Saturday, March 6, 2010
Have you ever seen those Staples commercials that feature the "easy button"? Often, I think that it would be nice if such a thing was real and that every time a tough situation that presents itself in my life came up I could just pull this little device out of my pocket and press it and problem is solved.In a perfect world that would be the way things are done...
But unfortunately it is not like that, isn't it? In life, we go through certain unpleasant situations that sometimes make us think that "I wish there was an easy way out".
At a Bible Study at my church we were discussing this passage in Hebrews 6:4-6, which says:
For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put [Him] to an open shame.
This is a very controversial passage and it seems that every different denomination and belief system within the Christian realm has it's own interpretation for what this verse means, I do have a strong belief that one who has been saved can't loose their salvation. Some people say that you can willingly rennounce to it, such people are called "apostates", it is people that after considering themselves Christians willingly say "you know, this Christianity thing is not for me, maybe I will try something easier". This is very common and you have probably met someone like this. My idea is that these people were really never saved to begin with as in many cases people follow their feelings and emotions, they are convinced that life will be perfect once they accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour and many are mislead and once they realize that what they were told isn't true, they go back to their old ways of sin. I have met so many people that never really quite grasped what Salvation really is about and feel like they need to "renew their Salvation" just like they have to renew their driver's license once it expires. This is a touchy subject and one that I honestly can't quite explain in words that make sense so I won't go any further with it.
The truth here, and in this passage is that the Jewish Christians that the book of Hebrews was written to were looking back at their old Judaism ways to achieve Salvation, in a sense it's as if they wanted to go back so they would go through a priest to have their sins forgiven and not have to worry about taking responsibility for their own sins. In other words, the easy way out!
Many people today are the same way, if you look at the way people act and behave they always want to find the easiest way to have their problems solved for them, they want someone else to do it for them, they seek worldly religions that don't really require much of them to live a "righteous life".
In other words, I am reminded of the passage that Jesus speaks of the Narrow gate:
"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide [is] the gate and broad [is] the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow [is] the gate and difficult [is] the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
(Matthew 7:13-14)
Here, Jesus was speaking about the Christian walk. Basically, we have 2 choices we can make when trials and hardships come in our lives: We can either choose to take the easy path and ignore the problem or we can take the harder path and deal with it and allow God to work.
Our Christian walk and the life of the people in the world are just like what this verse says. For an unbeliever it is hard to understand how a Christian can choose to be happy when something bad happens in their lives or even give it all to a God that (according to the unbeliever) might not even be real. The reality is that, He is real, He is more real that any other thing in this world. I have been a witness of the blessings that God gives to those who are faithful and wait on God. As Christians we can not and should not want to choose the easy way out, or press the "easy button", we need to put our faith and trust the promise given to us in Hebrews 13:5b "I will never leave you, nor forsake you."
We serve an awesome and living God who never abandons us, even in the times when we abandon Him or turn our backs on Him. Oh, I pray that I may never take that path, that I may always walk in His ways.
I am reminded of the "Footprints in the Sand" poem:
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?”
The Lord replied,
“The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you.”
-Mary Stevenson)
I leave you with this poem as a word of encouragement, if you are a believer and you truly are seeking Him and living a life for Him, He will always be by your side. I know sometimes life takes nasty turns and I have experience quite a few in my own life, there have been times when I have wanted to quit and push the easy button, but then I remember all that God has done for me, how much He has blessed my life and how He sent His own Son to die on that cross, to shed real blood for my sins and that I am so unworthy to deserve His grace and love...and then I think to myself "how could I ever give this up? How could I ever go back to a life with no purpose and no meaning, full of misery and unhappiness?" Think about this next time you are tempted to run away from the glory and mercy of God.
0 comments:
Post a Comment