Feb. 13, 2007
Last Judgment
This past Sunday was the Sunday of the Last Judgment from the Parable in Matthew. I spent a long pondering and nothing I tried to write seemed to do it justice.
Father's sermon reminded us that God is love (why would a loving God judge us, he began). This got me going on a bunny trail (yes, my mind was wandering during the sermon). I was thinking back on the quote from one of last week's blog entries that said: "only the loving can accept love." And really the parable is ultimately living a life of love. Visiting those in prison, comforting those who are sick, and feeding the hungry are examples of how to love someone. Jesus is not asking to do something He didn't already do in His earthly ministry: He fed the hungry, released people from their demonic prisons, and healed the sick.
It is interesting and quite frightening to note that in the parable Jesus teaches us it is not what you believe but how you live that decides your fate. Scary stuff. I don't want to face that part of death... I like the comfort of "if I only believe and confess". I want the lovey-dovey Jesus that accepts me no matter what. Dietrich Bonhoeffer called that "cheap Grace" and the Church teaches that we can't pick and choose our favorite parts of God. Jesus is pushing me further up and further in.
It is not a mistake that the Church placed this remembrance the week after the Parable of the Prodigal. God is still loving and He always accepts a repentant heart, but after repentance we must all begin to take up our Cross and follow Him. If the scripture "Everyone who loveth is born of God." is true then Jesus is saying to us "Walk your talk."
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Posted by 
Ancient Faith Radio
Feb. 13, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Paul tells us that we are saved by grace and faith. He taught that we could never be good enough to win in a covenant of works. We are totally dependent on the grace of God to save us. He saves those with faith in Christ.
The other error is to think our works make no difference. We may gain salvation and justification by faith, but I believe we are sanctified (made holy, Christ-like, productive members of the body of Christ) by faith and works. It is a life-long process and we are accountable to God for how well we do it.
I go back and forth over whether anyone can truly believe in a holy, Creator God and not come to a place where he or she desires to please Him. I know that, at least in my case, these two things did not occur simultaneously. I had intellectually embraced the God of the Bible, long before I made Him Lord. There were many times I felt a nudge to study the Bible and said, "Later." There were times I was asked to help someone and I thought, "Not that person. Anyone but that person." I missed the opportunity to learn to love unconditionally. I didn't learn truth.
It truly bugs me though how so often people are given the message in church that the whole process is about relationship and saying a sinners prayer. Why isn't there more of an insistence on being fruitful? I guess despite my personal experience, I find it difficult to believe that someone can have a true encounter with their Creator and not somehow be changed or affected by it.