You are in a War!

Several years ago a group of scholars studied the history of war and peace. What they came up with was quite shocking. “Since 3600 B.C., the world has known only 292 years of peace! During this period there have been 14,351 wars large and small, in which 3.64 billion people have been killed.” That would be about one half of the current world’s population. With war comes obvious destruction. The researchers also pointed out that the “value of the property destroyed is equal to a golden belt around the world 97.2 miles wide and 33 feet thick. Since 650 B.C., there have also been 1,656 arms races, only 16 of which have not ended in war. The remainder ended in the economic collapse of the countries involved.” Obviously war brings about destruction, loss of life, and loss of property. Though sometimes necessary the cost of war to society is truly immeasurable. 

Since we Christians understand that men and women are fallen in their nature and any thoughts of a Utopian peace is only wishful thinking, war will be something we will have to endure until Jesus comes back. Yet, there is another war that we will be personally involved in, and that is a spiritual war. The Apostle Paul made this point clear when he said, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms". (Eph. 6:12). There will be spiritual battles that we will fight on behalf of friends, family and church. We will also need to battle against the attacks of the enemy that he wages against us personally. The enemy intends harm and attempts to cause destruction in our lives. Fortunately, God has given the weapons of his Word and prayer to wage war against the enemy. We do not have to live in despair. We can have peace and joy in Christ. Be sure to stand against the enemy with the weapons God has given us!

 

Today in the Word, June 19, 1992.

The Day I Lost my Religion.

Religion has a way, interestingly enough, of damning the soul, a truth I learned long ago. I grew up with a very legalistic understanding of Christianity. I still have etched in my memory the times I would answer the altar call at my grandmother’s church in order to regain again the salvation I had lost the week before. The gospel I heard preached was that Jesus saves but it is up to each individual to stay saved by a series of duties as well as the impossible task of remaining sinless. The idea was cultivated in me that if I sinned even once I was lost and destined to @#!*% . This mixed with some unfortunate circumstances pertaining to the birth defects that I inherited, caused me to begin to hate God. The hatred that had been cultivated over those years would not be realized until I received Christ later in life. This hatred seems to be a bit of an oddity in hindsight given the path that God has lead me to. Yet, it was religion that played a major role in causing me to hate God.

Such a perversion of the gospel instilled in me neurotic emotions, bitterness, hatred, and a volcanic anger. Fortunately, though, this is not where the story ends, which is the beautiful thing about the power of the Gospel. Christ, when fully realized, has a way of melting the heart of the hardest hearted jade. To see Jesus dying for my sins is to see the most incredible act of love I know. R. C. Sproll was right when he said, “The sweetest fragrance, the most beautiful aroma that God has ever detected emanating from this planet, was the aroma of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus that was offered once and for all on the cross.” It was at the cross that I was able to let go the condemnation, insecurity, and a warped view of the Creator. This all took place as a result of letting go the salvation by works nonsense, and embrace what the Bible teaches. George Whitfield was shocked at the idea that someone would believe a salvation by works stating, “What! Get to heaven on your own strength? Why, you might as well try to climb to the moon on a rope of sand!” The truth is, is that it is difficult to rest on God’s grace alone given mankind’s propensity to give in to pride and demand that we can save ourselves. As Sproll correctly points out, “we don’t want to live by a heavenly welfare system. We want to earn our own way and atone for our own sins. We like to think that we will go to heaven because we deserve to be there.” This idea must be abandoned for one to have eternal life.

What I came to believe on that night in October 1989 sitting in my grandmother’s family room, was that Jesus Christ died for me and I simply needed to repent of my sin and trust Him completely for salvation. In doing so, I would not have to earn my salvation. As a result of trusting Christ alone, I no longer doubt God’s love for me and I have given up on religion completely. You see religion seeks to reach up to God and try to get God’s approval. Jesus, however, reached down, paid the penalty for my sin, and extended to me his offer of salvation. I didn’t have to be good enough, I just needed to let go of my pride, repent of my sin, and allow Christ to come in my heart. This is how I lost my religion and found Jesus. As a result, today I spend my days not trying earn God’s approval, but enjoying the relationship that I now have with God.