Declare and Defend - Now? (Part 2)

… for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14.17

Faulty views of the faith

Ask the non-Christians you know what they think of Christianity, and you’re likely to get a variety of responses.

Some would say it’s good for those who need it. Others might say they think believing in Jesus has become irrelevant in our day. Still others might flare up, get indignant, and start accusing you of trying to cram your religion down their throats.

It’s not likely, however, that many will say, concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that it is the key to helping people learn to live together in mutual love and respect, so that everyone can flourish and be at peace, society and culture can be beautified and enriched, and everyone can know true joy and lasting fulfillment. After all, if they believed that, wouldn’t they be Christians already?

Indeed, you won’t find many Christians who view the Gospel in that way. For most believers, Christianity is a 2-H club: Happiness now, Heaven later.

Whose fault?

Why are there so many faulty views about Christianity these days? It’s not because aggressive non-Christians have misrepresented the faith or exaggerated its failings. For all their boasting and bluster, they haven’t really had much success, as we’ve seen. Mostly it’s because we who hold the faith of Christ have not been clear about what we believe, why we believe it, and why believing in Jesus makes a difference in our lives.

And, on top of that, we haven’t exactly lived, in a caring, courageous, and consistent manner, the beliefs and convictions we claim to hold dear.

But we are Christians, presumably, because we find that Jesus brings an experience of life, purpose, meaning, joy, and peace that nothing else has managed to provide.

The day of salvation

The apostle Paul declared, “Now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6.2). Now. But the fact of salvation seems to have eluded most people, including a great many of those who profess to possess it. What does it mean to be saved? Saved from what? Saved for what? So it’s the day of salvation: just what does that mean? 

The Biblical idea of salvation carries the meaning of wholeness, of rediscovering true humanness. It means, in addition to being forgiven and adopted into the family of God, being set free from the snares and chains of mere lust and foolish self-interest so that we can discern more noble aspirations and pursue more fulfilling and satisfying paths.

Throughout the course of human history those who have known the salvation which God grants us through Jesus Christ have been responsible for bringing more in the way of beauty, goodness, and truth to the human experience than any other movement, philosophy, or religion, or all of them together. In every area of culture and society, the presence of the saved has meant liberation for human creativity, genius, and wellbeing. Yes, of course, there have been problems along the way and blips in the road. Christians aren’t perfect, as we know.

But where the salvation of God has truly taken root in a person’s life, everything begins to change. The life and love of Jesus replace mere self-interest, the peace of eternal rest overcomes all anxiousness and fear, and joy that nothing can shake or steal settles over the soul. In such a condition people begin to flourish as never before. Together in their flourishing, the followers of Christ bear the fruits of their salvation in culture, in ways that delight as they ennoble, and in societies, such that freedom and justice obtain.

Now is the day of salvation! The Kingdom of God has come to earth, and righteousness, peace, and joy are expanding all over the world.

If you are not experiencing this, it may be that your view of salvation is simply too small. If being saved means to you only that your sins are forgiven and you’re going to heaven when you die, then you don’t really understand the full power and scope of what Jesus has accomplished on your behalf. He Who is making all things new is ready to do the same in your life and, through you, into every arena of your life—all your relationships, roles, and responsibilities.

Christians hope for the glory of God (Rom. 5.1, 2), that is, that they might see God at work in and through them to bring honor and glory to His Name in all we are, think, say, and do. Now is the day of such a great salvation—now! And those who are saved strive to realize that glorious salvation more and more each day.

Today, will you bear the great salvation of Christ into every aspect of your life? Now is the time to do so.

T. M. Moore