Why do you believe in Jesus? Seriously, why do you believe in Jesus? Have you asked yourself this question before? I have, and the answer wasn't a pleasing one... Well, you might give the right answer but be honest with yourself, is that what your heart is really saying? That's what i'm pushing for, to be honest and humble before God and change our old ways...
There's a lot of of answers to the question if you're honest to give the honest answer... Jesus can offer me a better life, Jesus is a good role model, Jesus is a good man, Jesus can bring me to heaven, Jesus can give me what i want(ask and you will receive), Jesus is God, Jesus deserves to be worshiped and etc... All of these can be true but i'm pushing for you to see something greater(if it's possible by God's grace)...
Let's assume somehow you can get to HEAVEN filled with everything you like, chocolates, ice creams, japanese food, kobe beef, durians, LV bags, Nike shoes, 3-storey bangalows, hot S-curved ladies, hot gym dudes with 6 packs, big sandy beaches with coconut drinks and on... Such a beautiful place isn't it? Would you be dying to go there? In case you didn't notice, there was 1 thing missing, the one and only thing that gives you comfort in life and death-Jesus... Now, do you still want to go to heaven without Jesus? The whole point of heaven is Jesus is there, God is there, that's why He came to earth to die for your rebellion, to BRING YOU BACK... If you want to go to heaven without Jesus, why do you even 'want' the gospel? John Piper's 5 year old granddaughter could ask this question... No joke, go listen to the source that I'll quote to you at the end of the post...
Imagine there is this kind person who gives you a present each day, and slowly you start to like this friend... One day, he stops doing all this, then you feel weird, and start questioning him... So what was your 'liking' based on? The gifts or the giver himself? Translate this to the gospel, if you believe in Jesus because He can give you great stuffs i.e. eternal life, goodies etc, then aren't you the same as the example above in loving the GIFTS and not the GIVER? Now, take a step back and look at the gospel again, did God offer us some special or good stuff? No, he offered HIMSELF!!! All the good stuffs are used to give glory to the GIVER, not the gifts itself... Psalm 43:4- an altar is where sacrifices were made, in order to cleanse ourselves, but notice that after going to the altar, the psalmist says to God my exceeding joy... It's not even about being cleansed or whatever in that sense, but God is the joy!!!
In Acts 8:9-25, Simon the magician saw Peter converting people and Simon wanted the same power... But a crude way of Peter's reply would be(quoting Piper), 'to Hell with you and your money', for Simon wanted the spirituality and power that the Holy Spirit can offer... This is a great rebuke for us if we follow Jesus for spirituality(in a wrong way) and power or whatever that He has to offer... Deuteronomy3:1-3, God did the signs and wonders to test us, through false prophets, the test is not whether
you can perform sign and wonder but do you speak the truth from His holy Word.
God is more important than spiritual gifts.
John
7:1-5- Jesus’ own brother don’t even believe in Him, the eagerness to ask him to perform the works is worldly. Believing
in Jesus doesn’t save you if you believe in him to do the right stuff. Gotta
talk about believing in Jesus for the right thing. Why do you believe in Jesus
for? Believe Him for God.
James
4:2-5- God wants us for Himself, and not 'sleep' with anyone else. She goes to
bed with God and pray for money so that she can pay to another man to sleep with. We cannot know what prayer is for until we know life is war. Hallowed be thy name
is the goal of every prayer. Prayer is for calling in firepower in battlefield.
What’s the battle? To see him, know him, treasure him, not to use him. It's not
wrong to pray for health or whatever. It’s wrong if you want IT more than you
want God and using Him to get IT.
There
is a kind of thanksgiving that is idolatry. You can thank God with an unregenerated
heart. They are thankful for the cross as an echo of their own worth. ‘They first
rejoiced and are elevated with the fact that they are made much of by God. Then
on that ground, God seems lovely to them. They are pleased in the highest
degree in hearing how much God and Christ make much of them. So that their joy
is really in themselves and not in God’. ‘This is the difference
between the joy of the hypocrite and the joy of the saint. The hypocrite
rejoices in himself. Self is the 1st foundation of his joy. The true
saint rejoices in God. True saint has his mind inexpressibly with the glorious
and amiable natures of God. This is the spring of their delight and cream of
their pleasures. This is in contrary of the hypocrites, they first rejoice that
they are made so much by God, and on that, God seems lovely to them. There
are many evangelistic tracts in churches who are doing this.’-Jonathan Edwards.
2
2 2 Corinthians 4:4-6- the gospel is the glory of Christ. The gospel is about Christ who is the image of God!!!
1. God
is glorified in the work of redemption by the greatness of man’s dependence upon
Him in the whole of it. The redeemed have all their objective good in God, God
himself is the great good which they are brought to possession of and enjoyment
of. He is the highest good and the sum of all that good which Christ purchased.
God is the inheritance of the saints, he is the portion of their souls, their
wealth and treasure, their food, life, dwelling place, health, their diadem and
glory. They have none in heaven but God. He is the great good which the
redeemed are received to at death and which they are to rise to at the end of
the world. The LORD God, he is the light of the heavenly Jerusalem and is the
river and water of life that runs. In amidst the paradise of God, the glories
and excellencies of God will be what will forever entertain the minds of the
saints. The love of god will be the everlasting feast. The redeemed will enjoy
other things, angels, each other, but all these that will draw them to delight
in all these will be what God made them to point to Him.
2
Phil 1:20-21- there is a significant contrast between life and death... The most significant contrast being to live is Christ, to die is gain... For most of us, i think we focus too much on the 2nd part, but after understanding all the above, i see a massive contrast in between these two... To live is Christ, to live in this world is better in one sense because you can do His work and proclaim Him and truly show the world how He is your only joy, because we don't see Him yet but we still dare to be fools for Christ... TO LIVE IS CHRIST seems much more appealing to me now, but it's tough...
God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him... So why do you believe in Jesus? Are you satisfied in Jesus?
These are tough concepts, but it's biblical... Still trying to work it out myself too... Feel free to edify and rebuke me...
All these are just SOME notes and reflections of mine after listening to 'God is the GOSPEL' by Piper... Do check it out...
May God help us understand and accept these hard truths...
