Though None Go With Me...

An old song we used to sing in church services, camp meetings and revivals comes to mind when I consider the thoughts I am attempting to write about. The song "I Have Decided To Follow Jesus" was often used during what was referred to an an "altar call" at the end of the sermon just before closing. It was a heart clincher and would be sung repetitively until every possible emotion had been wrung out of the congregation in case that ONE person needed a trip to the front to repent of their many sins and, at last, find the flood-gates of heaven open upon them with the mercy of Jesus filling their soul. Ah, yes... those were the days. Like many people, who had more concern for the condition of their pot roast in the oven at home than attempts made by those preachers doing their due diligence to ensure that every possible sinner made it home, I would roll my eyes when another stanza would begin with "Though None Go With Me... Still I Will Follow." After five choruses the song became maudlin and sappy to me. A mere sentimental ploy by the religious professionals in hopes to increase the numbers that made them look good when it came time for turning in their reports to the district offices. No doubt many people have even considered making the trip forward to give a public profession of faith just to help make the meeting look like a success and bring it to a close! I know I have.

Since then, I've changed much of my attitudes on some of those matters. Although I realize that there are those religious professionals who use tactics to try and earn their quotas, I also know that there are many more who sincerely desire to do something that we in the church world have forgotten about in the last several decades, and that is evangelize. That's right, the "great commission" where Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature of the human race." It seems that the idea of "preaching the Gospel" has become irrelevant and even politically incorrect in this so-called "post Christian era." The notion of proclaiming that there is only one God, one Son, one faith, one baptism, with a reward for believing and a penalty for not accepting makes most people uncomfortable. After all, we have become highly educated. Accepting a more global "spirituality" that takes offense with the idea of concrete truth, where matters of faith are concerned, and embraces an "I'm OK, You're OK" philosophy has taken the place of former belief systems that upheld Christ being the only "Way" for all humanity. "Whatever works for you! " is the mantra of many in the Christian faith today. We are now taught that obeying Jesus' command to take the message of the love of God to every creature is imperialistic and intolerant, condescending and hateful towards those who live by a different religious faith. Truth is no longer relevant in our social consciousness where faith is concerned, and ridicule is the best response toward those who believe such ideas still exist, much less matter.

But now I am beginning to see myself at a juncture in life. A "crossroads" that is compelling me to once again choose the things that have importance and value in the whole sphere of my existence. The Christian faith is rising to the surface more profoundly than ever before in my consciousness, even though I previously held to the belief that it was already at the forefront. Funny how those things happen. It's almost as if I can hear that song "I Have Decided... To Follow Jesus..." being played in some corner of my mind challenging me to weigh in on these matters once again for personal clarity. Possibly because there is a new awakening in my life that is vastly different than the earlier understanding I was given about what it means to be a Christ follower. The former was based on a burdensome consciousness of my "sin" that presented God as in a state of eternal anger toward me. He sent his son to die on my behalf, so that if I would repent of my sins, I'd be given the second chance to "do better" and merit favor and blessing by keeping a volume of rules, regulations, laws and ordinances until I died. THEN he would throw my life's efforts and doings into the weights and scales to determine if I had earned my right to enter the pearly gates. That seemed fair in my earlier years and, after sins I had committed that were exposed in black and white, it was obviously the workable resolution to my guilt before God. Certainly if God commanded me to an aspired life of sinless perfection and the practice of holiness, I could certainly offer my best attempt to be and do all that. After all, now knowing that Jesus died to equip me with the power to be a better person, then a better person I would be.

Even though I had "decided to follow Jesus" I had no idea the kind of oppressive burden I would take upon my shoulders by trying to uphold such notions as "being a good christian" or following the standards of "holiness" required by certain denominations in my sphere of religous culture. It soon became clear that my greatest attempts were futile and empty to meet the prerequisites of maintaining favor with God and man. My new awareness, after years of personal study of the scriptures, is polar to that former concept, actually it stands in opposition to it. I have grown to learn that, while we were his enemies and dead in our sins, there is a LOVE that was given to the world by God backed by a promise (and God doesn't lie) to love us eternally. The promise was accompanied with proof by giving his only son as the atonement for our offenses and trespasses. This love that God offered was founded upon an oath he swore by himself and ratified with Christ so that the legal covenant could not be broken by the shallow frailty and inconsistency of man. Regardless of our personal inability to live for him, by being dead in our trespasses, how we have sinned, or how deep our guilt over wrong-doing, or hurt through victimization, we are fully justified and released to freedom from these bondages by the response of FAITH from our heart. Simple believing has changed the course of our eternal direction. Continued believing is the "work" that is required for our ongoing relationship and we are assured that even this faith is a gift from God's own heart. We even get the promise that when our faith falters, God remains unchanged, ensuring that the work he began in us will be faithfully completed. How can we NOT believe?

These provisions and claims given to a population the Bible calls "wicked, sinful, falling short, unrighteous, gone astray, lacking understanding, unprofitable, worthless, deceitful, misleading, treacherous, destructive, miserable, lacking peace and possessing no fear of God" (need I say more?) showcases that mercy must abound in God's heart. It is also obvious that mankind has a universal understanding of the dilemma we face through what the Bible reveals as a "fallen" nature. Every religion addresses the issues of human frailty, sin, and imperfection, yet fail to offer any real cure or hope for the innate brokenness we all observe at some point in life. What they DO offer is opportunity to obligate people to a path of redemption through self-help by believing in the human potential. This only engages the seeker in a chance to give themselves a "leg up" spiritually by making obligatory offerings and sacrifices for atonement by doing the works, etc. that will hopefully provide eternal bliss, Nirvana, heaven, etc. Christ offered nothing of the sort. John 6:28,29 when asked "...What are we to do to carry out what God requires?" Jesus replied,"This is the work (service) that God asks of you, the you BELIEVE in the One Whom He has sent." Jesus taught that by merely "believing" we would be not only forgiven all our sins, but transferred from eternal death unto eternal life. Why is this no longer considered "good news" for ALL mankind?

Jesus said, "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by ME." This very verse used to be foundational to the Christian's understanding of the necessity of spreading the good news. No doubt that some of the sayings of Jesus are hard to embrace and more difficult to accept in a politically correct society that wants to respectfully promote all things as equal in all people. Therefore, many Christians believe that all we're doing by preaching the gospel is exchanging one religion for another. If all we are offering is an opressive condemning religious life of man-made rules and regulations as a self-help prescription to cure social ills by becoming good people, then I would have to agree that we shouldn't bother. We cannot afford to become an esoteric club or private society of intellectual subscribers who see no need of others being brought to the light of Christ. It is obvious that they do not take into consideration that Christianity is about being reborn from the spiritually dead, enriched with the blessings of being God's children and the profound transformational benefits it offers by living in his kingdom. Yet more and more of todays churches are becoming mere social networking clubs more interested in recruiting for programs than evangelizing to make disciples. That is just one reason I am beginning to see more clearly why the concept of God loving us FIRST, and therefore doing the necessary work we could not do for ourselves necessary to bring us into an eternal relationship with Himself by grace through faith alone, is legitimately far superior to any other philosophy. Mere religion places the responsibility for the hope of eternal life upon our shoulders, not God's. Faith in Christ gives me the freedom to know that I am forgiven once and for all. That I have no need to fear what comes after this life is over. That I can have peace in the assurance that God loves me. And, if God is for me, who can be against me? This knowledge compels me to share it with others who also need this as much as I do. Years of study has opened my eyes to the vast number of people world-wide that have none of this assurance as a result of their fervent religious practice. So I stand by the belief that the good news must be proclaimed to every one in all the world in every generation. Call it imperialistic, call it intolerant, call it what you will. I BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is the living embodiment of truth, and who the scriptures referred to as the "desire of all nations." For one, I didn't know what I needed until I was told. That is why I must, in turn, TELL! Personal darkness is overcome when the knowledge of the Light of Truth is proclaimed. If I embrace the notion that every religion holds equal merit and offers nothing better or greater than any other, that Christ has not risen, then I possess nothing and am to be pitied above all men. The blood of Christ as an offering for the sins of the world holds no meaning if it is no greater than, or just equivalent to, anything else in any other religious belief system. Sincerely, I will live my life with respect for all who differ with this opinion, and aspire to continue to grow in love and understanding toward those who do not embrace this faith in Christ. But as for me... I have decided to follow Jesus. The one mediator between God and man. And I will continue this path without shame or apology towards those who are offended by what seems to many in this day and age a foolish notion.
Though none go with me... still I will follow.

Drink deeply...