clawing the ground with bloodied fingers to get away from the creature who has a vise-like grip on him, he screams out, “I did what I was supposed to! I never broke the law. I was a good person! Please! I don’t belong here! There must be some mistake!”
This is the description of a "good person," one who never broke the law, gave to charity every year, loved his wife/children/parents, and went to church every Sunday. But notice I didn't say one key thing. He did not have Christ in his life.
The Bible says this in John 14: 1-6
To me, that is pretty cut and dried. No one, that is world inclusive, comes to the Father except through Jesus, who is the Christ. That is to say, that with your heart you are to believe, and with your mouth you are to confess that Jesus, who was fully God, and yet fully Man, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was crucified on a Roman Cross, the perfect sacrifice for our sins, died, was buried, rose again on the third day and waits at the Father's right hand until the time appointed for His return.
I know, a mouthful, but here's the thing. It is a simple plan, this salvation stuff. God seems to delight in having the simple, the weak, and the broken teach those who believe they are wise, self-made, good, and going to Heaven based on good works. The problem, as the world sees it, is it's too simple, and incredibly foolish. Some believe salvation and the Bible to be a fairy tale. Pretty interesting that it is banned in I believe 52 countries. As the meme suggests, you don't see Cinderella banned in those countries. But it is that simple. Confess Jesus Christ with your mouth, believe in your heart that He died for your sins and rose again on the third day. Simple. The works are a part of a Christian's gladness. We are happy to engage in things that show who we are...Christians.
Now I'm meddling.
This brings me to the point of this whole post. You say, "I believe in God," yet so do the demons and they tremble, but they are not saved, and neither are you if that's all you believe. Many people, tribes, nationalities believe in God, but according to His Word, the Bible, without salvation through Jesus Christ, you fall way short, despite your many good works. So many times, in so many places, and so many ways, I see people who profess to be Christians do the polar opposite of what the Bible teaches. I see the vulgarity from one side of their mouths, and the "bless your heart, I'll pray for you" coming out the other side of their mouths. I see them strongly defend the family, yet they approve and support the abortion of millions of unborn children. I hear that they go to church at Easter, and Christmas, but the rest of the year, don't darken the door. I see them giving to charities like the Red Cross during times of crisis, or the Salvation Army at Christmas time, but don't give two thoughts about helping a neighbor who is elderly and needs help, or a teenager who can't read well, or even the person on the street holding the sign, "will work for food/homeless, anything helps." No matter that that particular person could be a charlatan, someone who is working the streets for drug or alcohol money...that shouldn't matter, that is something for God to deal with, it's your duty to follow the Holy Spirit's leading, and if He says give him/her something, then do it.
See, good works, while they are good things to do, don't get a person to Heaven. Jesus does, and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you. Remember the passage I put up a few paragraphs before? The only way to Heaven is through Jesus...He is the way the Truth, and the Life, No One comes to the Father except through Him. Period. Doing good things doesn't get you there. Going to church on occasion, or being raised in a Christian home, or being a citizen of the United States does NOT make you a Christian, just as living in a garage doesn't make you a car, or living in a country with a different national religion makes you whatever that is, or even living in say, Japan makes you Japanese, unless you were born to someone who is. Salvation through Jesus Christ does.
So, examine yourself. Do you confess to be a Christian? Does your life reflect that, or does it reflect the people and the world around you? Does church going, prayer, and reading your Bible seem stupid? Do you think that you can worship God without the fellowship and teaching of other Christians? The Bible says that we are not to forsake the gathering together of ourselves. The "church" is not the building, but the gathering of individuals who are seeking, have found and are discipling others, taking care of each other as the need arises. Are there sinners and hypocrites there? I certainly hope so...let's put it this way, if you are healthy and well, why would you seek medical attention? You wouldn't. Every person who darkens the door of a Christian church is in need of spiritual attention, some more so than others. There are no perfect people within those walls, for that matter, there are no perfect people, just ones that are forgiven.
So again, examine yourself. Do any of the examples give you a twinge of guilt? Do you, in any of these examples see yourself? Are you trying to build a stairway to Heaven based on every good work that you do? If you are, you will fall way, way short of your goal.
In the end, when we all stand before the Judgment Seat, there will be two phrases voiced:
Matthew 25: 31-46
Are you a parent, grandparent? Blue collar, pink collar, white collar worker? Are you a daughter, a son? Who are you?
Better yet, what is your identity? Are you straight, curved, gay, not gay, black, white, republican, democrat, independent, Christian, atheist, deist, Buddhist? Just who are you?
Everyone identifies with something, believing that this is who they are, but for those of you who identify as a conservative, a good person, a Christian, just what makes you so?
Last month, I attended a funeral. At this funeral I spoke with a couple regarding the person we just said goodbye to, and something they said hit me wrong. I probably should have said something, but I was still so raw with emotion that I didn't trust my words or attitude, so I chose to smile and say nothing. What they said was this: "So and so was a good person, we're sure (this person) is in Heaven now."
While I did not disagree with them, having had many conversations with this person prior to their passing, I did disagree with their mindset.
The following is an excerpt from The Trial of Andrew Osher*:
Another Taskmaster goes by, dragging a man with no eyes. The man is grasping at the ground frantically trying to get a solid grip on anything that will keep him from his final destination. Crying, struggling, and clawing the ground with bloodied fingers to get away from the creature who has a vise-like grip on him, he screams out, “I did what I was supposed to! I never broke the law. I was a good person! Please! I don’t belong here! There must be some mistake!”
This is the description of a "good person," one who never broke the law, gave to charity every year, loved his wife/children/parents, and went to church every Sunday. But notice I didn't say one key thing. He did not have Christ in his life.
The Bible says this in John 14: 1-6
1“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2In My Father’s house are many [a]mansions; if it were not so, [b]I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
5Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
To me, that is pretty cut and dried. No one, that is world inclusive, comes to the Father except through Jesus, who is the Christ. That is to say, that with your heart you are to believe, and with your mouth you are to confess that Jesus, who was fully God, and yet fully Man, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was crucified on a Roman Cross, the perfect sacrifice for our sins, died, was buried, rose again on the third day and waits at the Father's right hand until the time appointed for His return.
I know, a mouthful, but here's the thing. It is a simple plan, this salvation stuff. God seems to delight in having the simple, the weak, and the broken teach those who believe they are wise, self-made, good, and going to Heaven based on good works. The problem, as the world sees it, is it's too simple, and incredibly foolish. Some believe salvation and the Bible to be a fairy tale. Pretty interesting that it is banned in I believe 52 countries. As the meme suggests, you don't see Cinderella banned in those countries. But it is that simple. Confess Jesus Christ with your mouth, believe in your heart that He died for your sins and rose again on the third day. Simple. The works are a part of a Christian's gladness. We are happy to engage in things that show who we are...Christians.
Now I'm meddling.
This brings me to the point of this whole post. You say, "I believe in God," yet so do the demons and they tremble, but they are not saved, and neither are you if that's all you believe. Many people, tribes, nationalities believe in God, but according to His Word, the Bible, without salvation through Jesus Christ, you fall way short, despite your many good works. So many times, in so many places, and so many ways, I see people who profess to be Christians do the polar opposite of what the Bible teaches. I see the vulgarity from one side of their mouths, and the "bless your heart, I'll pray for you" coming out the other side of their mouths. I see them strongly defend the family, yet they approve and support the abortion of millions of unborn children. I hear that they go to church at Easter, and Christmas, but the rest of the year, don't darken the door. I see them giving to charities like the Red Cross during times of crisis, or the Salvation Army at Christmas time, but don't give two thoughts about helping a neighbor who is elderly and needs help, or a teenager who can't read well, or even the person on the street holding the sign, "will work for food/homeless, anything helps." No matter that that particular person could be a charlatan, someone who is working the streets for drug or alcohol money...that shouldn't matter, that is something for God to deal with, it's your duty to follow the Holy Spirit's leading, and if He says give him/her something, then do it.
See, good works, while they are good things to do, don't get a person to Heaven. Jesus does, and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you. Remember the passage I put up a few paragraphs before? The only way to Heaven is through Jesus...He is the way the Truth, and the Life, No One comes to the Father except through Him. Period. Doing good things doesn't get you there. Going to church on occasion, or being raised in a Christian home, or being a citizen of the United States does NOT make you a Christian, just as living in a garage doesn't make you a car, or living in a country with a different national religion makes you whatever that is, or even living in say, Japan makes you Japanese, unless you were born to someone who is. Salvation through Jesus Christ does.
So, examine yourself. Do you confess to be a Christian? Does your life reflect that, or does it reflect the people and the world around you? Does church going, prayer, and reading your Bible seem stupid? Do you think that you can worship God without the fellowship and teaching of other Christians? The Bible says that we are not to forsake the gathering together of ourselves. The "church" is not the building, but the gathering of individuals who are seeking, have found and are discipling others, taking care of each other as the need arises. Are there sinners and hypocrites there? I certainly hope so...let's put it this way, if you are healthy and well, why would you seek medical attention? You wouldn't. Every person who darkens the door of a Christian church is in need of spiritual attention, some more so than others. There are no perfect people within those walls, for that matter, there are no perfect people, just ones that are forgiven.
So again, examine yourself. Do any of the examples give you a twinge of guilt? Do you, in any of these examples see yourself? Are you trying to build a stairway to Heaven based on every good work that you do? If you are, you will fall way, way short of your goal.
In the end, when we all stand before the Judgment Seat, there will be two phrases voiced:
Matthew 25: 31-46
31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (emphasis mine) 35For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (emphasis mine) 42For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (emphasis mine).
Who are you?
*The Trial of Andrew Osher ~ ©LA Brown
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