Oops...I Used Some Bad Words Like Sin and Judgement and Ass

(The following is a letter that I wrote to a friend who simply asked via text "What does it mean to be saved?")

Thanks for your question the other day. I apologize for the long-winded response, but this is such an important question! Here's how I think about salvation. My thinking is influenced primarily by the Bible, which I believe to be writings inspired by God. That's a whole different issue for another time, though...

First, some basic suppositions:

1) There is something very, very wrong with the world. War, famine, epidemics, AIDS, tsunamis, earthquakes, poverty, the music of Cher...no sane human being could look at our planet today and conclude that things are completely the way they should be.

2) Aside from natural disasters (I know that even this is debatable), the source of all the problems in the world is...people!!! Wars are started by people. Corporate fraud is committed by people. Rape, murder, human sex trafficking, and drug smuggling are all the product of selfish human desire, the desire to "get ahead" or to make ones self "feel good." Humanity itself is the source of our own misery.

3) It is VERY easy to look at the greedy CEO's, the crooked politicians, the rapists and the murders and blame them for all the problems in the world. But, when I really look in the mirror honestly, I find that the same evil desires live in my own heart. Have I ever cheated to get ahead? Have I ever told a half-truth to make myself look better? Have I ever taken something I wanted just because? The answer to all is yes. The only difference between me and the greedy CEO is position.

Once I come to the understanding of how very broken I am, the Biblical explanation makes perfect sense: God created humans for the purpose of expressing his love; we rebelled and chose to live life by our own desires; we have created a terrible mess of our own lives, society, and the world itself. Jesus taught in his "Sermon on the Mount" that the only difference between a murderer and someone who hates is the action itself: the heart is the exact same. We desperately need to be saved in every way imaginable: individually, socially, politically, economically, and spiritually.

Not that mankind hasn't tried to be better!! We have more education, more international peace organizations, more money spent on relief efforts, and yet the problems continue to grow. More money is spent on pornography than on world debt relief. More people have died from wars in the last century than in the rest of human history (and with nuclear technology, we're only just getting started!). This is why the Christian writers, especially St. Paul, have made sure to point out that we cannot be saved by our own "good works." We need the creator God himself to step in and intervene in our situation.

This is exactly what Christians believe that God did in the person and work of Jesus the Christ. In Jesus, God himself entered into human history and has done all of the work needed for salvation. Here’s just some of what we believe that he has done for us:

1) Jesus saved us politically by declaring that the powerful systems of the world will all be held accountable to the ultimate authority of God. We are saved from believing that any worldly power is going to ultimately “save us.”

2) Jesus saved us socially and economically by being a living (and dying) example of how we are to live with one another, how we are to take care of one another’s needs, and how we are to love each other. We are saved from being trapped in a lifetime of selfish, isolating behavior.

3) Jesus has saved us individually because I don't even have the desire or ability to do the above listed things! I once had a tattoo artist tell me that his religious beliefs consisted of “Don't be an ass to people.” While I wholeheartedly agree, I find that (despite my best intentions) I STILL treat people poorly. We are saved from trying/working/striving to the point of burnout because God gives us His Holy Spirit to empower us to be better people than we could be on our own. God literally changes us from the inside out.

4) Finally (most importantly) Jesus saved us spiritually. Because of the horrible way that we have treated each other (and God), we are deserving of His wrath, His judgment. We are saved from that judgment because Jesus stood in as our substitute.

The writers of the Bible, especially Paul again, used the word “justification” to drive home this last point. The word “justification” in the ancient Greek-speaking world is a legal term, roughly equivalent to our American “not guilty!” We learn through Paul’s writings that it is God’s desire to declare us “justified” of the sins we have committed against others, against God, and even against ourselves.

No judge in ANY court could look at someone who is unquestionably guilty and let him go free. That is the definition of a bad judge! However, we believe that all of the punishment that we deserve was carried out on Jesus: his beating, his crucifixion, his being damned and forsaken by God the Father. One day, the Bible teaches, Christ will return to earth as judge, meaning he will FIX EVERYTHING that is wrong in the world. WHAT AN AMAZING DAY THAT WILL BE! Those who have trusted in what Jesus did will be saved on that day.

A lot of people in our modern society don’t really find the Biblical promise of eternal life all that appealing. “How could eternal life be that good when life is currently so screwed up?” In addition, we have all this imaginative B.S. about heaven consisting of fluffy clouds, harps, and a floating, immaterial existence. However, the Bible teaches that the earth will literally and physically be remade, and that everyone who has ever lived will literally and physically resurrect; those who have trusted in Christ will live on a perfected earth in perfected bodies with perfected society and relationships. No more war. No more corporate fraud. No more epidemics. No more relational drama. And finally, Heaven and Earth are joined together as one. That is what it means to be saved.

Sermon Notes on Christ's Return - 2009/11/29

Jesus’ Return Aaron Gray 2009-11-29

Intro: a quick review of our John topics:

- Jesus was and is the central figure in human history

- Jesus was and is the creator God present in human form

- Jesus is teaching us how to love God, and to love others

- Our love must not just be a feeling, but put to action

- Lots of opportunity to show God’s love in a tangible way

o Beacon Hill

o New Direction

o Small Groups

So today I’m going to put the finishing touch on the Gospel of Johns sermon series. Richard, a few weeks ago taught on the section of John where Peter is restored from his denial of Christ at the trial of Jesus. So we pick up the story right after that scene…

Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?" When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!" So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?"

This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

- John 21:20-25

*PRAY*PRAY*PRAY*PRAY*PRAY*

Wrapping up John: theologian once said “I feel the same way about John’s gospel as I do about my wife. I love my wife dearly, but that doesn’t mean I understand her…”

John’s gospel is unique because it has almost NO “end times” language. Jesus hardly ever speaks of the “cosmic big picture” stuff, eschatology, etc. He is presented as one who we are to love and to follow. However, John more than makes up for it with the sequel to his gospel…Revelation

- John’s gospel writings and his vision/Revelation are VERY different

- As soon as you get into end times stuff, things get a little sketchy…

o Highly contentious – massive debate

o People are always looking for ways to explain the future (not just Christians, psychics, readers, Nostradamus (Michelle), 2012 movie, etc.)

o Christians have seen correlations to Revelation in their own times/circumstances

§ Early Christians believed that the millennial reign of Christ was beginning when the emperor converted to Christianity

§ In 1100’s, Pope Gregory IX called the Emperor Fredrick “the beast from the sea” to which Emperor Fredrick called Gregory “the dragon who leads the world astray”

§ In the 1200’s, a group of Christians called Pope Innocent IV the “antichrist” because his name (innocentus papa) added up to 666. When he died in 1250, people said whoops! Pope Benedict XI, when written in Greek adds up to 666

§ Current YouTube video using some sketchy Hebrew translation to claim Baruch O-Bamar means “lightning fell from sky” a scriptural reference to Satan

· Luke 10:18: Jesus says, “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan falling from the heavens.”

- Some people avoid it altogether

o John Calvin (incredibly prolific writer/theologian) did a commentary on every single book of the New Testament…except Revelation

o Martin Luther said “I can in no way detect that Revelation was written by the Holy Spirit”

- Despite all the difficulties and controversies, there are some things that are central to the Christian faith in regards to the “end times.” I would like to outline 7 points (in keeping with the Revelation theme)

1. We live in an age of TENSION

a. When Christ died & resurrected, he completely defeated sin, Satan, death, disease.

b. However, each and every one of us deal with heartache, disease, broken relationship, every single day

c. Revelation reveals Jesus at the beginning as having already won the decisive victory, but His followers are under assault by false teaching, persecution, and physical pleasure. In the end, Jesus wins.

d. Analogy to WWII and D-Day. On D-Day, the Allies won the war, but the fighting continued for some time after until V-Day (almost 1 yr).

e. Analogy to King David. David was anointed king in 1 Samuel 16, but doesn’t take the throne until 2 Samuel 2 (15 yrs)

f. Some promote a gospel of fatalism, while others promote an unrealistic gospel of “faith”

g. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond comparison…

i. 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

2. Christ will RETURN

a. Simple fact. Christ will return.

b. Unlike the religions that teach that Christ has already returned spiritually (or reappeared in some compound in Texas), we believe that Jesus will return physically and that the entire world will know.

c. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

i. Matthew 24:30

d. Cataclysmic world event!

e. Earlier in the chapter Jesus says to not believe when people say “Here is the Christ!”

f. Same chapter, Jesus says “no one knows the day or the hour” NOT EVEN JESUS HIMSELF!!!

g. Jesus already came once as a humble Galileean peasant, the next time he comes…

3. Christ will return as JUDGE

a. Revelation 19…

i. ¹¹Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. ¹²His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. ¹³He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. ¹⁴And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. ¹⁵From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. ¹⁶On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

b. That’s a little different picture of the Jesus that usually is holding a lamb, smiling at the little kiddos, drinking a Chai tea

i. SO different from Jesus as revealed in John’s gospel…

c. Both are accurate pictures, but it seems to me that fewer Christians are OK with the thought of Christ as Judge

d. I LOVE the idea of Christ as judge, because it means that all the sin, and destruction is dealt with, and the entire universe is put to right.

i. Story of the child pornography FBI agent

ii. Sex trafficking is #2 illegal industry in the world

e. We all are a little afraid…Those of you who are found in Jesus have NOTHING to fear “Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear…”

i. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. ²⁷And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. ²⁸Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice ²⁹and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

· John 5:26-29

4. Final RESURRECTION

a. Humans weren’t meant to die.

b. When a human dies, something terrible happens – our physical body is ripped apart from our spirit, or our immaterial part

c. The problem is that the Bible is actually quite vague on the state-of-the-soul-after-death. Hades/Sheol for dead…Abraham’s side/Paradise for the “righteous” after death.

i. Vague!

d. Here’s what we do know: at the end of this age ALL the humans who have lived will come back to life Physically.

i. Daniel 12:12

i. John 5:28-29

e. We don’t just believe in life-after-death. We believe in life AFTER life-after-death.

f. The thinking and writing of the Greek philosopher Plato has been very influential – physical=Bad, so we need to escape!

g. We don’t believe that physical creation is BAD, we believe it is corrupted…

5. HELL is real

a. Some of you are not going to like this next piece. It is becoming increasingly popular to deny the existence of Hell altogether, in favor of Univeralism or Annihilationism

b. But we must speak on Hell, because Jesus speaks on hell. In fact, more than anyone else in the record of scripture.

i. ⁴¹"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' ⁴⁴Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' ⁴⁵Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' ⁴⁶And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

1. Matthew 25:41-46

c. Some of our conceptions are NOT real. In the 1300’s, an Italian named Dante Alighieri wrote “The Divine Comedy” in 3 parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. Inferno paints a picture of a medieval torture chamber…

i. Many NON-BIBLICAL ideas from that book have worked their way into our thinking on Hell

d. The Bible uses two main metaphors: Fire and Darkness

i. Don’t usually go together

ii. Sulfer?

iii. It’s as if God is trying to communicate with us the torment it is to be eternally separated from God.

e. The purpose of Hell is the eternal punishment of Satan and his demons, but we can choose to be a part of that crowd

6. NEW CREATION will be better than we can imagine

a. ¹Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ²And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

i. Revelation 21:1-4

b. Heaven is NOT a fluffy cloud where you get a golden diaper and a harp, and sing Palestrina chorales until the end of time.

c. The entirety of creation will be REMADE – Lion will lie down with the Lamb

d. New Creation is more REAL than anything we can possibly imagine.

e. Have you ever had an amazing vacation? Or a great conversation with a dear friend? Or an amazing meal? Or have you had a miracle?

7. We serve diligently because the time is SHORT

a. …scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. ⁴They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation." ⁵For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, ⁶and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. ⁷But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. ⁸But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. ¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. ¹¹Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, ¹²waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! ¹³But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

i. 2 Peter 3:3-13

All of our benevolence and service projects MUST have this awareness of ETERNITY

- Beacon Hill & New Direction, etc., must not JUST be a service project

Young people – be informed by the scriptures!

Our lives should be more marked by the story of scripture than by Heroes or Twilight

My hope is that you would be better at quoting the Apostle Paul than Michael Scott.

The time is short, and heaven will meet earth. Now we prepare!