On Friday, December 14th, 2007, my adventures in Bible prophecy came to a close. I was hoping, because of this, to impart upon you precious readers some sort of eternal wisdom that would create in you a desire to follow all your dreams and what not. Something along the lines of “a penny saved is a penny earned,” or “early to bed and early to rise makes a man (or woman) healthy, wealthy, and wise,” or “eat your vegetables, they’re good for you.” But alas, I have no juicy tidbits of tantalizing knowledge for you to nosh. No amazing climactic conclusion took place; no spectacular, life altering revelation. All I offer is a humble confession that I am a sinner who needs Jesus.
Friday, December 14th, 2007: The Spectacular, Fantastic Second Coming of Jesus.
The speaker gave these words on this night: “If you remember one thing, remember this: Jesus wants to be our savior and Jesus wants to be our Lord.” I think this is true. Why else would He have come to earth, served, and died? However, I think it’s deeper than just savior and Lord. That is, those are just terms we throw on to a situation we don’t completely understand. Sure the terms fit, but I don’t think it’s complete. It’s like a puzzle piece fitting into a hole that’s a little too big for it. Sure the piece works there, but it doesn’t quite cover it.
See, God had a purpose when He set out to create man in His own image. A purpose of creating something that He could love and that in turn could love Him back. Think of the movie Pinocchio. Ghepetto made a puppet. Now, bear in mind it wasn’t Gheppeto’s intention that the puppet be a real boy, but he did desire some companionship that he could love and in turn love him back; notice that Figaro, the cat, didn’t fulfill this role. Cats. Am I right? Well, Pinocchio came to life and Ghepetto was thrilled. He sent Pinocchio to school where he met the neighborhood toughs and ended up getting into some trouble. Ghepetto finds out and goes out looking for his precious Pinocchio; his one companion whom he loves and wants back. Ghepetto finds Pinocchio and Pinocchio recants of his previous behavior. This recantation transforms Pinocchio into what Ghepetto really wanted; a real boy, a real companion; really.
Parallel that with our story as humans. God creates us with an intention, we defile that intention, God pursues us to get us back, we recant of our previous defilement, and we are transformed into God’s original intention. A difference between us and Pinocchio is that we continue to screw up; we continue to run off to Pleasure Island and make jackasses out of ourselves. And, in turn, God continues to pursue after us and we continue to repent and we are continually made into God’s original intention.
So, here’s the thing, I don’t really get this whole second coming thing. I know Jesus promised to come back (John 14:1-3) and I tend to believe everything else He said, but this one strikes me as odd. I guess I see people being born every day, thus more people to rebel against God, to break that original intention. So, it seems that whenever Jesus decides to pay earth a visit again, someone is going to get screwed. Someone is likely going to be on the verge of repentance when the final trumpets sounds, right? Or is God’s timing so perfect, that there’s a precise moment in the future where all that will repent have repented? I suppose that’s the definition of perfect timing. He did start time after all, and he expressed an interest in stopping it once or twice, so I guess He’s got a handle on it. I guess that’s why we say God has perfect timing, He invented the stuff.
I cannot say I have a firmer grasp on Christ’s return after attending this session either. All that was talked about was how glorious a day it will be. I agree; how great will it be to see your savior come to take you with Him? How spectacular a scene to see Jesus bursting in like Robin Hood rescuing Maid Marian from the evil clutches of Prince John? I imagine him giving out a swashbuckling “Ha-Ha!” when he enters earth’s atmosphere for a second time. However, I cannot help but think how utterly crappy that day will be for everyone else. Will I feel sorry for those whom Jesus could not take back with Him? Will He feel sorry for all of those whom He could not take with Him? Will there be any last, “Oh my God, I’ve been completely on the wrong track; Jesus take me with you,” repentings that will be validated at the last minute?
Wednesday, December 19, 2007: A Conclusion.
So what have I learned? The Church does not have the answers to our questions. The Bible does not have the answers to our questions. (I’m thinking of just leaving this as a puzzle and letting you figure out why I would say that. But I’ll just give you the answer.) God has the answers to our questions. The Church does not have solutions to our problems. The Bible does not have solutions to our problems. God has the solutions to our problems. I think one of the reasons I have a problem with loving the Church is that I expect it to be God. When I expect it to be God and it fails to meet expectations; I get angry, I stop loving.
I think when we say the Church is the body Christ and when we say the Bible is the word of God that we have to mean that they are representations of those things. And we have to accept that calling them representations takes away no power from them that they previously possessed. I repeat, no power is taken away by calling the Church and the Bible representations of the body of Christ and God’s word respectively. The Church is not perfect; it’s comprised of human beings. But the body of Christ is perfect. Can the Church be the body of Christ? No. Can the Church represent the body of Christ? Absolutely, that’s what it is called to do.
It would be like someone asking me to take them to see President Abe Lincoln. Never mind how I know Honest Abe or if I know Honest Abe, but the something thinks I can complete this task for them. But instead of revealing my secrets and exposing my connections, I bring this someone to Mt. Rushmore.
“Look, there’s President Abraham Lincoln,” I’d say.
And they’d reply, “But that’s just his head.”
The portrait of Abe Lincoln on Mt. Rushmore is merely meant to be a representation of the former president. It’s just like the Church. It’s merely meant to be a representation of the body of Christ.
So, in order to love the Church, I’m going to have to change my expectation. What, then, should my expectation be? I’m glad I asked. I expect to find sinners. Sinners who understand they are sinners. Sinners who understand that it is only by the grace of God that Jesus came and saved their sorry asses. Sinners who realize the problems they face are the same problems the people of the world face and the only reason the problems they face aren’t problems anymore is Jesus. This is what I expect of the Church. Since the Church consists of people and people are sinners, this is not a false expectation. This is how I love the Church: realize I am a sinner who needs Jesus.
Friday, December 14th, 2007: The Spectacular, Fantastic Second Coming of Jesus.
The speaker gave these words on this night: “If you remember one thing, remember this: Jesus wants to be our savior and Jesus wants to be our Lord.” I think this is true. Why else would He have come to earth, served, and died? However, I think it’s deeper than just savior and Lord. That is, those are just terms we throw on to a situation we don’t completely understand. Sure the terms fit, but I don’t think it’s complete. It’s like a puzzle piece fitting into a hole that’s a little too big for it. Sure the piece works there, but it doesn’t quite cover it.
Parallel that with our story as humans. God creates us with an intention, we defile that intention, God pursues us to get us back, we recant of our previous defilement, and we are transformed into God’s original intention. A difference between us and Pinocchio is that we continue to screw up; we continue to run off to Pleasure Island and make jackasses out of ourselves. And, in turn, God continues to pursue after us and we continue to repent and we are continually made into God’s original intention.
So, here’s the thing, I don’t really get this whole second coming thing. I know Jesus promised to come back (John 14:1-3) and I tend to believe everything else He said, but this one strikes me as odd. I guess I see people being born every day, thus more people to rebel against God, to break that original intention. So, it seems that whenever Jesus decides to pay earth a visit again, someone is going to get screwed. Someone is likely going to be on the verge of repentance when the final trumpets sounds, right? Or is God’s timing so perfect, that there’s a precise moment in the future where all that will repent have repented? I suppose that’s the definition of perfect timing. He did start time after all, and he expressed an interest in stopping it once or twice, so I guess He’s got a handle on it. I guess that’s why we say God has perfect timing, He invented the stuff.I cannot say I have a firmer grasp on Christ’s return after attending this session either. All that was talked about was how glorious a day it will be. I agree; how great will it be to see your savior come to take you with Him? How spectacular a scene to see Jesus bursting in like Robin Hood rescuing Maid Marian from the evil clutches of Prince John? I imagine him giving out a swashbuckling “Ha-Ha!” when he enters earth’s atmosphere for a second time. However, I cannot help but think how utterly crappy that day will be for everyone else. Will I feel sorry for those whom Jesus could not take back with Him? Will He feel sorry for all of those whom He could not take with Him? Will there be any last, “Oh my God, I’ve been completely on the wrong track; Jesus take me with you,” repentings that will be validated at the last minute?
Wednesday, December 19, 2007: A Conclusion.
So what have I learned? The Church does not have the answers to our questions. The Bible does not have the answers to our questions. (I’m thinking of just leaving this as a puzzle and letting you figure out why I would say that. But I’ll just give you the answer.) God has the answers to our questions. The Church does not have solutions to our problems. The Bible does not have solutions to our problems. God has the solutions to our problems. I think one of the reasons I have a problem with loving the Church is that I expect it to be God. When I expect it to be God and it fails to meet expectations; I get angry, I stop loving.
I think when we say the Church is the body Christ and when we say the Bible is the word of God that we have to mean that they are representations of those things. And we have to accept that calling them representations takes away no power from them that they previously possessed. I repeat, no power is taken away by calling the Church and the Bible representations of the body of Christ and God’s word respectively. The Church is not perfect; it’s comprised of human beings. But the body of Christ is perfect. Can the Church be the body of Christ? No. Can the Church represent the body of Christ? Absolutely, that’s what it is called to do.
8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be
my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth.
-Acts 1:8 (NIV)
It would be like someone asking me to take them to see President Abe Lincoln. Never mind how I know Honest Abe or if I know Honest Abe, but the something thinks I can complete this task for them. But instead of revealing my secrets and exposing my connections, I bring this someone to Mt. Rushmore.
“Look, there’s President Abraham Lincoln,” I’d say.
And they’d reply, “But that’s just his head.”
The portrait of Abe Lincoln on Mt. Rushmore is merely meant to be a representation of the former president. It’s just like the Church. It’s merely meant to be a representation of the body of Christ.
So, in order to love the Church, I’m going to have to change my expectation. What, then, should my expectation be? I’m glad I asked. I expect to find sinners. Sinners who understand they are sinners. Sinners who understand that it is only by the grace of God that Jesus came and saved their sorry asses. Sinners who realize the problems they face are the same problems the people of the world face and the only reason the problems they face aren’t problems anymore is Jesus. This is what I expect of the Church. Since the Church consists of people and people are sinners, this is not a false expectation. This is how I love the Church: realize I am a sinner who needs Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment