Saturday, March 29, 2008

Christian or non-Christian? The trade-off

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:8-14).

Life is full of trade-offs. In order to enjoy the blessings of marriage, you have to trade away a single person's freedom to date other people. In order to enjoy the blessings of having children, you have to reduce your spending on non-essentials. In order to gain seniority at your workplace, you have to hang in there instead of hunting for a different job when you are saddled with an unpleasant boss. In order to be a superior athlete, you have to accept the aches and pains that come from intensive workouts.

Being a Christian involves trade-offs as well. Paul tells us, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. This sounds pretty harsh; in order to be a Christian, I have to lose everything? Let’s put this trade-off into perspective.

What kinds of things is a Christian called upon to give up? Let’s start with material things. In his explanation of the Lord’s Prayer, Martin Luther discusses our material needs: "What is meant by daily bread? Answer: Everything required to satisfy our bodily needs, such as food and clothing, house and home, fields and flocks, money and property; a pious spouse and good children, trustworthy servants, godly and faithful rulers, good government; seasonable weather, peace and health, order and honor; true friends, faithful neighbors, and the like." These are the things that our bodies need to remain healthy, both physically and emotionally.

But Paul writes: three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Paul went through times of hunger and poverty. Paul spent most of his life on the road, with no home to call his own. Paul was not married, nor did he have any children. Paul lived in a land where the government was run by corrupt rulers. Paul experienced nature at its worst. Paul experienced betrayal at the hands of false friends. Paul even had a recurring health problem, which he described as a "thorn in the flesh". Paul’s life was filled with turmoil instead of peace. To look at Paul’s life, we could claim that he was often without any of the material things that Luther suggests are necessary to carry on from day to day.

But the loss of these things did not trouble Paul. Instead, he wrote: I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. Paul took the long view. How long do material things last? How long does a loaf of bread stay fresh? How many tornadoes can your house withstand? How many years can you milk a cow? How long can you be sure that your spouse or children or friends will live? How long can you depend on the government to keep its promises? You see, nothing in this world can be counted on to last until the day that you die. This is why Jesus said, Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matthew 6:19-20).

But the trade-off of being a Christian does not end there. In Galatians chapter 5 Paul writes, the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other…The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

To be a Christian involves more than just sacrificing the comforts of life—it also demands that we give up the comfort of wallowing in sinful behavior. As a Christian, you are called to pull your attention away from making money and being the center of attention, and instead devote yourself to God and the care of your fellow man. Love is about reaching out to others, and love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10).

This sounds like an awful lot to give up. Most people in our world are unwilling to commit to such a sacrifice. But consider where dedication to this world and its ways leads. Ezekiel 8:14 tells us, the soul who sins is the one who will die. Jesus tells us, the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur (Revelation 21:8). We are all sinners; we will all die. If we pass into death without a saving relationship with Jesus, eternity will be nothing but endless pain and endless regret over what could have been. This is the trade-off for making personal pleasure the most important thing in our lives.

But the trade-off for the Christian is far better. In return for giving up bodily gratification and the easy life of giving in to one temptation after another, we are given blessings both now and in heaven. Here in life, we are promised that God will listen to our prayers; in Jeremiah 29:12 God says, call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. Here in life, we are assured that our Lord will give us what we need; in Matthew 6:31-33 Jesus said, do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. When we devote our time and efforts to serving God quietly, without seeking attention for ourselves, we are told that God will bless us; Jesus says, your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (Matthew 6:4). As we live our lives in service to Him, we can be confident that God will give us the strength to endure anything; Paul says, I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).

But the best blessings await us at the end of life. For the faithful in Christ, death holds no terror because Jesus has returned from death to life, and He has promised to send His angels to bring us through death to join Him in everlasting life. For the Christian, death is not a terrifying unknown, nor is it the beginning of never-ending punishment; because of Jesus, death is the necessary step to be freed of the misery of sin so that eternity can be pure joy. And what can be said of heaven? Heaven is a place where there is no sickness, no weakness of age, and no death, because death has been defeated by our Lord. Heaven is a place where there is no conflict, no loneliness, and no fear, because our Lord has ended the power of sin. Heaven is the place were we can see our Jesus who has redeemed us, the angels who He had appointed to protect us in life, and all the loved ones who have gone on ahead of us through faith in Christ. When you compare what the Christian stands to gain in trade for the ephemeral pleasures of life, is it any wonder that Paul says, I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him?

Christ is the means by which we can make this trade-off. Without Jesus, God’s loving care in our lives and welcome to heaven would not be available to us. Because of our natural impulse to focus on ourselves and make personal pleasure our highest priority, God had rejected us as unworthy to be His children. Apart from God, our lives had no hope for the future, no promise that the futility of today would ever result in a meaningful tomorrow. But because He loved us, God sent His Son Jesus to bring us an alternative. Jesus was baptized as a man to stand with us as our representative, and when He was crucified on Good Friday, the punishment from heaven that He suffered was the punishment that had been earned by you and me. Jesus died under the burden of your sins, to lift God’s righteous anger from you. When Jesus said Father, forgive them (Luke 23:34), He showed us what He came to do, and what He continues to do for you every day. Whenever you pray to Jesus to forgive your sins, you have the assurance of Romans chapter 8--Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Every moment of every day, our dear Lord continues to represent you to His heavenly Father with the words Father, forgive them. It is only by being restored to God’s good graces by Jesus’ sacrifice of love that we have access to all the wonderful gifts of God—forgiveness, help, protection, and eternal joy in heaven. It is Jesus alone who makes the Christian trade-off possible. And so Paul writes, I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Of course, not every Christian is called upon to give up as much as Paul did. Abraham was a wealthy man the day he died, with a family from whom would one day be born the Savior Jesus Christ. Although Job lost nearly everything during his time of testing, God subsequently gave him twice as much as he had before. David, who had started life as a lowly shepherd boy, ended life as king of God’s chosen people. But we must be ready to give up anything if called upon to do so, and do it without looking back in regret, for Jesus says No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62).

How do we live this way? How can we live our lives in such a way as to not be unduly fascinated with the distractions of this world? Paul says, Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Paul was the first to admit that he still had a problem with focusing too much on the attractions of a sinful life. But his advice is this: forget what you are leaving behind and strain towards the new future that Jesus holds out to you. Don’t buy things as if you will keep them forever; buy them to see to your immediate needs. Treasure your relationships with other people, but don’t make the focus of your relationships the temporary pleasure of having a good time; instead, nurture in each other those qualities that will steer you both towards heaven, so that death will not separate you eternally. Make an effort to expel from your life anything that interferes with church attendance or Bible study; avoid entertainments that tempt you to do things which God hates; reject as unacceptable anything that weakens your faith by teaching something different than the Bible. Make a conscious effort every day compare what you are told by sinful people with what God tells you in His holy Word.

Paul was not perfect at living this way; neither will you be. But if you keep coming back to Jesus for mercy, for strength, for leadership and for comfort, you have this promise: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7-8). Ask for forgiveness and it will be given to you; seek strength and leadership from Jesus and you will find it; knock on heaven’s door for eternal rest, and Jesus will welcome you in. This is the trade-off that comes from being a Christian.

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