How Can I Change?/Living for That Final Day
From Gospel Translations
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| - | }} | + | }}When was the last time you heard a sermon about hell? |
| + | Heaven is a much more popular subject, but even that | ||
| + | is often ignored these days. The trend in contemporary | ||
| + | preaching is to focus not on our eternal future, but on our | ||
| + | current “felt needs.” And while such messages may succeed | ||
| + | at drawing crowds, they fail to develop maturity and build | ||
| + | the Church. Listen to this excellent observation by Darius | ||
| + | Salter from his book ''What Really Matters in Ministry: '' | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{LeftInsert|"A startling thing has happened among Western Christians. Many of us habitually think and act as if there is no eternity—or as if what we do in this present life has no bearing on eternity...Being oblivious to eternity leaves us experts in the trivial, and novices in the significant. We can name that tune, name that starting line-up, name that actor’s movie debut, name that country’s leading export, and detail the differences between computer models or types of four-wheel drives. None of this is wrong, of course, but it is certainly revealing when we consider that most Christians, let alone the general public, do not even have an accurate picture of what the Bible says will happen to us after we die. We major in the momentary and minor in the momentous.<ref>Randy Alcorn, ''Money, Possessions and Eternity ''(Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1989), pp. 138, 139.</ref><br>'''— Randy Alcorn'''}}Lack of rootage in the eternal may be the greatest | ||
| + | shortcoming in the evangelical preaching that | ||
| + | attracts large numbers | ||
| + | of people...The ultimate aim of preaching | ||
| + | should not be accruing benefits in this life | ||
| + | for parishioners but | ||
| + | preparing individuals | ||
| + | to stand in the presence of Christ. There | ||
| + | is no greater goal or | ||
| + | motivation than the | ||
| + | knowledge that all of | ||
| + | us are headed for eter- | ||
| + | nity, and that shortly.<ref>Darius Salter, What Really Matters in Ministry(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1990), pp. 123, 124.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | If anyone was rooted in | ||
| + | and motivated by the eter- | ||
| + | nal, it was Paul. Without | ||
| + | disregarding the practical | ||
| + | needs of those he served, he | ||
| + | constantly drew their atten- | ||
| + | tion to the life that was to | ||
| + | come. And he tells us why | ||
| + | in his second letter to the Corinthians: “For we must all appear before the judgment | ||
| + | seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him | ||
| + | for the things done while in the body, whether good or | ||
| + | bad” (2Co 5:10). | ||
| + | |||
| + | This verse reveals one of Scripture’s most compelling | ||
| + | —and most frequently overlooked—incentives for sancti- | ||
| + | fication. It speaks of a day when we will be judged for the | ||
| + | way we have lived in response to God’s grace. On the basis | ||
| + | of that assessment, Christ will give each believer “what is | ||
| + | due him.” One need not meditate for long on the implica- | ||
| + | tions of that verse to develop an appetite for godly living. | ||
| + | We have one short life in which to determine our eternal | ||
| + | rewards...or eternal loss. It’s this urgency Paul sought to | ||
| + | impart to the churches he served. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Living by a Two-Day Calendar === | ||
| + | |||
| + | As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a | ||
| + | life worthy of the calling you have received. (Eph 4:1) | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{RightInsert|'''For Further Study: '''Read Ephesians 2:6-7. What does Paul say is the purpose of God’s call on our lives?}}Every genuine Christian has received a calling from | ||
| + | God. This call was conceived in eternity past. Before creat- | ||
| + | ing the world, God had already chosen us for himself (Eph | ||
| + | 1:4). At the moment of our regeneration we experience | ||
| + | the effect of that choice. This isn’t a result of human | ||
| + | effort, nor is it a reward for good works—it is entirely a | ||
| + | work of grace. And yet in response to God’s call we are | ||
| + | responsible to live a certain way. | ||
| + | |||
| + | This is an often misunderstood point, so please follow | ||
| + | carefully: We never were and never will be worthy of this | ||
| + | call. Paul is not exhorting us somehow to qualify for our | ||
| + | calling. That would be impossible and a denial of grace. | ||
| + | He describes it to the Ephesians as a calling “you have | ||
| + | ''received”''—not something they had ''achieved. ''The “riches | ||
| + | of God’s grace that he lavished upon us” (Eph 1:7-8) by | ||
| + | way of election, adoption, redemption, and regeneration | ||
| + | are unconditionally and freely given. | ||
Revision as of 19:43, 3 June 2008
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Heaven is a much more popular subject, but even that is often ignored these days. The trend in contemporary preaching is to focus not on our eternal future, but on our current “felt needs.” And while such messages may succeed at drawing crowds, they fail to develop maturity and build the Church. Listen to this excellent observation by Darius Salter from his book What Really Matters in Ministry:
— Randy Alcorn
Lack of rootage in the eternal may be the greatest shortcoming in the evangelical preaching that attracts large numbers of people...The ultimate aim of preaching should not be accruing benefits in this life for parishioners but preparing individuals to stand in the presence of Christ. There is no greater goal or motivation than the knowledge that all of us are headed for eter- nity, and that shortly.[2]
If anyone was rooted in and motivated by the eter- nal, it was Paul. Without disregarding the practical needs of those he served, he constantly drew their atten- tion to the life that was to come. And he tells us why in his second letter to the Corinthians: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2Co 5:10).
This verse reveals one of Scripture’s most compelling —and most frequently overlooked—incentives for sancti- fication. It speaks of a day when we will be judged for the way we have lived in response to God’s grace. On the basis of that assessment, Christ will give each believer “what is due him.” One need not meditate for long on the implica- tions of that verse to develop an appetite for godly living. We have one short life in which to determine our eternal rewards...or eternal loss. It’s this urgency Paul sought to impart to the churches he served.
Living by a Two-Day Calendar
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (Eph 4:1)
Every genuine Christian has received a calling from God. This call was conceived in eternity past. Before creat- ing the world, God had already chosen us for himself (Eph 1:4). At the moment of our regeneration we experience the effect of that choice. This isn’t a result of human effort, nor is it a reward for good works—it is entirely a work of grace. And yet in response to God’s call we are responsible to live a certain way.
This is an often misunderstood point, so please follow carefully: We never were and never will be worthy of this call. Paul is not exhorting us somehow to qualify for our calling. That would be impossible and a denial of grace. He describes it to the Ephesians as a calling “you have received”—not something they had achieved. The “riches of God’s grace that he lavished upon us” (Eph 1:7-8) by way of election, adoption, redemption, and regeneration are unconditionally and freely given.
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