With or without Christ?
With or without Christ?
The door to heaven is already open. Don't miss it!
Here’s the latest devotional from my Spanish blog translated back to English for you:
“remember that you were at that time separated from Christ,…having no hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:12, ESV)
Supposed currents of spirituality without solid underpinnings in the Bible abound in our world today. We find ourselves exposed to attitudes and opinions that are not helpful in clearing the clutter from the road to salvation in Christ. According to what we often hear, it would seem like almost no one is condemned… as if all—or nearly all—belong to God by default.
What a contrast! The Bible speaks of broad roads and the narrow way; of many called and few chosen; of children of God and children of the Devil; of a resurrection of life and a resurrection of condemnation.
The Bible leaves us a message both specific and clear: "without Christ" means "without hope and without God."
Back in my day, there was a Marxist refrain in vogue, which we heartily embraced:
It was understood to mean that any belief in a god or an afterlife represented no more than a crutch for the weak. Such cynicism is still common today:
Only the hopeless love God. - Jennifer Donnelly, Revolution
People disregard the sincerity of our motives. They would rather believe we decided for God out of desperation… as a last resort. It’s as if people who can’t get ahead in life or who have run out of options are the only ones who look for God.
In spite of their cynicism, there is some truth to what they say. Those who do perceive their situation as truly desperate before God are the ones who return to him in the only way that pleases him—with repentance and submission. Through the sacrifice of God the Son, he offers us forgiveness, a new life, and the assurance of being with him forever.
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13, ESV)
The offer of forgiveness and eternal life is real. It’s within reach for all … it’s there for the asking. But sadly, many keep trying to make their own way, impose their own will, or do enough good things to earn God’s favor. They walk blindly past the open door to heaven as they meander on down the wide road that leads to… you know where.
Today: Let’s remember where we came from. Let’s make room in our hearts for those who are still without hope and without God in their lives. Let’s be like the Apostle Paul when he wrote:
“Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak,” (2 Corinthians 4:13, ESV)