Saturday, April 24, 2010

Finding the right place to worship

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another (1 John 4:1-11a).

He had promised to love her forever. It came as a complete shock, then, when he filed for divorce. She had sacrificed everything for him, had given up a promising career to stay at home and make him happy. Now, with so many years gone by since her college graduation, her skills were no longer marketable—all she could find for work were minimum wage positions. To make matters worse, he hired a high powered attorney and fought her tooth and nail over every provision of the settlement; by the time she had paid her legal fees, she was destitute. The only thing left of value was the beautiful wedding ring he had given her as the pledge of his love; bitterly, she took it to a jeweler to have it appraised and then sell it. But there was one final betrayal still to come—what she thought was a very costly diamond was in fact a very nice-looking, but nevertheless very cheap replica. Her entire relationship, right from the beginning, had been built on a beautiful lie.

People lie to you all the time to get what they want. A boyfriend will tell you how much he loves you in order to get you into bed. A salesclerk will tell you how handsome you look in that suit in order to make a sale. A politician will promise you tax relief in order to win your vote. Every day you have to be on the lookout for come-ons, as people try to get something from you by telling you what you want to hear.

This is true of religions as well. Every religious organization wants more members. But the question that needs to be asked is this: why do they want more members? For some, it is a matter of economics—more members means more income. More income can mean nicer facilities, better salaries for church workers, more programs and activities for the members and the surrounding community. For others, it is about meeting emotional needs—more members means more security. As membership increases, there are increased opportunities for fellowship, there is the reassurance of being surrounded by many others who share your beliefs, there is security in knowing that the church will continue to be around for years to come.

But if the goal of increased membership is to raise more money, watch out! Such an attitude can lead to poor stewardship practices, as everyone decides they can give less to the Lord because there are lots of other people to pick up the slack. Leaders in the church can get caught up in fancy clothes and sprawling worship facilities, spending money on looking good and having the very best instead of getting the most ministry out of every dollar contributed.

Similarly, if the goal of increased membership is to salve the emotional needs of the members, watch out! Such an attitude can lead to all sorts of problems. Some churches stop preaching against sin for fear of offending any potential new members. Some church leaders value being popular and relish the prestige of being in charge of a large organization, instead of devoting their time to humble service. Some members become snobbish, forming exclusive cliques within the membership.

When a church body invites you to join their fellowship, what is behind their request? Do they simply want another person to put money in the plate? Do they need more people to fill the various boards and committees that have empty seats? Or are they sincerely interested in your spiritual well being? Are they concerned about the guilt and confusion and despair that make each day a chore for you to get through? Do they want to spare you an eternity of misery after you die?

Many churches are truly concerned about you. And because of this, their attention is flattering. So how do you decide which church body to join? Looking at things from the perspective of the woman we met earlier, how can you be sure you are being offered a love that will last forever? How can you be certain that the diamond in your engagement ring is genuine?

John writes, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. There is more to selecting a church than just making sure their intentions are good and honorable. Many people in this world are sincere in their beliefs, but that does not automatically mean that their beliefs are correct. Some religions teach that God will let you into heaven if you have tried live a good life. Some religions say there is no hell; God loves everyone too much to punish them eternally, so don’t be afraid—everyone is going to heaven. Other faiths claim that there is neither heaven nor hell—when you die that’s it, so it is important use each day to make the world a better place for those who will survive you. A few church bodies assert that you can become a god if you work extremely hard at following their teachings, while others hold that you will live one new life after another, continually being reborn until you finally get it right.

Clearly, these different religions can’t all be right, because there is so much disagreement between them. Yet each has many followers who believe with all their heart that they are right, and you will be blessed if you join them. But how long can the love they offer last? Is there permanence in what they hold out to you?

John tells us to put each religion to the test. There are ways for a woman to test whether the diamond in her engagement ring is genuine; there are ways to test religions, too. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. The test of any religion is simple: does it teach that Jesus is the Son of God, born into the world to save sinners by dying in their place?

Some religions claim that Jesus was just a man, a brilliant teacher and powerful leader, but just a man nonetheless. He died, but his ideas live on. Such a teaching does not come from God.

Some religions claim that Jesus was a very special man—a man so advanced in his spiritual development that God rewarded him with godhood after he died. Such a teaching does not come from God.

Some religions claim that Jesus is God’s Son, but that He never became a human being, He only appeared human so that we could more easily relate to Him. Of course, having never been human, He didn’t really die, it only looked that way. Such a teaching does not come from God.

And some religions don’t speak about Jesus at all. Such religions do not come from God.

The religion that does come from God is fundamentally different from all others. It teaches us that Jesus is God’s Son. It teaches us that God’s Son took on human life so that He could die. But this was no ordinary death—this was an atoning death. When a crime is committed, we expect the perpetrator to make restitution for the harm he’s done—he needs to pay off his debt to society. When Jesus died, He was offering His own life in restitution for harm done—but it was for the harm that you have caused. When the Son of God was crucified, He paid off your debt incurred by the many ways you have repeatedly broken God’s laws. By His suffering and death, Jesus atoned for your sins, sparing you the agony of God’s punishment for being selfish with your love.

Jesus did this for you purely out of love. He knew that if He did not suffer in your place, your life would be nothing but an ever-increasing mountain of guilt, and death would only make that misery permanent in hell. Because of His love for you, Jesus offers you forgiveness and He offers it for free—there is nothing you need do to earn His favor. The only thing He wants from you is your undivided love; if you pledge yourself to Him, the Lord will release you from guilt, guide you through life’s challenges, and give you the hope of everlasting happiness with Him in heaven.

How can you know that this love will last? God is love, and God is eternal—therefore, the love of God is an everlasting love. He loved you so much that He sent His Son to die for you. Who else has made such a monumental sacrifice for you? The cross of Jesus is all the proof you need that you have found love that will go the distance, that won’t change it’s mind or grow weak with the passing of time. The love of God expressed through Jesus is like a flawless diamond—beautiful, unbreakable, priceless and eternal. His pledge of love is the one promise you can safely build your entire life around.

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