A Challenge to me

I have recently been challenged in something that I felt was settled in my mind. First, by Rob Bell at the "Isn't She Beautiful?" conference at Mars Hill and then by Scot McKnight in his post Letters to Emerging Christians. What I heard and read I thought was a challenge to my beliefs, but I was wrong they were more of a confirmation of a belief that I already held, but just had not fully grasped.

One of my favorite passages of scripture is John 10:10, "A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest." What challenged me the most is that in most gospel presentations the Good News is presented as a ticket to heaven. I am not denying that when someone becomes a follower of Christ that they get into heaven, but the question comes is that all there is? What about my hell here on earth? Is the driving goal for us as Christ followers to just get people out of here. If heaven is the driving force of the Gospel then why doesn't God just translate us to heaven the moment we pray the prayer, confess with our mouth, make it public? I know that question brings a whole bunch of answers about the mission of Christians to share and the Great Commission, then why do we present the gospel so much as a ticket on the train to heaven?

Don't get me wrong I am looking forward to heaven. I preached a series on it last fall. I personally think the problem with many Christ followers is they are too enamored with the things of this world and not enamored enough with the things of heaven and that causes their focus to be more on the problems of the hear and now and not what is to come.

I am challenged by what Paul tells the Philippians in 1:6, "God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won't stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns." Another one that I think makes it more clear is 2:12-13, "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."

One of the questions that Rob Bell brought out is which Jesus are we following? The Jesus of 1-800-BIG-HAIR on Christian television or the Jesus of someone who claims to be but doesn't act like it. Bell referred to a book, "Stumbling Toward Faith" by Renee Alston. The disclaimer here is I have not read the book. I intend to read it in the near future because it seems incredible to me. In the book Alston tells of her life of abuse at the hands of a father who while abusing her would recite the Lord's Prayer. Those are just a few examples of the Jesus that people need to reject in their life.

What conclusion have I come too? Well, that is not completely settled. At this point for me what has happened is that Salvation is seen as more to do with someone's journey with Christ than it has to do with someone's point of decision for Christ. There are many people that have made a point of decision, prayed a prayer, walked an aisle, but the fruit of their life has no more to do with Christ than an atheist. Points of decisions are not wrong, they are markers along the journey, but there is more to the journey than the decision.

I like what Scot McKnight writes at the end of his article, "A Christian is someone whose identity is being transformed because of relationship with Jesus. I think Jesus, Paul, John, are all saying this very thing: the one who is a Christian is the one whose very being and identity are shaped by Jesus."

I simply have to concur!