I'll see you in heaven if you make the list
Man On The Moon ~ REM
For most of my Christian life, I've been chasing the dream. The dream that I would spend the remainder of eternity in the presence of my Lord and Savior. However, like most dreams, this one came with a price. The price for following this dream was that I would need to give up most, if not all, of the earthly pleasures I had come to know and love. That was the price of following the dream of the believer. In it's place, I would need to adhere to more than a few strict church and biblical rules which all too often I saw as being put in place more to keep me under control than to help make me a better person. That better person would be the one who adhered to the righteousness of God and obeyed the rules and regulations of the mainstream church. Tithe one tenth of what I earned. Abstain from harsh language. Turn the other cheek. If I was successful in adhering to these rules, then I could indeed "Be like" Jesus. Yet, being like Jesus was NOT the same as having a relationship with my Lord. I mean, wasn't the point of making the list to be able to be with the Lord forever? What if I didn't make the list? What if I indulged way too much from time to time? Could it be that God would declare me to be unworthy of His presence? If this were the case, were my sins which Jesus had given His life to absorb {2 Corinthians 5:21} somehow reinstituted? Would God go back on His promise to me to absolve me of my sin? Would God therefore prove Himself to be a liar? It might sound ridiculous to some who know better, but this was a part of the fear of the Lord which I grew up believing. This is what I heard from the pulpit more often than not. It seemed that the game was rigged. I mean, I was born a sinner {Romans 3:23} then I would spend the remainder of my life trying to prove myself worthy of Gods salvation. Would I make the list?
For in grace, through faith, are you saved, and this is not out of you; it is Gods approach present, not of works, lest anyone should be boasting.
Ephesians 2: 8-9, Concordant New Testament
The first time I began to question my own efforts in making the list was in a class I was involved in at church. The pastor, a good friend, had just introduced us to the words of the apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:8-9. It is here where Paul blows a hole in the theory that we need to compete for the Lord Gods favor. Far from being confused, I was relieved that my efforts to date had not been in vain. It is the love and grace of the Lord which assures us that we are no longer seen as sinners in His eyes. Paul explains that no matter what we might accomplish, thinking that we are securing our own place on Gods list, it is ultimately His love and compassion for His children that has driven the Lord to provide for our salvation {1 John 4:10}. His desire is that through Christ Jesus all would be saved {John 3:16-17}. This has nothing to do with a popularity contest and everything to do with Gods love for us {1 John 4:8}. The fear which many Christians have is that they would not perform well enough to deserve the favor of the Lord {James 2:10}. This is the stranglehold which the mainstream church has had over believers for thousands of years. Many a believer has suffered and struggled for a spot on the list all the while encouraged by the mainstream church. We have been told we must suffer for His sake. We have been instructed to earn our spot on the list through our adherence to laws and regulations. I reality, Christ Jesus has overcome that law {John 16:33}. The law, being of men, has no basis in the salvation of Gods children. And what of spending our eternity in the Lord's presence? Wasn't that the goal of making the list in the first place? Once again, Paul speaks to the truth of our reality in Christ. For we are already in His presence, as it is Christ Jesus who is in us {Galatians 2:20}. So what is it that remains for us to prove? For all which we have struggled to acquire God has already provided for us.
In this was manifested the love of God among us, that God has dispatched His only begotten Son into the world that we should be living through Him.
1 John 4: 9, Concordant New Testament
~Scott~
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