Something I Forgot

Last week, a prominent Christian singer announced to all the world that he was homosexual. "If this is the way God made me," he said, "that's the way I'm going to live. I like myself now." There were a variety of responses posted by Christians and non-Christians, all of which were equally disturbing to me. Some were very strict, some were harsh, some were almost like spiritual pollyannas, some cheered his decision to come out of the closet. Some were pretty good and showed a real depth of compassion for the man and an honest plea for repentance. But, in general, I couldn't help feeling that our view of sin has been largely watered down - and to our detriment as Christians.

"God loves me as I am, not as I should be." This statement has been made by a prominent Christian speaker and author that I really like. When I first heard it, I said a hearty, "Amen!"  Later, I was praying about it and saw that it wasn't true. God does love me as I am, that's true - but He doesn't leave me as He found me. He loves me into what I should be. He loves me into holiness and out of my sin. It's a process for sure, but not an option. 

Another statement I hear a lot in talking with struggling believers, especially when the topic of choosing to repent comes up: "Well, I'm just not there yet." I've used this one myself. And it's a lie. It's a refusal to obey the Lord we claim to love and follow; it's rebellion and unbelief. This statement begs the question, "If Christ lives in you and is working in you both to will and to do His good pleasure, and all you have to do to "get there" is believe and obey, then why don't you?" Because, at the center of much of American Christianity is SELF.  In much of the Western world, and especially in America, Jesus is little more than a venerated slave, sent to serve my self interest.

I confess my own guilt in this perversion of Christianity (it really doesn't deserve the title); much of my years as a follower of Christ were spent not following at all or trying to pick and choose what parts I would follow over those I would not. Praise God for His mercy!  He knew my ignorance and forgave me; He led me out of my self-inflicted blindness into His light and holiness and grace. And that's where I remembered something very important: we can suffer loss.

I do not believe that we can lose our salvation (I won't go into that here and now). But, what I had forgotten is that we can suffer loss - and that's not a good thing. In 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, the Apostle Paul clearly states that we can suffer loss by building on the foundation of Jesus Christ with cheap materials, i.e., wood, hay, and stubble. We are encouraged to build with gold, silver, and precious stones - materials that are eternal. In 1 Corinthians 9:24, Paul compares the Christian experience to a race and exhorts the believers to "run in such a way that you may win".

This also implies that we can run in such a way that we may lose.  Again, I don't believe he's saying you can lose your salvation; but I do believe he's saying this: depending on how we run our race, we will show up at Heaven's gate as a born-again winner or a born-again loser. I don't want to be a loser. I don't want to suffer loss. I don't want to show up on that day with nothing to throw down at Jesus' feet in worship.

So, what do we do? "Repent and believe the Good News!" (Mark 1:15)  True Christianity is Jesus Christ Himself living in me His good pleasure, being given full sway by my obedient consent. Only Christ can be in me the source of His image and likeness. As I look to Him, He produces in me - in us- His holiness, His righteousness, His likeness, as I participate through my obedience. Out of love for Him, in dependence upon Him, in obedience to Him. And when sin is revealed, to repent swiftly and be cleansed - not wait until I get there. Repent and believe! It's that simple. "The blood of Jesus can never cleanses excuses; but it will always cleanse sin, confessed as sin."

Sin is not a play-thing or a mild condition. It is a poison of deadly deception and diobolical origins. It is not like a cold that we just ride it out until we finally get better. To treat it that way is to belittle the necessity of the Cross and to see the passion of Christ as an over-reaction. No, sin is as hideous as the Cross demonstrates. And we should remember that.

And, where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more.