Where's the Line?

Some people think that good people go to heaven, and bad people go to hell. That seems reasonable. My question is, who determines the line? Exactly how "good" is "good enough?" Or, if you prefer, how "bad" is "bad enough" to land yourself in hell?

Really, who determines the line?

Is it reasonable to assume that it would be God, and not us?

Parable of the Sower: Stony Places

When I read the parable of the sower from Matthew 13, I usually think mostly about the one who receives seed among thorns. When seed (the word) falls on that kind of ground (or that kind of heart), Jesus says that the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desire for other things choke the word out, and it becomes unfruitful. This part of the parable translates really well for those of us living in the United States, as it is a direct challenge to our consumer mindset. But the part of the parable that is becoming increasingly interesting (or alarming) to me is the person who receives seed among stony places.

There seems to be a connection between this part of the parable and something Jesus spoke of regarding the last days in Matthew 24:

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. - Mat 24:9-13 NKJV

As I consider this occurrence in the last days (many being offended as a result of tribulation), it makes me wonder about the consistency of Christians' hearts in the last days. It makes me wonder about Christians in the United States. As of right now, we are free to read our Bibles, preach against sin, meet together openly, and do all those things associated with the Christian life. But what if something drastic happened to this country, and we no longer had any of those freedoms? What if people hated us to the point of persecution, actual, physical persecution? Would we stand strong (in the power of God's might, of course) in the face of that kind of persecution? Or would we retract and cower in utter fear? Would we be offended to suffer shame for the name of the Lord, or would we by joyful at that opportunity (see Acts 5:41)? Jesus clearly said we would be hated by all nations for His name's sake. As a matter of fact, Jesus said people would kill us for our testimony. Would we be willing to die for the Lord Jesus? I think these are legitimate questions that we must ask ourselves, especially here in the US, where we wallow in lukewarm "Christian" living.

I guess my question is, as it goes back to the parable of the sower, have we received seed on stony places? That is, do we have hard hearts? Jesus clearly said that in these people the seed springs up immediately, but it has no depth of root. So when the sun beats on us hard (we find ourselves in tribulation, temptation, or hardship), we shrivel up and wither away.

We need to pay attention to the consistency of our hearts. We also need to do what we can to throw down some deep roots (which should include prayer and study of God's word). I believe the time is coming soon when all the things Jesus mentions in Matthew 24 will start to take place. At that time, may we not be among the rank of those who will be offended, betray one another, hate one another. May we not be among the rank of those who wither away because the sun scorches us.

Now is not the time to be lukewarm.

Hell Is Real

There are some who believe that hell is not real. That's not the case, however. Jesus spoke of hell on numerous occasions, warning people about the torment and permanence of it. I'm not really sure why people dismiss the idea of hell, especially since every single one of us is only one heartbeat away from eternity. Consider carefully Jesus' words in Mark 9 regarding hell:

[42] "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. [43] "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched [44] "where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.' [45] "And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched [46] "where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.' [47] "And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire [48] "where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.' - Mar 9:42-48 NKJV

In this passage Jesus references hell three times. Notice what He says about the nature of hell in this passage:

• Hell is real (He references it THREE times, not just once)
• Hell's fire will never be quenched (eternal judgment)
• The worm there does not die (a chilling glimpse at one aspect of hell's torture)

As this culture moves further away from the fear of God, Jesus' small discourse here on hell serves as an excellent reminder that there's more to this life than just seeking our own pleasure. Jesus reminds us (three times, no less) that hell is real, that we are accountable to God, and that people will spend an eternity there if they don't repent. It's time we as a nation wake up to reality, rather than pretending God isn't real and we aren't accountable to Him. It's also time to quit making up our own rules about God, heaven, and eternal judgment and starting listening to what the Bible says about all these things.

You Can't Get to Heaven That Way

I've been thinking a lot lately about what people believe about heaven and how to get there. I would be willing to bet that most people, if asked the question, "How does a person get to heaven?" they would say, "By being a good person." Or maybe they would say, "If your good works outweigh your bad works, you go to heaven."

The problem is, neither of these viewpoints is true.

You cannot get to heaven by being a good person.

The only way you can get to heaven is by believing in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Since we as unjust, unholy, sinful, imperfect people cannot stand before a just, holy, perfect God, there must be another way. That way is Jesus Christ. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. As He died on that cross, He was taking the penalty for our sins, so that we, through His gift, can once again approach God, and in turn, go to heaven to be with Him forever as the result of His sacrifice.

There is no other way. No one else has died (and subsequently risen again from the dead) and taken our place. We cannot make up our own rules about who God is and how to get to heaven.

The only way to heaven is to believe in Jesus Christ.

So the question remains: What do you believe about Jesus Christ?

This is the most important question you will ever answer in all of eternity. I pray that you give it long, careful consideration.

Hypocrites

I've heard more than one person say they would rather not come to church/be around the church/become a Christian because the church is full of hypocrites. This isn't really a news flash because I believe that every human being, to one degree or another, is a hypocrite. Nevertheless, people use this line of reasoning as a legitimate excuse to not become a Christian, or even acknowledge God's existence. I think a large part of that is the terrifying implication that if God is real, then we must be accountable to Him. But more on that in a minute.

These people have a point, at least to a certain extent. If we claim to be Christians, our lives ought to show it, no ands, ifs, or buts about it. We all ought to be examining our own lives on a regular basis as to whether we really are being the salt and light of the world. And if we aren't, then we need to take action to get back on the right course again. When the salt of the earth isn't being salt, it's amazing how perceptive unbelievers are to that dynamic. And when they call us on it, they're right.

But I have to say, I've heard way too many people parrot that excuse for the sole purpose of escaping accountability before God. God's real, and He holds us accountable, whether or not we as the church misrepresent Him.

In light of all this, I would really like to examine Matthew 13:24-30. Jesus is telling a parable about the kingdom of God. He says that the kingdom is like a man that sowed good seed in his field. He also says that while men slept, an enemy came and sowed tares in his field. The servants asked him if he wanted them to gather them up, but he said no. He said to just let them grow up together. Once they are full grown, they will be able to discern real wheat from the tares. At that point the tares are gathered up and burned, and the wheat is gathered into the barn (and Jesus said that this is what essentially happens at the end of the world).

So why does it come as a surprise to us when people look at the church and see these people? Then they say things like, "Look, the church is full of hypocrites! I don't want any part of that!" Well of course it is, and Jesus said it would be. And the closer we get to the last days, the more evident these people will become.

Now the church isn't perfect, as I said, but not everyone who says they're a Christian is a Christian. And not everyone who attends church is a true believer in Jesus Christ (take for instance the guy who was at the synagogue possessed with demons, in Jesus' actual presence, from Luke 4:33). There are tares among the wheat. But I have to say, for every hypocrite I know 100 other fully committed followers of Jesus Christ who would be embarrassed if I told what they have done and what they have given. The problem is, nobody looks at their lives and their actions and says, "Wow, that person has really given sacrificially to the cause of Christ! They've done this, and they live their lives like that. There must be something to this Jesus." The people who say the church is full of hypocrites don't know some of the same Christians I know.

Anyway, no matter what the story is, I just truly believe some people like to find any excuse they can to not believe in God. "The church is full of hypocrites" is certainly one of them. But it isn't a valid one.

Thorns

The following is part of a study I'm doing on the Parable of the Sower. This part of the parable resonates deeply with me, since we are where we are in history, and the kind of society we're living in. I think this parable, found in Matthew 13, along with the other two passages cited, Luke 14:15-24 and Matthew 22:1-14, serve as a clarion call to the church here in these last days. I've always been blown away by the time Jesus said that we can't serve two masters, because we'll hold to the one and despise the other. He said, "you can't serve God and mammon," as if these are the two main gods that people worship. Of all the idols in the world, I've always found it fascinating that Jesus would choose to pit these two as opposites in that particular sermon. That says something about man: that in pursuit of money he would be more than happy to abandon the one true God. The aforementioned passages deal with this god of men's hearts, and serve as a great reminder and warning to keep our priorities straight. I hope you enjoy it, but moreover, I hope it challenges you.

#3 Thorns

When the word of God falls among thorns, Jesus tells us in verse 22 that it’s the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches that are represented. These are the things that choke out the word so that that person becomes unfruitful. The same parable in Mark adds, “and the desires for other things.” I’m convinced that in the church today (in America anyway), these three things are the number one distractions for Christians. This society is so loaded down with marketing and consumerism that you would think the key to a person’s eternal fulfillment is the acquisition of more stuff. It certainly is not, but those who excel at the science of marketing would have us believe otherwise. After all, the economy depends on it.

There’s a parable in Matthew 22:1-14 and Luke 14:15-24 that serves as an excellent cross reference for further study on this type of heart attitude. This is the story that Jesus relays about a man who throws a big banquet and invites many. Matthew’s account states that this is the marriage banquet of a king’s son. This king throws a huge party for his son’s wedding and invites many, but we quickly see the hearts of those who were invited. Matthew’s account renders it this way:

“But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business….”

Luke’s gospel says it this way:

“But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them, I ask you to have me excused.’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’”

Interestingly enough, in the Matthew account, the word “business” in the original language could be interpreted “merchandise.” So while one refused to go to the party and went to his farm, the other went back to his “merchandise.” If we look at the excuses of those who were invited in Luke’s account, we see that they have a similar thread running through them (buying property and livestock), at least the first two.

The fact of the matter is, we have all been invited to the greatest party of all time. God invites us to take part in the wedding feast of the Lamb of God. The question then becomes, are we excited about this eternal banquet, or are we so distracted with our temporal merchandise and the other stuff we have going on, that we make light of the invitation we’ve been given? Do we make light of God’s invitation? I certainly hope not.

The Time Is Short

Today was a pretty serious day of reflection for me. I have this sense that the time is short. As such, I'm feeling such a huge burden for those around me that are lost. I don't really have the words to describe the sense of urgency I have. Right now we have time to share the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection with our families, friends, and neighbors. But I really don't know how much time or how many opportunities we have left. This feeling has driven me to prayer, asking God (even begging) to give me a voice, to give me an open door to share this good news. I really don't know what kind of opportunities might come my way, but I want to be mindful of sharing the gospel.

If you've happened upon this blog and don't believe in Jesus Christ, I'd like to have a minute of your time. When you look around at all the things that are happening in the world and line them up with scripture, it really is quite possible that we are living in the last days...the days just prior to the return of Jesus Christ to set up His kingdom. Before He sets up His kingdom, there is going to be a serious time of trial and tribulation that comes on this earth to wake people up. It will be a time of judgment and great suffering. Some will actually turn to Christ at this time, but some will raise their fists in anger to God and refuse to repent. This time will reveal what's in men's hearts.

The good news is, you can still turn to Christ before all this begins. If you've been looking for forgiveness, restoration, a new start, a relationship with God, it all begins with Jesus Christ. He is the one that took the penalty of our sins by dying on the cross. His resurrection shows His defeat of death and the fact that God accepted His payment for your sins. Because of His death and resurrection, we can have forgiveness and a new life. The only thing you have to do to receive His forgiveness is admit to Him you're a sinner. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you and rose again, and you will be saved. You should confess your new found faith to someone-get into a Bible-believing church and talk to the pastor.

Again, please understand that the time is short. Jesus may not be returning this very hour, but He will come at some point. He is not going to let this planet go on forever like this. He will eventually deal with everyone.

In light of all this, I want to leave you with this passage from 2 Peter:

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise [to return], as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

The Love of Money

The following are a couple of verses that really concern me regarding the state of the church (in America):

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. (Mat. 13:7)

And here is Jesus’ interpretation of this part of His own parable:

Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. (Mat. 13:22)

This is the second verse:

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy…. (2 Tim. 3:1, 2)

And finally:

Because you say, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing”—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. (Rev. 3:17, 18)

Putting these three verses together serves as a serious warning to the church regarding our focus while we are still here on this earth. I’ve been taught that the seven churches in the early chapters of Revelation were actual churches with their own issues and problems. And we can see that Jesus is revealing certain things to John about these churches, and that these churches needed to take certain steps and precautions in following the Lord Jesus. It’s also been postulated that these churches (along with their problems and predicaments) represent the church’s history as a whole: we should take note that there are seven churches listed, (and with the number seven being the “number of completion”) it’s quite possible that we have here a “complete” view of the history of the church. If this is the case, then the Laodiceans being last might indicate the state of the church in the last days. If this is true, and if we believe we are living in the last days, then this letter is every bit as much written to each of us as it was to the Laodiceans. We should then take careful note of their state.

They (we) say, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing.” Really? Are we guilty of saying/thinking the same thing? Are money and self-sufficiency the identifying characteristics of the church today? I really think we ought to think long about this sentence and not just glaze over it without giving it lengthy consideration:

Are money and self-sufficiency the identifying characteristics of the church today?

Note Jesus’ reaction to their (our) assertion: “[You] do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” My pastor has said on numerous occasions, “Don’t underestimate your capacity for low self-awareness.” These people (we) really thought they had it together: they had wealth and no need for anything. My hunch is that, if we were measuring this church’s state of being by the world’s standards, we might all come to this conclusion, that they have need of nothing. But, as is true in the kingdom of God with everything else, the world is completely backward and diametrically opposed to the things of God. And this is why Jesus, in His loving way (see Rev. 3:19), sharply rebukes these people. They (we) are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

Jesus then goes on to give them some advice: “Buy from Me gold refined in the fire….” They were all about getting wealth. Jesus is telling them to get real gold, which is an authentic faith. 1 Peter 1:7 talks about faith being more precious than gold and being tried in the fire. Here Jesus is telling them to have faith in Him rather than in worldly wealth. Make no mistake: having a real faith in Jesus Christ is what saves, not the riches of this world. He then goes on to say, “Buy from Me some white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed.” This is another allusion to having faith in Jesus Christ. These people are naked, and I think the case can be made that these people have never entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. They are naked like Adam and Eve were in the garden and have not been clothed by God. These people were not only about getting wealth, they were about getting costly clothing (a sign of wealth that is still highly valued in America’s culture today). Jesus tells them they’re naked. Finally He also tells them to anoint their eyes with salve so that they can really see what’s going on. It still baffles me today as to how utterly blind people can be to the things of God. The question is, are they blind because Satan has blinded them, or are they blind because they choose to be blind (like an ostrich putting its head on the sand)?

If you read to the end of the letter to the Laodiceans, you’ll see that Jesus is standing at the door and knocking. It scares me to the core that at this church, Jesus is on the outside knocking, wanting in. If Jesus is on the outside wanting in, then they (we) as a church have a very, very serious problem.

The 2 Timothy passage is also disconcerting. The first part of it says, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money….” It’s a sure sign of the last days when men are lovers of themselves and lovers of money. Well that’s all fine and good, and to be honest, what would we expect from the world? If they’re not living for God, what is there to live for? Themselves? Sure. If this is all there is, then we’re living a short, temporary life, and it really is no wonder that our selves would easily find their way onto the thrones of our lives. Ever more people are becoming increasing opposed to the idea that there even is a God, or that we might be accountable to Him, so it should be no surprise when we become our own gods, and our lives revolve solely around making ourselves happy. We love ourselves, and in short order, we love money, because when we have it (or so we’ve been led to believe), we have infinite power to make ourselves happy with as much consumer product as we want. We are our own gods, and we worship ourselves with money.

But what’s so disconcerting about this passage is, if you put it together with Jesus’ warning to the Laodiceans about their attitudes toward wealth, it’s not such a stretch to say that the warning in 2 Timothy could also be a warning about the church in the last days. After all, verse 5 of the same chapter says, “…having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

And finally, if we put these two verses together with Jesus’ parable of the sower, we see that the idolatrous desire for and unholy love of money is an absolute brick wall that stands in the way of following the Lord:

Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. (Mat. 13:22)

When it comes to money, let’s remember this: the world is insanely in love with money. Think about it: how much of today’s news has to do with the economy? How much time does our own government pour into developing laws and programs that seek to revive our economy? The way I see it, it’s all about jobs, earnings reports, stocks, home values, unemployment, Social Security, national debt, the dollar’s performance against other world currencies, etc, etc, etc, as if there’s nothing else in the world going on. If we could just fix the economy, I bet everyone would be happy.

But I’m not so sure this is what God wants. What if we have idolized money so much in this country that God is trying to teach us the pitfalls of trusting in uncertain mammon? It’s almost as if we’re in a room, with all our money stacked up high on a table, and as we have bowed down to it, God has seen fit to just blow on it and send it flying in a million different directions. I’m really not sure if this is the case, and I don’t claim to be a prophet, but I do know that the Bible warns against trusting in uncertain riches.

Now as it pertains to the church, if we have done the same thing as the world, we are truly guilty of idolatry and find ourselves in the same state as the Laodiceans: we are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. There is no recourse but to repent and ask for His forgiveness. He still wants in! He still loves us!

This morning at church we considered a message regarding who Jesus really is. Do we really know who He is, or have we made Him into someone He’s not? The thought occurred to me, have we, as part of the church in America, gotten Santa Claus and Jesus Christ confused? Are we here to serve Him, or do we think He’s here to serve us? Do we think He’s there to give us more money? Do we think He’s there to make our lives on earth better? It would do us well to heed the warnings in these three passages.