Hard words: Part 2 (!)

As I mentioned in the last post, I wasn't sure if I was going to post this follow-up, due to the fact that it may offend people who read it. However, if we please God, it doesn't matter who we displease; if we displease God, it doesn't matter who we please. While on this earth, we are to proclaim the truth of the words of God... and this will offend some, because true righteousness is offensive to human beings who, in our very fallen nature, are unrighteous, yet wrongfully believe ourselves to be made righteous by our own works.

We learned from the words of John Piper in the last post (not that the words of Piper are the very words of God, but his point is a biblical one!) that one of the marks of saving faith is the fighting of sin. This is a mark of saving faith because we, as fallen creatures, love sin: we love rebelling against God. Our nature decrees that turning from God is the only thing that we know how to do before we have been drawn to Him (Romans 8:7, John 15:5). Fighting this nature is something that we cannot do apart from the grace of God’s work of sanctification in us, which is only given to those who have been adopted as sons and daughters of the Kingdom.

But let us not rely on the words of a mere man to ascertain truth. Our sole authority is Scripture, and we gain our understanding of God's ultimate truth through the words that He has given us. And if you are inclined to argue against the inerrancy of the whole of God's writ, then let's take a look at the very words of our Lord Himself:

"But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.' He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went. Then we came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said to Him, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you." -Matthew 21:28-31

"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?" -Luke 6:46

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' " -Matthew 7:21-23

Hard words. But if we claim Jesus as our Lord, we must listen to them.

In our postmodern society, it is easy to find many people who claim to be "Christian", and yet ignore Christ. They will give lip service to God, but will not do what He commands: they will not fight against sin. And if they do good works, it is not for the glory of God, but for their own glory. They believe that everyone has their own "take" on religion, and that we shouldn't draw lines between world religions because God doesn't. They believe that to say that Jesus is the only path to heaven is ignorant, unprogressive, hateful, and intolerant. They believe that because God is all-loving, He will accept anyone into heaven in the last day who is a "good person".

Let us weep for these people.

And let us pray for them.

Yes, it is true that we are not saved by our works. We are forgiven, justified, and sanctified by the work of Christ on the cross. It is never about our work, but only ever about His. However, true saving faith will bear fruit, and will fight against sin. Those who are of the Kingdom of God, who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, will have this Spirit working in them. The fruit of this work will be seen by others... and will be seen by ourselves.

I am not saying that if we still have much sin in our lives, we are not saved. What I am saying is that if we do not find ourselves fighting against sin in these earthly bodies, if we cannot say alongside Paul that when we sin we do what we hate (Romans 7:15), we need to fall on our knees in the holy presence of the LORD, we need to confess that we have not loved Him, we need to ask Him in the matchless name of His Son to forgive us for these sins, and we need to ask for the desire to be implanted in us to fight against them!

If you have never done this, and yet claim to follow after Christ, you have obviously not listened to His words... and when the rain and the winds come, great will be the fall of the house of your soul (Matthew 7:27).