Christianity 1500 years ago and Today

When Joel have little personal problems to handle, he start thinking about the problems of other people. And on and on it goes - its always problems.



Christians no longer preach the Gospel at the cost of their lives. Everybody has a degree to complete... an unruffled life to live... a house to buy... a wife to marry... a comfortable life ahead... What happened to planning life with God in the picture? or is God supposed to fit into our picture of "the comfortable life" - the churchgoing version of Bill Gates being the symbol of success. Gospel work is reduced to tithing, being a witness to Jesus means simply letting others know I am Christian, meeting up with Christians is merely to "catch up on whats been happening" - WHY?



After church, people hang around and talk about the newest thing in town... what they will eat for lunch... WHY?



Now, I must admit that there are questions in life that to ask WHY is to ask in vain, but many things are explainable. After much thoughts, I believe the answer to this big WHY is that these people do not know God. There is some measure of profession. In fact, the godless America is the country that professes it the most - and that is where we get the "limelight church culture", "pro abortion", "using religion for political gain"... and mindlessly, we in in Asia who so wish that "we could be like them" in one way or the other follow them.



Indeed, many profess to Jesus - 'Lord, Lord!' - but Jesus concludes that it is FEW who will enter the narrow gate and walk the narrow path. Since Jesus was talking about those who profess - perhaps among us, yes, even us who profess to know Jesus... most of us will be echoing the exact words in Matthew 7...



"Lord Lord! Did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not..."



only to hear Jesus tell us "Get away - I do not know you"



Yes, Jesus was not speaking to non-Christians. It is much easier to believe that Jesus was speaking to people who are supposed to be "salt of the earth" but ended up as "salt that loses its flavour". From being distinct, to being the same. This sends a grave warning to us if we live in this world and face no persecution. Perhaps, we have become like the world, and the world loves us.



Our profession of faith - unless shown by the fruit of the Spirit... is USELESS, and POINTLESS. Our declaration of undying PASSION for Jesus, our praying of "Dear God, I humbly come to You..." is EMPTY.



Before illustrating the main point. I would like to share with us all a little bit about church history - should my memory serve me correctly.



There was a time in Christian history long long ago, about the time of Constantine (about 4th century)- there was a period where Rome was ruled by Christian Emperors. The rule of Christian Emperors gave much privilege to Christians - the once persecuted Christianity has now become the state religion. Christians enjoy special rights - much like how Malays enjoy special rights in Malaysia. Church doctrine was standardized, heresies were cleared, Christianity spread all over Rome.



Many people became Christians: some of them sincere, some went into the church to gain favour with the Emperor - since the Emperor fancies this new religion. Yet, this period did not contain all Christian Emperors. Much like the Old Testament where there were good kings and bad kings - the good kings tear down shrines to cults to rebuild God's altar and calls people to worship, the bad kings doing the exact opposite - the Roman Emperors did something like that.



When the Emperor changed from a Christian Emperor to a pagan Emperor who did not know God - they persecuted Christians harshly. Christians who enjoyed Christianity in peace, suddenly had to flee for their lives and forced to deny Christ. During this period of transition, many Christians paid for their faith in blood. Yet there were also many who denied Jesus as Lord - instead proclaiming that the Emperor of the day as Lord to save their lives.



Then the transition came where the Christian Emperor took over the empire. The pagan Emperor is disposed of, and Christianity enjoys peace again. Yet, a new problem arose: The people who once denied Jesus now wants to join the church. Denying Christ as Lord is a grave sin the bishops of the churches say - how can we accept them again? When another pagan Emperor comes they deny Christ, when it is convenient - they proclaim Christ! How can this be?



Legalistic we might say? Well, the bishops had a good point. So they confered among themselves and wonder what to do with these group of Christians. They could not deny that some of them were sincerely repentant, yet they also had to account for the fake ones - what shall they do?



So they came up with a thing called PENANCE. What is that? Penance required these group of 'sinners' to do a certain amount of good works to prove that they are truly repentant. The argument is that the shallow profession of faith (which might be a fake faith) is too easy, these people had to prove it by good works.



And so, after doing a certain amount of good works, these people regained admittance into the church. Throughout the ages, as situations became more and more complicated, Christians who have sinned have to do more and more works to prove their repentance - more and more rules had to be added to ensure sincerity. Slowly and slowly, these group of church leaders defines that salvation comes not by faith alone - but faith and good works.



And this is one of the reasons why Catholicism has so many rules. To simply label them legalistic is too shallow an argument. Yet we know from the Word of God, indeed "it is by grace through faith we are saved, and not by our works so that no one could boast". Salvation by faith and works is incompatible with Scripture.



This is one extreme of the picture. Moving forward more than 1500 years, we come to America. There was a little boy who raised up his hand to accept Jesus in a Billy Graham crusade - everybody lifted up their hands. After jotting down the information to a counselor on site, this boy received a free Bible which had a date written behind it "27/6/1988" that marked the day of his "salvation". 10 years later, this little boy grew to become a young adult who lives a life indulging in earthly riches and gives none of his life to God felt that perhaps he might not be accepted before God.



This young adult slowly fears for his own life, he fears that God will judge him and throw him into hell. So he runs to church and looks for his pastor and said: "Pastor, I feel that I am going to hell". Then the pastor said: " Turn to the last page of your Bible... you see the date there? Tell Satan that you are saved and claim it by faith! You are saved!"



For a while, this young adult was relieved - live life the way I want, but God has gotta accepted me, I accepted him 10 years ago!



This age that we live in - is one where Christians live in a lot of tension. Sometimes, we think like the young adult... by faith isn't it? What do we do? Make a list of 10 things we vow to do for God.



1. I must do at least 15 minutes of quiet time.

2. I must go to cell group at least twice a month?

3. I must tithe 10%

and the list goes on...



Some of us do not struggle. We become like the young adult - believing in an "imaginary salvation" Jesus never offered. After bribing God with 10%... or at least enough so that our conscience is calmed... we spend money like there is no God. We buy the newest clothings, the newest gadget and whatevernots to make up for the self-esteem we so desperately lack + the imaginary needs that we cannot but help lusting after. Yet some of us speak like those in James 4:13-16



Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.



or did we forget Jesus parable? Luke 12:16-21



And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '
"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."



These passages speak for themselves.



If you haven't forgotten - I was wondering the many WHYs (it is white words in the beginning of the email, you can highlight them to read). I concluded that people must have not known God. Those who claim to know the God of the Bible... only claim to know an imaginary God who says "The Master delays His coming!" There are also those who say " I will bury my one talent underground and return it to God when He demands it". Truly, many of us are blind. We are those who:



'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,

and ever hearing but never understanding;

otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'



The Bible is before us. Some of us read the words over and over... but we will never obey it. Some will, some won't. Some will recognize that God is the Possesor of Heaven and Earth... and our lives... us merely being stewards of His resources. Some of us will remain thinking that we own our lives - as though Jesus Christ did not purchased us... and some of us will think that way till the day we die.



Yet the sad thing is this - in the midst of our college, our university, our assignments, we have neglected God's Word. Forget about seeing but never perceiving - we don't even want to see! Some of us claim to have so much responsibility in studies and work. Then the question is this -



Which is more important?



Knowing God or getting High Distinctions in university?



I fear for you my brothers and sisters, that we might fall into indulgence in worldly pursuits - clothing them in the name of "excellent spirit in the book of Daniel". Have you been to Christian concerts when this preacher suddenly comes up and say:



"I sense that God is calling some of us to be great businessmen, great politicians, great .... Who senses that God is calling you even right now? raise up your hand so I can pray for you!"



Have you heard people come up and say: "I feel that God calls me into the business world/ to become a doctor... an engineer... a lawyer"



Had it never struck you why so many people claim to be called by God into such professions - but so few are called to become preachers? teachers? garbage collecters? Have you ever heard a person say "God has called me to be a garbage collector?" It seems that we have a "upper middle class Holy Spirit".



I fear for us that in our pride and indulgence in the things of this world - we have defined God to fit our convenience. The Christians 1500 years ago denied Jesus to save their physical life - we know that was wrong. But what about us?



Everyday we carry on our routine daily life as though God is not there. Yes, we deny Jesus daily. What shall our leaders say? Do some good work to proof your repentance? Look at the last page of your Bible and tell Satan you are saved? What can we do?



When our hearts have become hardened and we tell our Christian brother "who are you to judge me? are you not like me?" let us remember... we can't say the same thing to the sinless Jesus. Because He will reply, "I am God that judges you, I am sinless and I am not like you". The warning is grave - Judgement Day is a day of no return.



How can we hasten our feet into hellfire? It is simple. Tell God that we will obey Him tomorrow. and when tomorrow comes, tell God that day after tomorrow is fine too. When my assignments are done - it is fine. Convince ourselves that we will live long enough to repent right before we die.



But for some of us who have the privilege of God opening our eyes - what shall we do?



Pray to God for understanding to read the Bible.

Talk to a Christian brother/sister about obeying God.

Read the Bible with somebody else to find out how we can live to please God.

Buy a Bible study guide.



The whole idea of getting one more person is not only to "spread the word", but also to be an encouragement to others to do the same. Can I pronounce a judgement such as "Those who does not read the Bible shall be condemned"? Well - I can't say that - I am not the Judge! But if we do not obey God because we do not even desire to seek out how to obey God (by reading His very Word) - you do the math - and measure what you are putting yourself into.