There is abundant criticism of churches and of ministers in our land. Being deeply embedded into such a lifestyle, I can verify that much of the critics' chatter has been earned. Guys like me haven't done the best job, have we? While I would like to position myself to be some modern-day hero of sorts, such is never the case. I am a very small, little man with great need of Someone to save me.
I offer a word of caution to the critics. I once lived in your camp. You are correct in noting my flaws and of others like me. You are mistaken, however, if you believe your accurate perspective of us redeems you from loving, believing, and worshiping God. No one goes to heaven by comparatively out-do-gooding another.
Each of us is our own despicable mess which dares not point an accusing finger in another's direction. Our lips are to be converted to praise God rather than diminish another sinner. Each of us is the chiefest at getting the spiritual wrong.
J. I. Packer penned an important concept. Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People" has been almost a modern Bible, and a whole technique of business relations has been built up in recent years on the principle of putting the other man in a position where he could never say "no".
This has confirmed modern man in the faith which has animated pagan religion ever since there was such a thing---namely, the belief that we can repair our own relationship with God, by putting God in a position where He cannot say "no" any more. Ancient pagans thought to do this by multiplying gifts and sacrifices; modern pagans seek to do it by churchmanship and morality.
Mankind is spiritually impotent if and when we assume we can jump enough religious hoops to keep God off of our backs. The non-interested ones feel self-justified to note the lack of spirituality among those who seem to be given to God and church.
Both are weak and feeble.
Our hope is in the Son of God. He absorbed all of our sins upon the cross. Do not yawn. No religious person can muster enough Christianity to merit forgiveness of what we would regard as the tiniest of sins. Furthermore, the irreligious will one day proclaim Jesus as Lord convinced that their accusations were a self-induced hoax.
Jesus is the Savior. The Holy Spirit is the only power that endures the pressures and the consequences of being frail us. We are in great need; not some of us, but all. We are in desperate need for somebody to pay this sin-debt that is out of control.
And....He paid it all.
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