In light of the alarming statistics cited in the previously posted articles, few would deny that the Church as a whole has fallen short of the powerful, disciplined, sanctified Church seen in the Book of Acts. This is a result of the enemy subtly diverting our attention away from our core message.
Instead of preaching the Good News that sinners can be made righteous in Christ and escape the wrath to come, we have settled for a “gospel” that implies that God’s primary purpose in saving us is to unfold a “wonderful plan” for our lives: to solve our problems, make us happy in Christ, and rescue us from the hassles of this life.
You may know someone who responded to the “God has a wonderful plan” message and who seems to be doing just fine. If you think that justifies the method, let me share a perspective you may not have considered. Let’s start with an illustration...
Anyone enjoy skydiving? It’s not the sort of activity you do without very precise preparation and almost fanatical adherence to instructions. Imagine that someone invented a parachute that was 100 percent trustworthy; the chute opened every time, without exception, and got the wearer safely to the ground.
The key was to diligently follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Now imagine that the chute–packers started to deviate from the manufacturers precise instructions by looking for shortcuts to speed up the repacking process. They ignored the safety instructions and used a new “fast-and-easy” method of folding the chute that saved time and increased the number of jumps that could be made. Everyone thought the short-cut method was a great idea because so much time and effort was being saved.
As time passed, however, it became evident that something was radically wrong. They discovered that nine out of every ten people who jumped with the “fast-folded” parachutes fell to their deaths!
What would you say to someone who ignored the 90 percent factor –– dead, mangled bodies on the ground, and pointed to the 10 percent “success” rate for justification of their methods? The “God has a wonderful plan” method is easy believism—but it is also devastating. As we will see, we have tampered with God’s instructions, and tried to formulate easy short-cuts that please the majority but come with dire eternal consequences.
It may sound admirable—and even biblical to some—to imply to the unconverted that Christianity promises to solve their problems and make their lives better, but it’s just not true. If you’re really serious about making your life better, then try God’s way. God gets right to the source of most of our life problems: sin.
Being a true follower of Christ is not an easy journey. Jesus warned us that we may have to give our lives for His name’s sake. He even said, “Brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake” (Matthew 10:21,22). While most of us may not suffer outright persecution as did the first century Christians, if you cling to the notion that God chased you and caught you in His web and did so to give you a wonderful life, then you are misguided and suffering from a form of spiritual dementia. Jesus said to all potential followers... “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Jesus never painted a “wonderful life” scenario for those who would be His true followers.
Perhaps some would argue that the Christian life is a wonderful plan because “all things work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28). That fact is wonderful in the truest sense of the word. No matter what happens to us as Christians, we can rejoice because of that promise. But the promise does not guarantee that our lives will be without suffering and trial and pain. The ultimate sacrifice... our very lives given up for Christ is harsh but also the best illustration of what God is trying to tell us, when He says “all things work for good for those who love God” as these examples clearly portray...
On November 9, 2006, three Christian teenagers were beheaded by Indonesian militants. Their severed heads were dumped in plastic bags in their village, along with a handwritten note threatening more such attacks. If these girls loved God and were called according to His purpose, they too could claim this incredible promise.
In Malatya, Turkey, when three Christian men working in a Bible publishing office were accosted by Muslims on April 18, 2007, they no doubt knew that God would work all things together for good. As their hands and feet were bound, they were tortured with butcher knives, and finally their throats were cut, the promise remained steadfast.
No one can defeat God, not His adversary Satan and no amount of distortion of Christian theology and church practice can thwart what He has promised to those who love Him.
If indeed our Creator works all things out for good—if He brings ultimate good out of every agony suffered by His true followers—why then shouldn’t we use that truth as bait when fishing for lost souls?
You can draw more bees [or flies] with the sweet fragrance of honey, right? The phrase “wonderful plan” has positive connotations; it doesn’t typically evoke negative images of machetes, hatred, persecution, beatings, and martyrdom. “Wonderful plan” is a feel good strategy for preaching the gospel and the "make your life better" lure will surely be more attractive than the alternative.
If non-Christians respond to the gospel message only to improve their lives, they will be disillusioned when they hit the potholes of life, and they may fall away from the faith. This is because many respond experimentally, simply to see if the “wonderful life” is as good as Christians say it is.
The “wonderful life plan” message isn’t biblical. Examine the Book of Acts and see if you can find any of the disciples telling sinners either that God had a wonderful plan for their lives. You can’t find a single reference to such an approach to preaching the gospel. Instead, we see that the disciples confronted their hearers as guilty criminals—enemies of God who desperately needed forgiveness through the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ and a righteous standing with God. They were never told that they could enhance their lives with God’s wonderful plan.
All Scripture admonishes us to count the cost of following Jesus: “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20); “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33); “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22); and countless others similar admonitions. The promise of the gospel has never been one that promised an enhanced, happy and carefree life on earth.
Jesus didn’t shield the newly converted Saul of Tarsus from what was in store for him when he decided to be a true follower. To the contrary... Jesus said that He would “show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts 9:16). Stephen was cruelly stoned to death for his faith. James, who told his brethren to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (James 1:2), was murdered with a sword. John the Baptist also felt the sharp steel of persecution. Down through the ages, Christians have been hated, persecuted, thrown to lions, beheaded, and burned at the stake for the sake of the gospel. Here what the Book of Acts reveals about being a passionately committed follower of Christ.
Philip: Crucified, Phrygia, A.D. 54. Matthew: Beheaded, Ethiopia, A.D. 60. Barnabas: Burned to death, Cyprus, A.D. 64. Mark: Dragged to death, Alexandria, A.D. 64. James (the Lesser): Clubbed to death, Jerusalem, A.D. 66. Paul: Beheaded, Rome, A.D. 66. Peter: Crucified, Rome, A.D. 69. Andrew: Crucified, Achaia, A.D. 70. Thomas: Speared to death, Calamina, A.D. 70.
Luke: Hanged, Athens, A.D. 93.
Persecution has always been the portion of the godly. These and countless millions through the ages since Christ died on the cross for our sins to bring about the true essence of God’s “wonderful plan for your life” –– which is what? To be aligned with Him; to be one of His followers; one of His soldiers, to stand up for Him against His enemy... Satan. To live a holy life “not as a fan” of some cool genie-like-deity who grants wishes and gives a carefree life, but to “walk with the true living God” without anything expected but His love and your love meshing together, working together, to ensure the promise of eternity for you.
More to come on our journey as Christians. It’s easier when you are a true follower... all-in, committed in every way.
