Simplicity?
On Sunday we studied the beautiful simplicity of Jesus' central message. Mark's gospel records it in chapter one and verse 15: 1) The time is now (kairos), 2) Repent, 3) Believe the good news.
The more I meditate on this very simple calling the more I find. It seems to me that one of our biggest problems is living in the past (in guilt or regret), or living in the future (in some false hope). Jesus reminds us at the outset of his ministry that the time is now. This speaks to how we live as persons AND how we live as a congregation. The deeds of the past are done. The future is filled with hope, but we live NOW.
And the best way we live NOW, is in repentance and conviction. I fear that the former term has "tent revival" connotations. But the meaning is a changing of the heart/mind. I'm sure this happens at a tent revival, but the follower of Jesus does not rest on one repentant moment of the past, but lives in a repentant NOW. We must continually be open to reproof and correction. We must constantly be ready for that next course changing epiphany. We must live in humility, as Paul encourages, having the "attitude of Christ." The antithesis of this (a cocksure attitude of one's righteousness) is what so much of the world sees as "Christian."
What keeps the real Christian attitude exciting is the awareness that we don't have to reach some artificial state of perfection to attain God's love. It's already given. This love is lavished on us, without any consideration of merit. This is the good news on which we stand, in which we must live. This good news helps the repentance flow, for we repent out of a grateful heart.
Today let us live in repentance and conviction. The former is based on our knowledge that we are sinner. The latter is based on our awareness that God loves us anyway.
The more I meditate on this very simple calling the more I find. It seems to me that one of our biggest problems is living in the past (in guilt or regret), or living in the future (in some false hope). Jesus reminds us at the outset of his ministry that the time is now. This speaks to how we live as persons AND how we live as a congregation. The deeds of the past are done. The future is filled with hope, but we live NOW.
And the best way we live NOW, is in repentance and conviction. I fear that the former term has "tent revival" connotations. But the meaning is a changing of the heart/mind. I'm sure this happens at a tent revival, but the follower of Jesus does not rest on one repentant moment of the past, but lives in a repentant NOW. We must continually be open to reproof and correction. We must constantly be ready for that next course changing epiphany. We must live in humility, as Paul encourages, having the "attitude of Christ." The antithesis of this (a cocksure attitude of one's righteousness) is what so much of the world sees as "Christian."
What keeps the real Christian attitude exciting is the awareness that we don't have to reach some artificial state of perfection to attain God's love. It's already given. This love is lavished on us, without any consideration of merit. This is the good news on which we stand, in which we must live. This good news helps the repentance flow, for we repent out of a grateful heart.
Today let us live in repentance and conviction. The former is based on our knowledge that we are sinner. The latter is based on our awareness that God loves us anyway.