May 10
Yesterday, we began to look into why non-religious faith is becoming so popular in modern society.
Today, I want to address what I believe is the real issue behind why so many are turning away from faith in God.
I remember (in my younger days) a popular Christian speaker asking his audience a very interesting question. It was this: “Do you know anyone who is not a Christian because you ARE?” It is an extremely valid question.
Let’s remember what we Christians are claiming… we are claiming that the Almighty God has delivered us out of our selfishness and sin, so that He might come and live within us. We are saying… God, lives in us.
This raises some other valid questions… Shouldn’t the fact that Almighty God lives within us make more of a difference in our lives? Shouldn’t God’s abiding Presence within us produce more of the stuff that only God can do? Shouldn’t our claim to belong to Him, make Him undeniably evident in, and through, our lives?
As I understand it… that’s the whole point behind why He came in the first place. He did not just come to make a way for us to get into heaven – He came to make a way for heaven to get into us. And for the God of heaven to make Himself abundantly real to everyone who crosses our path. The whole point of being Christian, is for Jesus to show Himself real, and powerful, in each generation of believers. If that doesn’t happen… it’s not the culture’s fault.
When you take the time to really look at what atheists are saying about Christianity and Christians, it is centered in the whole notion that they are looking at Christians and seeing no real proof of God at all. Those who should be the greatest evidence of His reality… are really no evidence at all.
In my mind, that makes them right to question. Their skepticism is being met with our unconvincing talk, doing nothing but solidifying their doubts and skepticism.
Jesus said it best: “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Mt. 5:14) Meaning: God, purposely, put His people in a place to be obvious and inviting – for all the weary travellers of life to discover the reality of the fullness of His love. If what they see is cold, fake, or uninviting – they will move on to other places.
What is the problem? And the solution?
It all goes back to something Jesus was constantly emphasizing. We have to be sold out to God. Too many modern Christians want God in their lives, but do not really want Him to be the God of their lives. This does nothing but produce luke-warm, wishy-washy Christians whose many weaknesses and moral failings lead to their greatest claim: “God forgives me for all my failures.”
Which is wonderful… but what is even more wonderful is when the God of glory produces through us, what His victory on the cross won for us. The opportunity to show the world what having the Almighty God living within us can really do.
We owe it God to give Him what He paid for. What is more, we owe our generation the undeniable proof that the God of heaven, living within us, makes all the difference in the world.
Prayer focus: God, help me to take stock of my commitment to You… and to fix my heart on being all that You provide for me to be.
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