Thursday, February 10, 2011

The Conditioned Response

"You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light."
-- John 5:33-35

It's subtle, the way faith is presented by the world today.

Have you really thought about it? Everyone has widely different beliefs and through this growing movement of "all-inclusiveness" we have come to regard belief -- faith -- as a matter of personal preference.

What I'm trying to say is that we've watered down the meaning of the word "believe."

I can say, "I believe in Jesus."

But today, I might as well be saying "I believe the Red Sox will win the World Series this season," or "I believe pizza is the best food on the planet."

You could make an argument for both of those things, sure, but the condition of the words "I believe" today is such that it purposefully leaves the door open for other arguments. I may believe this, but you may believe something else.

I've found lately, to my shame, that I talk in these sort of "I believes" when it comes to sharing my faith in God.

I fear that in this society where "Everyone has a right to believe what they want," I, along with a good portion of the modern church, have fallen into a state of near apology when it comes to sharing and witnessing.

The things I say to non-believers often tend to begin with, "Well, I believe ..."

And then Jesus says, "Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved."

He's talking of John the Baptist, speaking of one who would bear witness to the truth -- that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah.

In belief, there is proclamation of interpretation and there is acknowledgment of truth.

God requires from us the latter. He does not need the former.

Think of it this way:

Belief as proclamation of interpretation is very similar to saying, "I believe skydiving is dangerous."

Belief as acknowledgment of the truth is like saying, "I believe in the law of gravity."

In the first case, there is reasonable evidence to suggest its truthfulness. A vast majority of people would probably agree. But the presentation leaves the door open for argument.

In the second, there is no arguing the existence of gravity. Present whatever arguments you'd like -- at the end of the day, we all know what's going to happen when I drop a rock off a cliff.

That's why being born again is such a remarkable process. All God asks, in return for eternal forgiveness and never-ending life with Him, is a two-fold confession: He asks for the acknowledgment of ourselves as sinners and the acknowledgment of His Son as the Risen King.

We can interpret and reason the two all day long, but until it is acknowledged unquestionably as true, it means nothing in our lives.

You have to know it like you know the effects of gravity. And we have to present it to others the same way.

Very simply, it's the difference between saying something with your brain and saying something with your heart. In one instance, you're well convinced something is true. In the other, there is no doubt in your being that it is true.

I realize there is a broad difference between presenting the truth in love and hammering someone over the head with the Bible. But we can't use that as an excuse to stray away from the absolute validity of the truth presented within scripture. Present it in love, but present it exactly as it is.

I thought perhaps I was alone in what I've come to realize is a growing epidemic among the Christian church. I've since heard a teacher I respect immensely call it "The Great Soft Sell" -- presenting your beliefs in Christ and leaving it as an "option on the table" for whoever would listen.

But God is adamant through scripture that His Son is the only way. Ultimately, every individual must make a confession of their own accord -- whether or not they believe in Christ, the Son of the Living God. There's nothing "soft" about deciding either way. It's as hard and as real a decision as a soul will ever make.

God provided His word to make that decision as simple and as easy as possible. Through it, He gives us everything we need to know about Him. He gave the Holy Spirit to open eyes and hearts to the truthfulness and faithfulness of His word.

Consider what Jesus goes on to say in this same section of scripture:

"But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish -- the very works that I do -- bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me."

He laid it all out there, not in order to prove Himself to us, but to show Himself to us -- much like dropping that rock off that old cliff.

There's a song (read this blog for any amount of time and you'll quickly find out who my favorite musical artist is) that describes the progression of the meaning behind the great confession as a Christian grows in his walk with the Lord. It sums up better than I can the point of what I'm trying to say.


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"But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (That is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." -- Romans 10:8-10





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