God's Grace Today

"Christianity has died many times and risen again; for it has a God who knew the way out of the grave."

                                                                                     ~ G.K. Chesterton

Two pioneers were making their way across the Southwest.
They had braved uncharted territories, Indians and rattlesnakes.
Finally, they came to a place that we would call the Grand Canyon in later years.
Happening upon it, they were amazed at it's depth and beauty.
One pioneer looked to the other, wiped his brow, and said: 'Whoa! Somethin' big must have happened here.'

When a person looks around the Christianized world during December, there's no doubt that something big has happened.
With traditions worldwide, the giving of gifts, decorations and multiple church services, the time between December 6th (Saint Nicholas' Day) and January 6th (Epiphany) stands as the most consistent celebratory time for Christians regardless of what country, language or continent one may live on.

To a non-believer, I wonder what they see; for, they do not see these things as I see them. 
If they did, they would be Christians.

I often wonder, when a nonbeliever hears a non-controversy become a rattling saber for some Christians (think of the complaints over the red cups of Starbucks), I wonder if they think all Christians have lost their minds?

I also wonder how many have been turned away from the Gospel of Grace over such actions. 
And if we have turned them away, how can we ever turn them back?

How can Christians in a post-Christian society, even a post-Christian world in many locations, how can we show the lost, hurting and helpless a God who loves them, when they cannot detect Him nor are some even willing to search for Him?

The Church Jesus established and the apostles taught was supposed to be an agent of change in the world; unfortunately, many times we have allowed ourselves to be the ones who have changed rather than the other way around.
We hide our faith in fear of 'offending' someone; yet, nobody really cares if a Christian is offended. Even when Christians are murdered by the hundreds by Islamic Forces overseas, televised and vicious, few have come to our aid or defense. 

While we should not force anyone to capitulate to our values, values and worldviews contrary to our own should not be forced upon us or our children.
By the same token, someone should stand up and stop the senseless killing of believers who will not forcibly convert to other religions.

Yet, faith was never meant to be a private matter.
The Christian faith was meant to be contagious - like a virus.
The world around the Christian and the Body of Christ was to be affected and infected by the truth of the Gospel we proclaim.

When the Church was in its infancy, it began in the Roman Empire; where the Emperor was considered a god along with the tribe from Mount Olympus, Christians were thought of as cannibals, ridiculed and outlawed. 
And yet, Christians still succeeded in their witness for Jesus Christ.

The Empire, much like governments today, was impersonal and uncaring; it embodied the opposite of what the Church was to be.

Christians, therefore, developed relief projects for the poor, they ransomed people who had been taken prisoner by barbarians, and many of them freed their own slaves.
Their actions were helping both Church members and their non-believing neighbors.
As Romans abandoned their unwanted babies to die of exposure and wild animals, Christians organized wet nurses until the newborns were adopted by families in the Body of Christ.

Due to these acts of grace in a world among people who often despised them, when the Empire began to wane, people flocked to churches because Churches were known as caring communities of faith.

This is when the Body of Christ had the most impact; as a result, the Church grew in prominence. 
But then, something happened that turned the tide.

As the Church's power and numbers grew, so did it's wealth; as a result, the Church developed a hierarchy which resembled the state. 
Once Christianity became the state religion, the Church authorities began persecuting those who once persecuted them - only the Church had a spiritual (not a criminal) charge, heresy. 

As we are about to dawn the sixteenth year in the new millennium, this cycle continues, as it has throughout history.

Christians will work effectively as Servants of Christ...until we become dominant in society.
Somehow, and for some reason, once Christians become the dominant force, it diverts our attention away from the very mission Christ set us before us.

And today, that is partially our problem; Christianity became the dominant force at one time in Europe and in America.
Unfortunately, instead of pressing forward with the Great Commission of our Lord; we got lazy and have remained that way.
Yet, this is not just an American or European problem; this is a problem for Christianity worldwide, in every time and era.

When one thinks of it, this is actually absurd and an affront to our very faith.

Instead of operating like the living organism that is the Body of Christ, many churches and denominations function more like an industry.
There is very little sharing in the name of Christ, as copyrights, royalties and infringements are a constant concern when using materials or sources in an effort to reach the lost.

Where Christians in most societies would visit prisoners, regardless of criminal charge or guilt because everyone needs grace; as Paul said, 'Where sin abounds, grace abounds even more.'
Today, this is a rare find except for the occasional prison Chaplain; in which case the Chaplain is hired to do so as a responsibility rather than a true calling.

As for orphans, Christians use to have wet nurses, then homes to house them until they were adopted.
Orphanages are quickly becoming a thing of the past; instead, we hire people to take care of such nuisances on society. Many times this leads the local governments to develop their own method of handling such children like Child Protective Services or Foster Care.

I will never be convinced a government entity will ever be able to love and care for anyone like the Body of Christ can because only those within the Body of Christ have the love and power of God within them which enables them to do so.
But I digress.

Today, in many churches, we pay people to lead 'worship'; we are hiring professional singers, directors, pianists, etc. 
Let me restate that fact: There are churches who are hiring people to worship.

Friends, there is still a spiritual difference between true ministers of grace whom are 'under-shepherds' and what the Bible calls 'hirelings.'

Does anyone see anything wrong with this except me???
Whatever happened to people just coming together and worshiping God?

You know, I think we just stumbled on a reason why societies in the west are now, 'Post-Christian.'

We're hiring people to do the ministry we are called to do because ministry is difficult, it can be painful and it takes time, money and effort to make an impact in people's lives for the Lord.
We speak a language that is 'Christian-eese' with churchy words that nonbelievers don't know and don't understand.
As a result, people come into contact with us and feel like 'outsiders.'

Sometimes, they'll even come to our events and churches, but never get beyond feeling like an outsider because they can't decipher what's going on because we've gotten so use to ourselves that we have forgotten what it was like to be outside the realm of faith.

How would you feel if you were in that situation?
For example, if the pastor of the Church you visited began the sermon by stating, 'Today, we will discuss the eschatological ramifications upon our soul of the Double Imputation of Jesus Christ's death at Calvary...'

Would you know and understand what he's talking about?
Would you continue to even listen?

By the way, that paragraph above; it simply means that the pastor will preach about the death of Christ, Him taking on your sin & giving you His righteousness, so that you can be saved an go to heaven.
And if it is that simple, then we should just say so, do so and love so.

Yes, the Body of Christ is still strong in the world; but we do live in Post-Christian times.
But we should never make the mistake of softening the message of Christ or the Gospel, trying to win the world by a sappy, emotional love.
That won't work and it isn't true love; true love is a love that has little to do with emotion and everything to do with duty, honor and responsibility - originating from the Lord Himself.
Moral neutrality will never work for any Church attempting to reach the lost and hurting; yet, our decisiveness must always be supported by the Word of God and wrapped in the Grace of God.

America and the West is decisively Post-Christian; Jeremiah had a message for the Jews who were living in a Post-Israel, Babylonian Captivity.
That message was simply this: Live Life and Serve God.

As Christians, instead of always fighting the drift away from God of society, it would be better to community Christ and the Gospel of Grace by living it out among those who do not believe it, or don't know it and may have never heard of it.

Today, I saw one of the most gracious, loving acts by a Christian I have ever seen.
I had the privilege of preaching a funeral of a woman who had served Christ most of her life, was widowed and left with kids to raise. She persevered and glorified the Lord through it.

After preaching the funeral (of which I was honored), a woman who had been left in marriage years earlier by a son of the deceased, walked up to her former husband (whom they hadn't seen one another in nearly 20 years) put her arms around him and hugged him.
She spoke a few words to him concerning his mother; they embraced momentarily, as if it were a long time coming, and then parted ways.
It brought a great sense of joy to my heart to have witnessed that act of forgiveness and grace because both of them loved the woman who had passed, albeit in different ways and for different reasons.
The situation could have been volatile if anyone had held on to the past hurts or held grudges.
Instead, what happened was an act of grace; they kind of grace by which Christ has forgiven us and expects us to extend to one another.

I write of this incident because it recalls a teaching by the founder of the Methodist faith, John Wesley.
Wesley taught that the Gospel of Christ involved more than saving souls; he was right.

The Gospel involves, more than anything, grace - God's grace to us and through us. 
It evidences itself first in Salvation; but it does not stop there.
The Church of yesteryear reached the masses one soul at a time through gracious acts of true needs; food banks, rescuing discarded children, teaching orphans, soup kitchens, clothing drives and countless other ways.
These are not substitutes for the Gospel or Good Works instead of Grace; no, these are outworkigns of the grace of God, of His Gospel.

And if we can return to sharing God's grace to all, in every post-Christian area, I promise you that we will have an impact on society - regardless of where we live in the world. 

Until next time, win one for the good guys.