Religion or . . .

Two cousins are involved in two different churches. They talk about God and are involved in various religious activities. While I don’t know their hearts, the Bible points out that knowing all sorts of things about God and doing all sorts of things for God does not mean that a person knows God and has eternal life.

This is a difficult issue that requires discernment and a thorough knowledge of what the Bible says about salvation. Jesus makes it clear that being His disciple involves new life from above and a personal relationship with God. He also calls people to love God and one another. Paul explains that salvation is by grace through faith, not works. James says that without works, any claim of salvation is bogus. All of these are true, even though they seem to contradict one another. Yet no one can grab hold of one statement and disregard the others.

Regarding a personal relationship, in His prayer for us Jesus said, “And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.” (John 17:3, NLT)

Regarding biblical knowledge and understanding of our responsibilities toward God and others . . .

“One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’

“Jesus replied, ‘The most important commandment is this: “Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” The second is equally important: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” No other commandment is greater than these.’

“The teacher of religious law replied, ‘Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.’

“Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, ‘You are not far from the Kingdom of God.’ And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.” (Mark 12:28–34, NLT)

Note that this teacher had this theology correct, but he was not yet ‘in’ the Kingdom of God. As Jesus told another religious leader, “You must be born again.”

Yet Jesus also said, “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’” (Matthew 7:21–23, NLT)

As I ponder these verses, when salvation total descriptions seem to be confusing. They make sense only to those who have been given new life through the power of the Holy Spirit.

“And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.” (1 Corinthians 2:12–14, NLT)

Does this mean that I cannot explain it to my cousins? Not according to God’s Word or to history. The Gospel of salvation is imparted through teaching, preaching, sharing but without the illuminating grace of God’s Spirit, it becomes a confusing jumble of words in their ears. The Spirit knows the listener’s readiness to hear and is the agent to make that happen. Yet He also knows human pride and that willful ‘I will do it myself’ attitude of those who are religious but unwilling to admit their need. Salvation requires a YES yet the Spirit is a must in this amazing work of grace.

^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, I need to remember all this, not only for myself as a reminder of what You have done, but as a reminder that I cannot argue, cajole, persuade or convince anyone of how they can be saved from sin and enter the Kingdom of God. You alone do that, with or without me or anyone else. The eternal destiny of all those on my prayer list, including those two cousins, is in Your hands.

No god like God . . .

This morning’s first light did not diminish the brilliance of Venus in the southern sky. Intending to do it for weeks, I grabbed binoculars and took a long look, amazed at how close it appears even to the naked eye, and how lovely against the deep blue before dawn. I can understand why the pagans venerate the stars, but this morning I again worship the God who created them.

For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord . . . ? (Psalm 89:6)

Today’s readings glorify the One who is like no other. The first is a prayer of Solomon as he dedicated the temple . . .

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven, and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart; you have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. (1 Kings 8:22–24)

There is no God like you. I can invent gods, worship stuff or money, put people on a pedestal, even adore myself, but there is no God like our God. Isaiah asks many questions in a passage from chapter 40. Here are some of them . . .

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?  . . . Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel?  . . . Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?  . . . . All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness . . . To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?  . . . To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One . . .  

The passage ends with these favorite verses and puts all my foolish ‘idols’ in their place and on their face beside me and before Him . . .

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

As I think about all the things that so easily become substitutes for God, not one of them can compare. They get tired of me, or let me down, or fail to give me whatever I’m hoping to get. But when I wait on the Lord, He never fails me. Whatever I need, He supplies. Even as a grandmother and great grandmother, He helps me make through my busy days. Not one of those substitutes are able to lift my weariness nor promise me that I can walk and not faint.

Jesus addressed the implications and importance worshiping this One God who is like no other . . .

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The scribe agreed with Him and when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (Mark 12:28–34)

Like the scribe was told, knowing the right answer is had him going the right direction, but it was not quite enough. Knowing there is only One God is wonderful; knowing I am to love Him with all my heart and soul is also a step in the right direction, but as Jesus also said, even calling Him ‘Lord, Lord’ is not enough. The goal is a mature faith that is displayed by abandoning anything else that I trust (idols) and relying on Him alone . . .  for everything . . .  all the time.