Have You Been Deceived?

     In my travels to obtain truth, I have constantly run up against a particular inanity.


     It is a message that Christians of our day cling to, and usually sounds something like this:

"God is perfect.
You are not.
Hooray for grace,
But do better."

     As an example, I present the classic 1 Corinthians passage on love. "Love is patient, love is kind, etc."

     Your typical sermon would go something like this:
"How horrible we are at this! We have fast food, instant entertainment, premarital sex, and it's all for instant gratification! What I'm telling you people is to SLOW DOWN!! In the Greek, the root word for patient is "snailicus," meaning "like a snail." We have to take a step back, and be patient with each other. Let that lady at Starbucks take the whole ten minutes to pay for her 8 a.m. coffee. It's called Love, people!!"

     Now, although most of this little sermon is completely accurate, it is also completely ineffective. It addresses the symptoms of the condition, but leaves the root virus intact.

     The cold truth is, I cannot "do better" enough. You cannot "do better" enough. According to Jesus, our best is still not good enough, even our righteousness is "filthy rags."

     Wait, what the heck?

     Righteousness, like the stuff Jesus had in spades. It's filthy rags? Even the stuff we do right?

     Not only that, but Paul says that God sees us as having Jesus' perfection. So, what's the point of  trying to do good?

     Most will tell you, "Being good brings you closer to God, it makes Him happy. It's like saying thank you."

     They lie. God may not even know you.

No Dog, Seriously...

     Let me explain.

     Let's say you read my blog, lets say you even follow me. I have a nifty little tool that tells me how many page views I get per day. However, I only see your visit as a little number. Although that number puts a little joy in my heart, your contribution, changing a 5 to a 6, does nothing for me. I have no idea who you are, or what you thought about the article. Although the fact that you regularly read my writing will definitely result in lots of page views, it doesn't help me get to know you. If you truly wanted to connect, you would leave a thoughtful, heartfelt comment on something I've written.

     It's the same with God. He could care less if you let an old lady go in front of you for coffee. What matters to him is seeing your heart. Knowing you. Spending quality time with you. Having quality conversation. Following the rules doesn't help you get closer to God. Getting closer to God helps you follow the rules. He said, "He who loves me will keep my commandments." While most interpret this as a command to obedience, it was meant as a thermometer. Keeping the commandments comes naturally to those who love God.

     Not keeping the commandments? You don't really love God.

     So clear your schedule. Crumple up your to-do list. Hang out with God. Have a conversation. Talk a bit, listen a bit. Get to know each other. Sooner than you think, you'll discover what everyone means by, "what a friend we have in Jesus."

     Do it. I dare you. And stop being mislead.