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1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Living in a fallen world, you may have heard stories of or may have been a victim of thieves breaking in at unsuspecting hours; taking away what was not theirs. In 1Thes 5:1-11, Paul by way of reminder exhorts the believers at Thessalonica to be on the lookout for the second coming of the Lord, since it will come like a thief in the night. He wasn’t the first person to use “the thief in the night” metaphor Jesus himself and other apostles did that (see Matt. 24:23, Luke 12:39; 2Pet. 3:10; Rev. 3:3; 16:15).

Now since the first century, the followers of Jesus Christ have been curious about the exact time of his return. During his time on earth, he constantly spoke about his departure and the fact that he will be coming back for those who are his. The believers in Thessalonica were no different. The gospel had gone to them with a strong emphasis on the fact that Christ will be returning soon. However with the passage of time they realized that believers were dying and still there was no sign of Christ’s return. There were lingering questions on the minds of some of these new believers. It was in response to some of these questions that Paul wrote this letter. The exhortation of Paul is equally relevant to us.

Paul tells us three realities about the day of the Lord; the day God has set aside when Christ shall return in his glory, this time not as a Saviour, but as a judge when everyone will appear before the judgment seat of Christ to render account of their lives.

The Day of the Lord will be like a Thief in the Night

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (v.2).

We see from the text that Paul is not saying anything different or new that his readers are not aware of. Paul however knew that as Christians in a fallen world, they are prone to wander and forget. Sometimes we discover that our lives and our theology don’t match. Because of this tendency to forget, we need to keep on reminding ourselves until the truth sinks in. and Paul does exactly that, “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night”

Dear friend, if you examine your life, are you expectant of Christ’s return?

The Day of the Lord will be a Surprise to those who are in Darkness

Paul goes on to say in vv. 3–4 “While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief”

We see from these two verses that even though the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night – sudden and unannounced, it is not meant to be a surprise to the Christian. It will only be a surprise to those who are in darkness. If you are unaware thieves are coming to your house, you will definitely be surprised when they show up. However, if you know, you may perhaps be prepared (Luke 12:39). We don’t know the exact hour when Jesus will come, but for the believer that is immaterial. It is as though we have received a tipoff.

The unbeliever however has chosen to walk in darkness. They are hypnotized by the deceitfulness of sin. The mundane and the busyness of life have deluded them into thinking there is “peace and security”. For others the affluence and seeming comfort provided by the things money can buy have cushioned them into thinking all is well. What’s your manner of life, are you confident you will be with Jesus if he came today? If you cannot answer a resounding yes, it is likely you are living in darkness.

However, there is hope; God in his kind mercies sent forth Jeus into the world to die to save sinners (Jn. 1:12-13; 3:16; Rom. 5:8, Eph 2:4) and that includes you, if only you will repent and trust in him.

The Children of Light Will be Ready

Paul says that while the Day of the Lord will be a surprise for those in darkness, it should not be for those who are children of light. He says “But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness” The children of light are those who are eagerly awaiting the return of the master. They are dressed for the occasion. Are you one of them?

How To Be Ready

Paul in verse 6, addresses how the Thessalonians can be ready for the day of the Lord. Firstly, he tells them “let us not sleep, as others do”. In view of what they know about the sudden nature of the second coming, he tells them not to sleep as others do. Just to be sure, Paul is not talking about sleep in the literal sense. He uses sleep here in a metaphorical way to describe spiritual apathy. For the Christian, every moment is game time. There is no room for sleep and slumber. Secondly, he tells them “but let us keep awake and be sober”. In other words he tells them to be dressed ready for action. We clearly see this idea further on in verse 8 where he says “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation”. The language he uses there is one of battle and warfare. We must put on the full armor of God and be ready for battle with the sword of the Spirit – the word of God firmly in hand and praying at all times in the Spirit with all kinds of prayer and supplication.

Finally, he tells them to be sober. What does he mean by that? It means to be self-controlled and clear-minded. This is important because it is possible also to be hysterical about the Day of the Lord. There are some Christians whose idea of the Day of the Lord is alarmist to say the least. It paralyzes them from doing anything. So while he warns them against spiritual sleep, he also admonishes them not to panic or be in a state of alarm but to be sober.

Are you ready for the day of the Lord? Your answer is either yes or no. There is no middle ground.

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Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles , so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” (Galatians 3:13-14).

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In the previous article, we looked at the first mark of a genuine Christian, Heavenly Mindedness. Today, we will consider the second mark, that is, a genuine Christan Fights Sin. In verse 5 of Colossians 3, Paul tells Christians to  “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry”.

Pondering over the first part of Colossians 3, the question that comes to my mind is ‘if the Colossians were already dead and their life is hidden with Christ in God, why is Paul asking them to put sin to death again?’  Is that not a contradiction? In one breath he says Christ has defeated Satan, death and sin. And again, he is asking them to put sin to death.

Now, we must understand that Christ’s victory was complete and final.There is no question about that. However when we become Christians, what happens to us is a transfer from the dominion of darkness into light. Sin is no more our master. We change kingdoms.

However, we still live in a fallen body in a fallen world yet to be glorified. This brings us into a conflict between our new nature and the old nature, which is the flesh. By the work of God through the Holy Spirit, we are increasingly transformed to become like Christ.

Progressive Sanctification

This is a very imperfect example because the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness are not equal in power, but imagine there are two camps of opposing forces. One day one camp invades the other and captures some of its inmates. What do you think will happen? Will the losing camp sit idle without doing anything? Of course not, it will try whatever means possible to recapture its people. That’s exactly what happens when we are saved.
Jesus stormed the enemy’s camp and rescued us from the chains of sin and of the devil. The enemy’s power has been broken, however he will not sit idle and look on. Obviously he will try everything possible to try and get us back into his camp. John Piper throws much light on this. He said:

When Paul says the flesh has been crucified, he means that the decisive battle has been fought and won by the Spirit. The Spirit has captured the capital and broken the back of the resistant movement. The flesh is as good as dead. Its doom is sure. But there are outlying pockets of resistance. The guerrillas of the flesh will not lay down their arms and must be fought back daily.

Paul calls on the believers in Colossae to wage war on all that is earthly in them daily. Formerly, they lived like the world but now he calls on them to put those things to death. The verse mentions the specific things to put to death: “Sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry”

These are things that characterise the world system. In vv 2 & 3, Paul calls for heavenly mindedness. Then in v5, he draws a contrast mentioning the things which are earthly. In effect, these earthly things are the opposite of the things in heaven.

Non-Negotiables

Paul is not asking us to suppress sin. He says “put it to death”. Some people try to negotiate with sin, but the language used here is not one of a suggestion. It is a command. Putting sin to death requires drastic measures. Jesus in one of his teachings said, “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”

Jesus of course is not alluding to bodily mutilation. He is painting an imagery of the needed disciplines to deal with sin. The consequences of sin is such that we must use all means of grace God provides to kill it in our lives. When you look at verse 6, Paul says it is “On account of these the wrath of God is coming”. Either you fight sin or you will be faced with the wrath of God. And none of us would like to fall into the hands of God.

One of the humbling things about this battle is that, it is not a battle with an outside force. The enemy is within. Look back at verse 5, what is Paul asking to be “Put to death?”… “All that is earthly in you…” And v.8 “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth”. And v.9, “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices”

These are all things that come from within, that is why the excuse “the devil made me do it” will never stand in the court of heaven. It is true Satan is our enemy and we need to continue resisting him, but he often finds a willing ally with us. Therefore in our struggle with sin, we must always recognize that the enemy is not only out there, but we are his willing accomplices. The battle we are called to fight is one of putting off the old self and putting on the new self, which is in the image of Christ. It is a battle to become like Christ (vv. 9-10).

How Do We Wage This Battle?

1) Fight with the word.

We are in a battle to kill the old self and put on the new self, the most effective way to do this is to renew our minds with the word of God. We change our affections through the renewal of our minds (v.9. see also Rom 12:2). How are you doing with your bible intake? Are you spending time reading and meditating on the word? A Christian without the word is like a soldier without his gun.

2) Starve The Old Self.

We are in the battle to kill the old man, and one of the surest way to kill someone is to starve them. When we don’t give in to the desires of the flesh, we deny the old self the food it needs to survive. We must on a daily basis make decisions that take us away from the scene of sin. So if you struggle with pornography for example, don’t watch nude movies. Don’t be sitting on the internet at midnight. Don’t engage in activities that fuels your weaknesses and sins.

3) Fight In Community.

In every battle you increase the chances of victory when you have others fighting alongside with you (vv. 12-14). One of the greatest means of grace God has given the Christian is the church, to support us in our fight against sin. The church as a covenant  family becomes even more important when the enemy is within us. We point out one another’s fault, we rebuke sin, we encourage and we forgive one another.

As we intentionally love one another and admonish one another, we increase our chances of winning this battle with sin.

The last in the series, Peace With God will be treated in the next article God willing.

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There are many groupings and associations in the world today. These groups all have particular marks or characteristics that define them as distinct from others. It could be a country or a social club or even a religion. This equally is true for the Christian faith. When someone professes Christianity, how can we determine he or she is genuine? Or consider your own self; how do you know that your profession is genuine?

In Colossians 3:1-17 Paul provides us with about three marks of a Christian by which we may know if a person’s profession is genuine.

1. Heavenly Mindedness 
2. Fights Sin
3. The Peace of God

In today’s article, we will look at the first mark.

Heavenly Mindedness

A genuine believer is heavenly minded. Paul’s opening statement is a conditional argument, “if then you have been raised with Christ….” It is very important to notice the difference here. Paul is not saying that if you live like this then you will become a Christian. On the contrary, he is saying that it is because you say you are a Christian that I expect you to live this way. You don’t become a Christian by following a set of rules. Salvation is entirely a gift of God. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Eph. 2:8-9).

The verse 1 says, “since you have been raised with Christ”; the question to ask is, “what does it mean to be raised with Christ?” Christ was crucified for the sins of the world, was buried and on the third day, He rose from the dead having defeated Satan and death: “By canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Co. 2:14-15). Anyone who has repented of their sin and put their trust in Christ in effect has gone through this experience with Christ symbolically (Rom. 6:4). A Christian is therefore the person who has been raised with Christ. His old nature is dead and the New man has been ushered in. It is this new person that Paul is writing to.

Have you been raised with Christ?

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth(vv.1-2).

What Are Your Pursuits?

“Seek the things that are above“… This reflects pursuit. We are all treasure seekers, we are always looking for something. Some seek money, others for success and others for a good reputation, achievements, happiness etc.

According to Paul, the Christian is seeking for treasures in heaven. What we set our minds on reveals a lot about what is in our hearts. Our pursuit is a window to our hearts. I may say that I am a Christian, how do you know my belief is genuine or not? Paul says here that one of the ways to know is to look at what I constantly set my mind and my pursuits in life on.  Are you heavenly minded? When we look at your ‘to do list’ will we see a person who prioritizes things that are eternal? Does your spending reflect the life of someone who believes that this world is not their home and that they are only stewards of these gifts?

What Occupies Your Thoughts?

“Set your minds on things that are above“… This refers to what we constantly think about. In effect, it is the default mode of our minds. Where does your mind naturally drifts to? When you buy any electronic gadgets, there is an option under settings which says “reset to factory settings”. When you select this option, it returns all aspects of your gadgets to its original factory settings.

In the same way, the default setting of the Christian’s mind should be on things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. When you wake up in the morning, when you are in the traffic jam, when your day is done and reclining to bed. What is it that engages your mind?

So What Are The Things To Set Our Mind On?

Romans 14:17 gives us a glimpse into what Paul probably meant in Colossians 3:1. He mentions three things:”…righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” We can safely conclude that when Paul tells us to set our minds and our hearts on things that are above, these are some of the things he is talking about. Is your life centered on righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit? Are you seeking to live a life that is marked by righteousness and holiness?

Why We Must Be Heavenly Minded

Paul tells the believers the reason why he expects them to live this way. “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God”(v.3). The Christian is dead to this world, and if that is the case we cannot live according to its standards any longer.  “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory”(v.4). It is this hope of glory that makes the genuine Christian so fixated on Christ and his kingdom.

When we fully grasp what God has promised in Christ in the next world, nothing in this world will appeal to us. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Our treasure is in heaven, and that is why we must not be lured by the deceitfulness of sin. When Paul came to the full understanding of this, he said ‘…I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord”. He also said, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”.

What about you Christian? Is it possible that you are not heavenly minded because you don’t have any treasure in heaven? As Jesus said, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The second mark, “They Fight Sin” will be treated in the next post.

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A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.(John 4:7).

It was a normal day. “A woman from Samaria came to draw water”  But this turned out not to be a normal day after all because her life was transformed forever. Water is life they say. But it is “temporal life.” The woman met Jesus–The Water of life. She came to draw natural water— which gives temporal satisfaction–but she met with Spiritual water, The One who satisfies the thirst of the soul and gives eternal life: “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”(vv.13-14).

She had heard of the Messiah and the prophecies concerning Him (John 4 v. 25). But that fateful day, she had not premeditated meeting with the Messiah. A mere coincidence it might have been for her but Christ had her in mind when He set off on His journey. We are told in verse 4 that Jesus “had to pass through Samaria”(v. 4). Jesus was a Jew, and journeying  through Samaria meant He was going against a wall of racial and gender discrimination. The response of the disciples when they came to meet Him speaking with the woman is revealing; “They marveled that he was talking with a woman”(v.27). In John 4:9, we are told explicitly that “Jews have no dealings with Samaritans”.

So what explains this hostility between Jews and Samaritans? A commentary on John 4:4 gives us a clue.

The Jews often avoided Samaria by going around it along the Jordan River. The hatred between the Jews and Samaritans went back to the days of the Exile. When the northern kingdom was exiled to ASSYRIA, King Sargon of Assyria repopulated the area with captives from other lands. The intermarriage of these foreigners and the Jews who had been left in the land complicated the ancestry of the Samaritans. The Jews hated the Samaritans and considered them to be no longer “purer” Jews.¹

This hostility was a  perceived purity issue. It was a “we” are better than “them” philosophy. To the Jews, all non Jews were non-entities. They had the oracles of God and that produced in them a self-rigtheous national identity. Describing the Jews in his book, The Reformed Faith, Loraine Boettner wrote,

They had  become  the  most intensely  nationalistic  and intolerant  people  in  the  world. Instead  of  recognizing  their position as that of God’s representatives  to  all the  people  of  the  world,  they had  taken  those  blessings to  themselves.  Even  the early  Christians  for  a  time were  inclined  to  appropriate the  mission  of  the  Messiah only  to themselves.²

Now, we see there was an alternative route — going around it [Samaria] along the Jordan River — Jesus could have used to avoid walking through Samaria, but there was a life in Samaria to be saved and He “had to pass through Samaria\” to accomplish that. Encountering Jesus that day was on divine calendar. She was foreknown, predestined, chosen and called before the foundations of the earth (Romans 8:29-30, Ephesians 1:4,11, 1Thessalonians 1:4, 1Peter 1:2).

Before you proceed, pause to note this woman was an adulterous woman who had lived with six men (v18). Her sins probably were beginning to weigh on her. She was feeling despised. And we see this clearly in the time of day she went to the well, i.e.”about the sixth hour”(v.6) or noon. That time of the day is significant because “[n]ormally, women would come to draw water in the morning or evening when it was cooler (Gen 24:11; cf 29:78); the immoral woman comes at a time when no one else would be at the well.”³ She might have already encountered people at the well during a morning or evening time who despised her because she was living in adultery. Now she feels despised and her self-worth erroded. Therefore, she will rather come to draw water at an odd time so as to avoid ridicule. She obviusly might be feeling like an outcast of society. But Christ changed her story that day. Christ indeed changes the story of sinners.

You might find yourself in a sinful situation which you deem beyond redemption. But no, no sin is beyond redemption. Christ died for sinners and if you acknowledge your sins, repent and come to Him for salvation, He will not turn you away.

See, God always makes the first move towards saving sinful humankind. In John 15:16, Jesus told His disciples and by extension us that “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you…” In Romans 5:8, we are told “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. When the woman came, it was Jesus who started a conversation: “Give me a drink“. If Jesus had not started that conversation, she probably would have drawn her water and be gone. In fact, her response to Jesus was dismissive (v.9). But Jesus kept the conversation and from there preached to her of Himself: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”(v.10).

Here is a plain truth. You have not asked for the gift of God because you don’t know the gift of God. Jesus Christ is the gift of God who was sent to reconcile sinful humankind unto God through faith in Him: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). I hereby introduce this man to you, Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God who died and rose again to reconcile sinful men to Himself. Peter will say of Him that “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men  by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

“Give me a drink”. How is it that He, by whom all things were created and by Him all things hold together will ask of water, which He is the source?(Colossians 1:16-17). In the words “Give me a drink”, we see the Son of man identifying with our human weakness. In his humanity, He experienced human weakness. John tells us the reason He requested for a drink: He was wearied from His journey (v.6). The writer of Hebrews will tell us “..it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham [human beings]. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people…For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin”.(Hebrews 2:16-7, 4:15).

Jesus bids us “Come”. Come with your human frailty and sins in exchange for divine life. Come partake of the divine nature (2Peter 1:4). Come for the cleansing of your sins, your filth and the idol(s) you have erected in your heart(Ezekiel 36:25) “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”(Matthew 11:28). “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37).

Come to Jesus.

Notes

1: Radmacher, Allen and House, Compact  Bible Commentary, (Nashville, Tennesse, Thomas Nelson Inc., 2004), pg. 742.

[2] Boettner, Loraine. The Reformed Faith, (Monergism Books, ePub  and .mobi edition 2010) Pg79

[3] Notes on John 4:6 from The ESV Study Bible, Personal Size, ESV Bible, (Wheaton, Crossway, 2008) Pg 2027

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So soon we are in June 2016. We thank God for a new month. I trust before we entered 2016, you made a few resolutions. How well have you done with your resolutions? How have you fared so far in the first half of the year? It was the Apostle Paul who wrote “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realise this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?— unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2Corinthians 13:5). The Greek philosopher, Socrates, also said “an unexamined life is not worth living”.

You see, self-examination and evaluation is crucial in all we do. At the end of our lives this side of eternity, we will be called to account before God. If this is true (and it is true), then our lives here matters. How we live and what we do with our temporal stay here is therefore crucial to our eternal destiny. As we enter a new month, I want to glean a few lessons from Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 which I trust will be valuable as you pilgrim through the second half of the year.

1. Seek Your Creator.

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth…”(v.1a)

Many people live their lives disregarding God. They will do everything else but commit their lives to live and obey God. Don’t be one of them. The days of your youth as used here by Solomon I believe indicates the days of strength, wellness and ability. Comfort and “good days” have the ability to blind us to spiritual realities  and we must guard against this. Jesus tells us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).

Notice how Solomon contrasts “the good days of strength (the days of your youth)” with the evil day when you have lost your strength: “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come…” (Ecclesiastes 12:1a). You see, there is a correlation between how we live our lives and what place God has in our lives in moments of prosperity, good health and comfort. The tendency to forget there is a creator is high. Thus, Solomon’s call to “Remember our Creator is appropriate as we go through the rest of the year.

How will you invest your life in the good days in relation to your Creator? The choice is yours. But remember, you have an opportunity to turn to your creator, if you haven’t. Be also reminded that, “…God is not mocked, for whatever one sows , that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life”(Galatians 6:7-8).

2: Use Time Wisely

“..before  the evil days come and the years draw near”(v.1b).

Picking up from the previous point, there will indeed be a transition from youthfulness to a period when youthful strength, opportunities and abilities will be gone. Which obviously includes opportunity to live in submission and obedience to God. Isn’t it amazing that so soon June is with us? It is said that, “time waits for no man” and it is true. J. Oswald Sanders in his book,  Spiritual Leadership, wrote that “Each moment of the day is a gift from God that deserves care, for by any measure, our time is short and the work is great. Minutes and hours wisely used translate into an abundant life—  living a God pleasing life”.

We will be held accountable for how we lived our lives and what we spent our time on. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians warning them about the use of time. He said: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil”.(Eph 5:15-16). Time is precious and we need to apply wisdom in our usage of time. Aptly, Moses prayed: “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom”(Ps. 90:12KJV).

Will you make that your prayer?

3: Death, A Reality of Life

“…man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets— before the silver cord is snapped , or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered
at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” (vv.5-7)

We see death clearly spoken of here. Death is inevitable. We will all die, because “… it is appointed unto men once to die….” (Hebrews 9: 27). Death is a reality of life, as natural as birth is. Once we are born, we will die. Ecclesiastes 3:2 tells us there is  “A time to be born, and a time to die…”. Every passing month and similarly every passing year brings us closer to the end of our days here on earth. We don’t get a notification when death will knock at our door. Death will not wait for you to accomplish your projects, dreams and desires. You are not too busy to die. You don’t have the luxury of postponing your death.

Have you considered the state of your soul? “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts”(Heb 3:15).

4: Eternity–eternal life or damnation–Beckons.

“…man is going to his eternal home… and the spirit returns to God who gave it (vv5-7).

There is an eternal home for all of us. Either we will have eternal life or eternal damnation. As we begin a new month, and as you consider all that has been said in the previous points, bear in mind our life here is only temporal. Eternity awaits all of us and whether we will be in heaven or hell depends on what we do with God’s offer of eternal life. We are all sinners and until we come to faith in Christ, we are eternally separated from God. Don’t just embrace a new month, embrace also God’s gift of eternal life through faith in Christ:

For God so loved the world , that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

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The topic was: “are all religions the same?” As usual my Hindu friends were of the view that all religions are the same, and were trying hard to convince me of their reasons. According to them we all worship the same god, the only difference is that we have different names and approach him differently.

What surprised me wasn’t the genuine belief of my Hindu friends, but that of my supposed Christian counterpart. In his words “all religions are the same, it’s all about loving your neighbor as yourself”. According to him “we need to keep an open mind about some of these things, since we are not sure whether they are right or we are right. We need to be open in order to increase our chances on the last day”

The view of this “Christian brother” sums up the spirit of the age. We live in a time where any claims of exclusivity is viewed as intolerant and arrogant. There is an enormous pressure to conform to what the world considers to be tolerant and unifying. There should be no claims of exclusivity or rightness, everything is relative and should depend on what each person deems to be right we are told.

It is in the midst of these pressures, Christ calls on his followers to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20). The message these disciples were to carry was “[Jesus] I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Elsewhere in the book of John, John the Baptist in giving his testimony about Christ said “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).

From these texts, Jesus doesn’t leave the issue of God open-ended. Far from Christians being bigots, it was Jesus Christ Himself who made the most exclusive and audacious claims about His identity and the way to find reconciliation and forgiveness with a holy God. Therefore you cannot claim to be on the side of Christ without affirming these exclusive claims. In a world where “tolerance” and “love” are in demand, such exclusive claims are not going to win any genuine Christian brownie points, but we must decide on whose side we are on.

Is it Unloving to be Exclusive?

Love is a very evasive term in a fallen world like ours; it means different things to different people. In the sight of the world, love is not confrontational, it doesn’t criticize, it must always say yes, and it is reciprocal. In the world’s definition of love it will be unloving to run and snatch my son out of the middle of the road, so long as he is happy playing there even if there is an approaching vehicle at the speed of 140 km/h. And that is where the world gets it wrong — by defining love in the context of what makes the other person happy or feel “loved”.

In our fallen state we are totally depraved and do not appreciate what is loving from God’s perspective. Love, like any good trait must be understood from the context of God, because God is the meaning of Love.

The question then is, is it unloving to tell people that Jesus is the only way to find forgiveness with a holy God? It is, if it wasn’t true. But if it is true, it is the most loving thing to do. Just a few days ago Christians all over the world celebrated Easter to commemorate the death and resurrection of Christ in triumph over sin and death. Man in rebellion had rejected God, and was therefore under God’s righteous judgement. But in His mercy and love God, the one who had been wronged gave His only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

God in His love did not sweep our sin under the carpet and assume nothing had happened. The rebellion had happened and the punishment for this treason was death (both physical and spiritual). Love didn’t mean God would turn a blind eye to our sin, it meant giving up His dear Son to die in the place of sinners so that he might be both the just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus (Romans 3:26). Love is not blind to wrong, love is not playing dumb that nothing had happened, and obviously love is not pretending that we are all the same.

If it is true(and it is) that we have all sinned against God and are under his righteous and just condemnation, our greatest need as humans is forgiveness from him. The question is, how do we secure this forgiveness? As Christians we believe there is no way we could ever do enough good deeds to make up for the wrongs we have done and continue to do. Besides, God’s standards are so high and perfect that no matter how long and hard we try, we cannot measure up.

The only way is to accept the perfection offered freely by Christ.
Love, is pointing people the right way where they can find forgiveness and peace with a holy God. Love, is telling people that there is an impending danger and they need to take cover in Jesus Christ. What is unloving is agreeing that we are all the same, when we are actually not. That is deception. The most loving thing to do is let people know that there are differences, but they have a choice which comes with consequences.

Make A Choice

Like my “supposed Christian” friend, most of us often go along with the flow and affirm the lie that all religions lead to God, either because we are afraid of ridicule or the desire to increase our chances on the last day in case others are right and we are wrong. Whatever beliefs we hold, by Jesus’ own words, He is the only way to the Father:

No one comes to the Father except through me. ~ Jesus Christ

I am trying to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Jesus: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make the choice: Either this man was and is the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.~ C.S. Lewis

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