We present Jesus as the Messiah
who came to die for our sins. We tell people that if they accept Christ they
will go to heaven when they die. What's wrong with that? First, it's only half
the gospel. Second, it gives the impression that eternal life is something we
get when we die. Jesus had to die for sins in order to cure the disease that
caused us to die. Then He gave us life, making us new creations in Christ.
Suppose that you are a prostitute. One day you hear
that the king has decreed that all prostitutes are forgiven. Since you're a
prostitute, that's great news! But would it necessarily change your behavior or
your self-perception? Probably not. You may dance in the streets for awhile, but
chances are you would continue in your same vocation. You would see yourself as
nothing more than a forgiven prostitute.
Now suppose the king not only forgave you, but he made
you his bride as well. You're a queen. Would that change your behavior? Of
course. Why would you want to live as a prostitute if you were a queen?
The church is the bride of Christ! You are far more
likely to promote the kingdom if you are the queen rather than a forgiven
prostitute. We are not redeemed caterpillars; we are butterflies. Why would you
want to crawl in some false humility when you are called to mount up with wings
as eagles?
"I would be filled with pride if I believed that,"
says the skeptic. You are defeated if you don't believe it! Humility is not
putting yourself down when God is trying to build you up. Self-abasement has the
appearance of wisdom, but it has no value against fleshly indulgence according
to Colossians 2:23. Humility is confidence properly placed. We need to be like
Paul and "put no confidence in the flesh" (Philippians 3:3). Let's put our
confidence in God: "For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to
work for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).
Dr. Anderson, Freedom in Christ and Harvest House Publishers www.ficm.org
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.