I'm Saved...Now What...?

This is a question I really wished more people wrestled with. I think way too many people think that salvation is the end. The goal is to get saved. Well, that's just wrong. Salvation is only the beginning! It is where real life starts. Consider this self-admittedly crass example:

A youth purchases a video game. In the video game his mission is to save the world from the evil aliens trying to take over. He spends many hours playing until finally he faces the final boss - the king of the aliens. He beats him and saves the planet. Order is restored and the credits begin to roll.

Here is the question: What did he really accomplish?

Right, absolutely nothing.

In reality, he did zero of consequence. But when he sets that controller down and walks away from the game system...that is when he gets back to reality. That is when he has the chance to really do something.

In the same way, life before Christ is doing little to nothing of true value because only that which is done in Christ will ultimately last. So life before Christ is like playing the video game. You do a lot of work... you may have a lot of fun... and you may save the world from aliens... but in reality, you will not have done much.

Putting the controller down...that is like bowing your knee to Christ, i.e. salvation. Life begins. You are now in reality...and in reality there is much to do. You begin to see that aliens aren't the problem, it is the forces of darkness that war against the things of God. It is a new battle...and more real...and more lasting than the one that was being fought pre-salvation.

In the Christian faith, we must never forget that we are at war. Not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual principalities and strongholds. This means that we are at all times seeking to dispel darkness. Any place where the lordship of Christ has not been enforced is where we are supposed to be. Again, not through physical force, as many in the Muslim world hold to, but through giving truth.

So, a Christian should never be bored. We have more battles than we have time for. Pornography, gangs, suicide, drugs, pre-marital sex, depression, eating disorders, low self-esteem, broken families, homosexuality, and on and on... We have much to do!

When we get lulled into thinking there is no battle, the kingdom of darkness thrives. A false sense of peace is not peace, it is defeat. We are on a mission to extend the kingdom of Christ to all the earth. And it's only a matter of time...

So the real question is this: will you be a part of it or will you just watch it happen from the safety of the sidelines?

Question: Why Don't We See Miracles Anymore?

This is a great question and I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about it over the years. Here is what I have come to...

Let me begin by saying that, obviously, we see miracles all the time - the sun rising, a baby being born, waking up in the morning, etc. I know we also see of plenty of miracles that are difficult to substantiate by the naked eye, i.e. healings from relatively non serious sickness, release from an inner turmoil or trauma, etc. These are all definite miracles, but what I am centering more on in this blog are those miracles like the ones seen in biblical times. I am talking about the blind seeing, the crippled walking, the withered limb growing back in front of everyone, someone jumping out of their casket at a funeral... That is what I want to see!

First of all, we must understand the purpose of miracles. If you go through the New Testament and mark everywhere Jesus or the apostles did a miracle you will notice something they all have in common. They all had a greater purpose than just healing the person afflicted. The ultimate purpose was to validate the truth of who Christ was and is to a people who did not believe. Never has there been a miracle done just because. So if this was/is the case, we can expect to see miracles where the Good News of salvation through Christ is being boldly proclaimed to unbelievers.

Another reason might be our lack of expectation and motivation. I often talk a lot about wanting to see God move in amazing ways but my actions pretty much contradict my words. I mean really, most of the miracles I hear about today are the result of God's moving after insane amounts of time and energy are spent seeking Him. So it's a weird place we're in... We say we want desperately to see God move but not desperately enough to persist in prayer, per say. Why would God move where His moving is taken for granted? Jim Cymbala sums it up well when he says, "God will manifest Himself in direct proportion to the passion of the people seeking Him."

Pastor Eric Falk had a theory that I liked. He thought that several giftings given by the Holy Spirit were not being manifested much because of a lack of teaching on them. That is simple and makes good sense. Maybe that's a part of it...

I most often hear of great miracles happening overseas in areas like Africa, China, Afghanistan, etc. And because many of these are 1st hand reports from people in whom I place great trust, I believe them. So this begs the question: what is the difference between us and them? The main answer that pops to mind is the utter desparation for God to move there vs. obvious spiritual apathy that has set in in America. This difference alone is pretty serious. Through Scripture we learn what typically attracts God to intervene and what absolutely repels Him... Apathy and pride are two He does not, and will not, deal with.

In the end, we believe that God is active in His creation. I would be very curious to see what would happen if those who profess the name of Christ had a throw back to the early years of the church...when sharing the good, yet offensive, news of Christ was proclaimed even when it was not culturally accepted or appreciated. I wonder what would happen if we spent more time seeking God and less time being entertained. I bet we might begin to glimpse some amazing things...!