Humans are thinking creatures. Our intellect sets us apart. You could argue that, in essence, we are a bunch of ideas wrapped up in a sack of protoplasm. The ideas that we create drive everything that we do. Some of these ideas are good……others, not so good. If we could eliminate the worst ideas and promote the best ideas, surely we would be better off.

Today, I want to explore the three worst……most evil….. ideas that humanity has ever created. I concede that this is a pretty bold undertaking……..please bear with me.

First, some background. I am a Christian……..you probably guessed. I believe in the Trinity, in the Bible, in an eternal paradise, and in an eternal hell. The Bible is a bit unclear…….and symbolic……as to the details; but, it is safe to say that paradise will be a place of eternal joy and hell will be a place of eternal pain. I was once a physician. I have seen a lot of pain. I learned that the worst pain is not the sharpest or most acute pain. The worst pain is the pain that never gets better……never goes away. And that is a good working definition of hell.

So………what are the three worst ideas in human history?

They are the ideas that will cause the most pain……..the ideas that will result in the greatest number of souls in eternal pain…….in hell.

And here they are:

The “big bang” theory

The theory that life began by energy hitting “primordial ooze”

The theory of Darwinian evolution

These ideas are clothed in science. But, the fact is that science concedes that there is no direct observational evidence of the “big bang”……or for the first half a billion years after it. In spite of a massive effort, we have never created life in a lab. Science can give us no direct observational proof of the creation by Darwinian evolution of an entirely new species.

Why are these ideas so bad?

First, they are theories. They are based on assumptions and extrapolation rather than observation. In a word, they are based on “circumstantial evidence”. And……they begin with one collosal assumption………that there is no God……..no intelligence behind creation.

And that is the big problem. Once you have accepted these three theories, you have completely eliminated the need for God. The “big bang” eliminates the need for God in the first 5 days of creation. Lightning + ooze eliminates the need for God on day 3. Darwin eliminates the need for God on days 4 and 5. With these three ideas, we can put God out to pasture on day 7.

Until about 100 years ago, God was essential. The world made no sense without him. But, these three theories, which are all very recent, allow us to make sense of everything……..without God.

Since we no longer need God, he becomes unnecessary………we can ignore him. And that solves a few of our biggest problems:

No more external rules……..love God…..love your neighbor and all the rest. They are really restrictive……..inconvenient. They really cramp our style.

No higher authority. We are now the top of the pyramid. We are in charge. And that is the heart of it. We get to be God………or at least act like God……..and we do.

So…..these ideas allow us to ignore God and run things as we see fit. We can pursue our appetites without God’s interference. And that is the way we like it. During my lifetime, I have watched our culture slowly push God off into a corner. Today, our appetites rule our culture instead of God’s expectations. And it shows in the decline of our society.

The problem is this:

The fact that we ignore or even deny God……..doesn’t make the trinity, paradise, and hell any less real.

The fact that we ignore or even deny God……..doesn’t
change the fact that if we do so, we are choosing a destiny of never-ending pain.

And that is why these three ideas are the most evil ideas in human history.

What do you believe in? A God who created you, loves you, and wants you to spend eternity with him……….or an accidental world, devoid of meaning, leading to dead black nothing.

Which do you choose……..hope…….or dispair?

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.

Genesis…….day 1, ESV

“Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

God…..on day 6, ESV

Today’s post is primarily directed at believers…..Christians.

I talk to a lot of people who identify as Christians. I am struck by the broad range of attributes that Christians assign to God…….their God. If you asked those Christians at the two extremes to describe God……you might find it hard to reconcile the two descriptions to the same God. And yet, there is only one God…….one trinity.

Some Christians see God as all powerful…….omnipotent……in control of everything. Others see him as a benevolent observer…..who is not very involved in our daily struggles.

And that is the question this week:

How big is your God?

So, I have developed an assessment tool to try to measure your image of your God.

Grab a pen and paper.

For each statement below, rate your response from 0 to 10 with 0 being “strongly disagree” and 10 being “strongly agree”.

God created the universe and everything in it.

God created the universe and everything in it…..in seven 24 hour days……..5 or 10 thousand years ago.

God created every living creature independently, Darwinian evolution was not involved.

God created Adam from dirt.

God created Eve from Adam’s rib.

God breathed life into Adam and Eve……lightning striking a puddle of “primordial ooze” had no part.

Lazarus was stone cold dead and Jesus brought him back to life.

Jesus was crucified and was stone cold dead……then he returned to life.

God knows everything that you say, do, and think.

God sent a flood that killed all people except Noah and his family.

God created paradise.

God created hell.

God will decide who goes to paradise.

God will decide who goes to hell.

Jesus can remove your sin……no matter how bad it is……and give you an eternal home……in paradise.

Add up your score. It will fall between 0 and 150. If you are an atheist……..you will score 0 or close to it. If you are a strict Biblical fundamentalist your score will be 150 or close to it.

In short…….the higher your score…….the bigger your God…….the more powerful your God. The lower your score……the smaller your God………the weaker your God. This is a pretty basic measurement of your opinion of God’s power…….a measure of how big your God is.

Now, I want you to think about your prayer life.

Do you pray often? Do you pray with confidence? Do you ask God to meet specific needs?

It is likely that the answers to these last three questions may be influenced by the size of your God. In fact, the answers to these three questions likely reflect your vision of God’s power. If you worship a tiny, weak, distant God……if your score on the assessment is low……it should come as no surprise that you don’t rely on him very much. It should come as no surprise that you don’t waste your time praying to a wimpy God.

As for me……..I choose to believe in a mighty God…….a God who created the universe just as it is……in 7 days…….who breathed life into Adam……..who has created my eternal soul…….a God who has created an eternal heaven and hell……..and who will one day commit my soul to one or the other.

This is the God I know and love……..the God who knows me and loves me.

Btw………God also knows my score on the assessment.

He knows yours too.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Paul, ESV

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

John, ESV

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Jesus, ESV

So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Jesus, ESV

There are a very few…..very rare……people who don’t feel guilt. Either they are saints or sociopaths………or, more likely, they just repress their guilt over their failures. Lets face it, we have all done things that are wrong. This week I want to explore wrongdoing…….and the guilt that goes with it.

I’m not talking about the library book that you didn’t return. I’m talking about “big ticket” wrong:

You embezzled money or stole something at work.

You cheated on your taxes.

You physically or verbally attacked someone……and you did it on purpose.

You did something wrong either by design or by carelessness………that caused someone else to be injured…..or to die.

You cheated on your spouse.

Think of that thing that you did…….that thing that was wrong with a capital W……….that thing that you wouldn’t want the people who respect you to know about. Perhaps nobody knows about it but you. If you are honest with yourself…….you know that what you did was wrong. If you are in touch with yourself…….you feel bad about it. That bad feeling……..is guilt. All normal people feel it. And, though we hate to recognize and deal with it, guilt is a good thing. Guilt drives us to avoid repeating an error. Guilt guides us to grow as human beings.

But, guilt hurts. And the bigger the wrong…….the greater the burden of the guilt that we carry…….all day……every day. Even worse…….our guilt is cumulative. Having collected over almost 70 years, my pile of guilt is pretty impressive.

So……what is the way out? What is the best thing that can happen to you………when you have really messed up……..when you know that you did something really wrong……..when you are wracked with guilt?

The best thing that can happen to you is this:

Someone who loves you walks up, gently puts his hand on your shoulder and says:

“It’s all OK……I still love you……I always have…….I always will…….even when you mess up. I’ve fixed it…….all of it.”

There is a sudden sense of cleansing. A weight is lifted. And you say……..”I’ll never do that again”……..mainly because you don’t want to let him down. You feel better. And not just that……you are better……..you walk away a better person.

Well, that is exactly what Jesus has done…….for me……and for every other Christian. By an intentional act he has removed our guilt. We don’t have to drag it around anymore. We tend to focus on the fact that God doesn’t see our wrongdoing anymore. But, the other side of guilt is just as important, we no longer have to carry around the burden of our guilt. What a gift.

I suspect that this is what drives many secular humanists crazy. We don’t have to drag our guilt around every day…………and they do…….if they are being honest.

This gift is so huge……..and so costly to Jesus……..that it makes me want to grow into a better man……..to pay it forward……to honor Jesus. I want to honor his sacrifice and his gift by following him and, I hope, by bringing others along.

If my message resonates……..welcome aboard.

If you feel guilt…….then you can ignore it……repress it……….pretend that it’s not there…….pretend that you are OK. But, the trouble with ignoring something real is that it doesn’t go away………….and neither do its consequences. Know this………the fact that you ignore your guilt does not stop it from eating away at you.

or

You can accept your failures…..and then hand them over…..to Jesus……..with confidence that he has taken care of your problem…….once and for all.

“What I envy most about you Christians is your forgiveness; I have nobody to forgive me.”

Marghanita Laski, author and secular humanist

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

David, ESV

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

Jesus, ESV

“Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

Jesus, talking to an adultress, ESV

There are only a few really big questions in this world…..in my life……in your life.

How did the world begin?

How did life begin,

What happens when we die?

Mankind spends an enormous amount of energy and resources trying to find the answers. You can make the case that answering these questions is the ultimate goal of science, philosophy, and mysticism……religion. We are on a path. History tells us about a tiny part of that path. But, we feel a need to search out the more distant parts of the path. We do this to answer the overarching question……….why? Because, if we can figure out the why, we can make better use of our extremely limited time in this temporal world.

We seek out the why……..so that we won’t waste our time. And time is the most precious resource in this world. When we spend it…….it is gone…….and can never be retrieved.

The attempts to answer the big questions fall into two camps:

Science/secular humanism

Religion/mysticism

These two camps use different tools, different rules, and different assumptions. And, not surprisingly, they arrive at different conclusions. Forgive me……but I will try to condense both into a few sentences.

Science/secular humanism:

This camp uses measurable physical phenomena to explain everything. When they find something that defies measurement, they fill the gap with an assumption, based on the best measurements available. Many of these assumptions are good. Many are existential leaps……..unprovable explanations that must be true in order for the rest of the narrative to work.

The beginning of the world? There was nothing….space and time did not exist. Then suddenly, everywhere at once, space and time and an expanding universe came into being. Everything came out of nothing. They call it a “singularity”. They offer no answer as to how. They offer no answer as to why. This is the first major existential leap.

The begining of life? There was a puddle of simple atoms and small molecules (the primordial ooze). A random blast of energy struck it repeatedly and the atoms assembled themselves into progressively more complicated molecules which then began to reproduce and ultimately morphed into Angelina Jolie. There is no hard evidence documenting any of this. This process is also one of many of the existential leaps.

Where are we going? Nowhere. Because we cannot measure an afterlife…….it must not exist. Curiously, there is no existential leap here…….the place where we need it the most.

Religion/mysticism

The beginning of the world? A creator operating outside of the bounds of time and space called it into being for his purposes.

The beginning of life? The creator, God, did that too…..again, for his purposes.

Where are we going? God will either draw us back to him or cast us away.

This too is an existential leap…….an explanation that must be true for the narrative to work.

Which brings us to the overarching question:

Why?

Science/secular humanism gives us no answer. We are left to sort it out for ourselves. We like this a lot, because we get to create a series of why’s that serve our appetites. We can have a lot of fun…….for a very short time. But………the party begins with nothing and ends with dead black nothing.

Mysticism/religion gives us a clear answer. We were created to love and be loved…….by God…..by our fellow man. If we do this well, we will live a life of joy……first in this temporary world…….and then in an eternal paradise.

So………pick your existential leap.

But……know that you are choosing where you will land.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

God, ESV

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Solomon, ESV

what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah, ESV

Love

It is at the heart of the two primary commands of the Bible.

Love God…….Love man.

It is what God wants from you…….more than anything else.

It is the central reason for God’s creation……….of you.

Without question…….love is the most important thing in the universe.

The success of our lives…….the success of my life……..depends on love.

But……just what is love anyway?

Love, happiness, and satisfaction are linked. They are not the same. Love is the road that takes you to happiness. Happiness leads to satisfaction.

So here it is……….the secret of living a full, happy, and satisfied life.

Love

The heart of love is subordination……..the idea…….the act……..of putting another ahead of yourself. Think of the cross. I would go so far as to say that if you are unable to put the needs of someone else ahead of your needs……..then you are incapable of love. This is not an all or none deal. As we go through our day, we spend some of our energy meeting our own needs and we spend some of our energy meeting the needs of others. Love is a continuum. At one end is the sociopath…….the guy who serves his own needs with no consideration at any time for how his actions affect others. At the other end is the pure benefactor…….the woman who pours out her life taking care of others. Jeffrey Dahmer……..Mother Teresa. The rest of us fall somewhere in between.

The key to the success of your life…….is where you fall on that continuum. What percentage of your daily effort do you expend on caring for others……….what percentage of your daily effort do you spend gratifying your own desires?

Consider the woman with an unplanned……..unwanted pregnancy. In spite of the supreme court, she has two choices………she can gratify her desire to live as she pleases………or she can subordinate herself……..to her child. I propose that only one of these paths is the path of love. Only one of these paths leads to lasting joy.

There is an irony here that has to do with the linkage between love and happiness.

Love creates happiness.

Love creates satisfaction.

The closer you are to the “self serving” end of the continuum……the less happy you will be. The closer you are to the “service to others” end of the continuum…..the happier you will be.

It is just that simple.

Every day, you see people frantically working to satisfy their own appetites. The more that they have……the more that they want. But, it is never enough. Consider the CEO who has 4 houses, 6 cars, and a private jet………and who is negotiating for a raise. And while they seem to be having fun…..while they may have stuff………while they may be secure…….they are not happy…….they are not satisfied.

Every day you see people who radiate happiness. They may or may not have much in the way of stuff. But, they are happy………satisfied.

The key to understanding this conundrum is love. This should not be surprising. We were created by God for one reason…….to love. You can have a satisfying life without being loved……….but, you cannot have a satisfying life without loving.

You cannot lead a happy, satisfying life without loving.

To try to live your life without loving others………without subordinating yourself to others…….without serving others…….is to forgo happiness. It is a decision to trade happiness for feeding your appetites………to trade happiness for stuff and experiences.

It won’t work.

I believe that the central reality of paradise…….will be love. In paradise, we will spend our effort loving and serving others……loving and serving God.

And it will be fabulous………and we will be both happy and satisfied.

You might as well get used to it now.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Jesus, ESV

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong doing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

Paul, ESV

And in the end…….the love you take…….is equal…….to the love you make.

John Lennon

There is no misery in not being loved,
only in not loving

Rod McKuen

Today’s post is for commited atheists and secular humanists. If you are a Christian…….and a sinner……this is not for you.

I know many really good people……..who are not Christians. And I am puzzled by what it is that is holding them back. The benefits are vast…….paradise, eternal life, and most of all the joy and fulfillment of being who you were created to be and of doing what you were created to do.

I ask myself……what would they have to change……what would they have to give up to become a Christian?

They must sense a downside.

So……what is the downside to Christianity?

Today I will explore the downside…..the cost of Christianity…….because there must be something in that list of costs that is stopping good people……not perfect people……from signing up.

So………what is it that Christianity asks of us…….that we resist?

Stop hurting people….(love your neighbor). If you are a drug dealer or a gang member, this could be it. But, the non-Christians that I know are not evil criminals…….in many cases they are better human beings than I am. This isn’t it.

Support the church with your time and money. We are all very busy and many of us are strapped for cash. Still, it’s hard to believe that a few bucks and an hour of two a week is the problem. This isn’t it either.

Sex……..this is a bit tougher. Sex is for husbands and wives. If recreational sex is a big part of your life or if you are committed to the LGBT agenda, this could be it. Still, passing up eternal paradise for a decade or two of sex seems a bit shortsighted.

Stuff……..we are a consumer culture. It is possible that we put so much energy into accumulating stuff that we have no emotional enegy left…..no room left……..for God. Again, this seems a bit shortsighted.

Politics………there was a time when, if you asked someone, “what are you?” ……..they would reply with their occupation…..or perhaps their faith. Today, the usual reply is Republican or Democrat. We have come to choose our political party as our identity……..or we have come to choose our identity as our party. That is the only reason that I can see that explains why most of us refuse to criticise “our” political party when they sell a policy that is clearly wrong…….and both sides sell policies that are wrong. I think that many people reject all…….or part……..of Christianity because it conflicts with their politics…….with their assumed identity. We follow Trump…..or Biden first……and only then do we follow God. Don’t get me wrong…..Trump and Biden will probably be in paradise……..but they will probably have an “obstructed view” seat……on the third balcony.

Subordination……this is getting closer. Christianity teaches us that we are not the boss here. Christianity teaches that whatever our desires are, whatever our appetites are, we are not the ultimate arbiter. We are not in charge. So……..we stand on our little piece of ground and shout at God…..”you are not the boss of me!” We are terrified that if we accept God as our master, our Lord……..that he will someday say to us….”sell everything that you own, go to Africa, and wait for further instructions.”

And I think……that when push comes to shove……that is the problem. We cannot humble ourselves. We want to be in charge. We want to be at the top of the “chain of command”. And we are willing to forego paradise……..and to risk hell…….so that we can be in charge.

So what would change for my friends? ………they would have to humble themselves…….I will have to humble myself.

“YOU ARE NOT THE BOSS OF ME!”

a six year old I once had to deal with, PSV. (pediatric standard version)……btw, she grew up into a fine woman

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

God, ESV

Early tablet of the ten commandments

We don’t talk about it very much, but there is an idea that has assumed a central place in our culture. This idea is the “community standard”. In essence, it is what we, as a society, generally accept as appropriate behaviour. It used to be a consensus of the majority. And that is what it should be.  But…..I fear that it is becoming whatever idea that the vocal minority is selling this year.

Examples of the current “community standard”:

Graphic depiction of murder on our TV…..during prime time…..in front of school age children. 

Thinly veiled sex depicted between unmarried adults on our TV…..during prime time…..in front of school age children. 

Teaching the LGBT agenda in our schools and on our TVs.

Outlawing God and the Bible in our schools…….and, more and more, in our progressively “woke” business community, universities, and media community. 

Allowing Planned Parenthood to kill 3000 children a day …….every day.

The death penalty.

Tolerating urban homeless camps often populated by the addicted and the mentally ill without helping them.

A ridiculously low minimum wage that will not support a human being in our cities.

And many many more.

There are problems with the “community standard”:

It is no longer a majority consensus……..it is a reflection of the loudest voices shouting in the public square. 

It changes constantly……..and it is not improving. 

It reflects our appetites……..instead of what is morally right or wrong.

Like the frog in the frying pan, we slowly get used to it. Ideas that were once clearly wrong,  become tolerated, then become normal,  and finally become noble. Any one who complains or resists is assaulted…….first verbally and then physically. 

And worst of all……..it has become the code that we live by.

Is it any wonder that our society is in a state of progressive decay? This is most evident in the undeniable failure of our big cities.

And then there is the Bible. It is clear. It is constant. It is the owner’s manual……..written by our creator. It once served as our community standard……but no more.

Examples of the “Bible Standard”

Love God 

Love your fellow man

Don’t lie

Don’t steal 

Don’t murder

Honor your mother and father

Sex is for husbands and wives 

Don’t covet

Rest on Sunday 

Some will say it is narrow minded. I will concede that it is more restrictive and less fun in the short term than the “community standard “.

But can you honestly say that the community standard is building a better society than the Bible standard would……..if we only followed it? Can you honestly say that the community standard is improving our cities?

Portland, San Francisco, Chicago, New York……..these cities are the poster children for the “community standard” at work. And it is ugly.

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land”.

God, ESV…….a quote from 2 Corinthians……..recently taken down by facebook for violating the “community standard”.

It is says a lot about our culture……….when our creator is excluded from the public conversation because he doesn’t follow……….the “community standard”.

I know two men who have had near death experiences. One of them was my father. Their descriptions of their experience have left me confused. This week’s post is my attempt to explore that confusion.

So, I begin with a question:

Am I afraid…….of death?

Are you afraid…….of death?

To begin with, we need to look at two groups of people.

If you are an atheist or a secular humanist, then death is the end. This is a very bad thing……..the worst event in your life. It is perfectly reasonable for you to fear death. I’d worry about you if you didn’t.

If you are a Christian…….and I am…….things are much more complicated. So, going back to the question of the week.

Yes…….I am afraid of death.

My faith teaches that when I die, I will go to paradise and spend eternity surrounded by the love of my creator, my father, God. My faith teaches that when I die, I will go to a place where the things in my life that are wrong, broken, will be made right. My faith teaches that when I die……….I will be reunited with family and friends who died before me. In a word…….my faith teaches that when I die……things are going to get better……..a whole lot better.

Going back to my father and my friend and their experiences with near death. Both of them describe an experience that was wonderful. Both said, in so many words, that they liked being dead and wanted to stay that way. My father said that he almost punched the guy who revived him. Their experience aligns very well with the teaching of Christianity. Their experience says that things on the other side of the curtain are much better than they are in this broken world.

And that is what confuses me.

My Christian faith tells me that death is going to be a huge improvement for me……..a quantum leap forward in the development of my soul……..and yet I’m afraid of death. I do everything that I can to avoid death……..to put it off. Everything that I feel and say and do in relation to death is contrary to my faith.

Why?

I get that there may be some pain or illness leading up to my death. So it is sensible to fear dying…….but not death itself.

The only conclusion that I can reach is that I am afraid of the unknowns surrounding my death. I am afraid of what lies on the other side of the curtain.

And that is an indictment of my faith.

My fear of death is a direct measure of the weakness of my faith in my Father’s promise.

My fear of death is a direct measure of my lack of faith………..in my Father’s love for me.

Mea Culpa.

“For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain”

Paul, ESV

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Jesus, ESV

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

David, ESV

Are you a good person?

People are generally modest. You can’t ask them that question face to face without being rude. But, if you conducted an anonymous poll, I suspect that the vast majority……..almost all…….would say “yes, I’m a good person. It is the rare human who goes through life dogged by the sure knowledge that they are a fundamentally bad person.

So, if you ask me that question……….I would answer, “Yes, I’m a good person”. You would too. So far so good.

The trouble is this:

Adolph Hitler would have given exactly the same answer.

And here is the scary part…….Hitler would not have been lying. I am sure that he sincerely believed that he was a good German serving his people. His belief in his goodness was just as sincere as mine…….and yours.

Hitler’s belief that he was a good person was just as valid as mine is………and just as valid as yours is.

This speaks to the power of the rationalizations and justifications that we use…..all day every day. We all do bad things……all day every day. How can we say that we are good? It’s simple…….we have a justification for the bad thing…….in fact, we have a separate justification for each and every bad thing that we do.

Not me…….you say.

Well, do you keep track of your internet purchases, report them to your state revenue department, then calculate and pay the use tax on each of them?…..not likely. Do you donate to the charities fighting starvation in Africa……all of them. Do you give to the guy with the sign on the exit ramp?

That we fail to do good every day is a fact. That we fail to show love to our fellow man every day is a fact. But, that is not the point of this post. The point of this post centers around the absolutely reasonable justifications that we use hundreds of times each day…….. every time we fail to do good.

The point is that I cannot trust my opinion of how good of a person I am……….and neither can you. We are both far too skilled at justifying our failures to be able to honestly assess our goodness.

Every few days I hear something like this…..”I’m not religious, I don’t go to church, though I do believe in heaven. I’m going there……..because I’m a good person.”

Herr Hitler could easily have believed the same thing.

What to do?

Since we cannot rely on self assessment, it is clear that we need a stable, objective, universal, tool to measure our goodness against.

The Bible is such a tool. But there is bad news and good news. The bad news is that we don’t measure up. We continually fall short of God’s expectations. The good news is that there is a workaround……..Jesus. Accept him and the fact that you aren’t good enough…….that you never have been good enough…….becomes irrelevant.

With Jesus………the fact that you are not a good enough person no longer matters.

So……..you have two options:

Ignore God and trust in your own goodness……….trust in the quality and the validity of your justifications.

Or

Recognize your failures and accept Jesus’s “get out of hell free card”.

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus, ESV

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Paul, ESV

I am truly blessed. I live on a wooded lot out in the country. There are all kinds of trees in my woods……oak, hickory, sassafras, walnut and many more. Some are spectacular. Some are just plain Jane. The plainest of the lot…….is the maple tree. It just sits there filling up space……..for 51 weeks a year. But, for one week a year, every fall, it turns a brilliant red , yellow, or orange. For that one week a year……..the maple is the king of the woods. That one week is God’s gift to the maple tree…….and the maple tree’s gift to me.

So what does this have to do with spiritual gifts?

You may see yourself as an ordinary Christian……nothing special……..just another maple tree. But, the Bible is very clear, you too have a spiritual gift. You may not have identified it. It may not have manifested itself yet. But, make no mistake, it is there. Some gifts are obvious and those who have them are widely celebrated. Think of Billy Graham and his gift for evangelism. Other gifts are much less obvious: wisdom, encouragement, support for others, the ability to tithe…. and the greatest gift of all……..love. Some gifts are active…….some are latent. Your gift could be pre-directed at one specific person…….perhaps someone you have not yet met……or may never meet. Some day you may interact with that someone and change their life….. for the better. You may never even know you did it. My wife Cindy has an amazing gift……..she cares…….deeply……..about just about everybody.

So, you have been given a gift……. by God no less. I have to believe that he took that gift seriously. So you too should take it seriously. God is not wasteful. I have to believe that he intends for you to use his gift…….your gift. If you can identify your gift and cultivate it…….like Billy Graham…..fabulous. If your gift is latent or directed at someone specific, it will be harder. Know this…..when it is time to use your gift……it will be comfortable, it will be natural, it will feel good, and you will be good at it. It will jive with rules one and two……love God….love man. And finally, when you walk away from the encounter……..you will glow………because you will have done exactly what you were created to do.

The best example of exercising a latent spiritual gift that I know occurred in a prison. A prisoner shared Jesus with another prisoner. The first prisoner was beaten to death a few hours later. His words stuck and the second prisoner became a Christian. He wrote several books, one of which helped to destroy the Soviet Union. His name……Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

So, whether your gift is obvious or latent, know that it is there. Be ready to use it. And the best way to be ready is to study the Bible and pray.

I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.

Jesus, ESV

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Paul, ESV