"Try Harder, Be Miserable" - is this the motto of the church?

In ”The Life You’ve Always Wanted,” John Ortberg writes about cranky Hank, a church member who knew the Scripture, faithfully attended church services, and said his prayers. But, cranky Hank showed no evidence of spiritual transformation.  He was a critical, self-centered, miserable man.  You know the saddest part of that story?  Nobody in his church found that Hank’s misery a cause for concern. There are millions of “Christians” who are orthodox in their confession that NEVER move an inch towards becoming like Christ Jesus.

Do you believe that being a “Christian” is defined as “trying harder to be a nice person?” In far too many churches the “gospel” is turned into a weekly exhortation about working harder at curbing wrong impulses while attempting to imitate Jesus. All that messages produces is deeper guilt, more misery! Eventually many settle, like cranky Hank, for a doctrine divorced from life, professing Christ but not possessing the life of a Spirit-filled disciples. Let me shout it loud. Such a life IS NOT a normal Christian life despite being common.

I LOVE this proclamation - "I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ." (Colossians 1:25-28, NIV)

The Gospel is not ‘try harder.’  It is “Christ in you!”  Paul says that it is a mystery, not meaning that it is a riddle, but that this is something hidden from ordinary understanding until the revelation of the Spirit opens our eyes. It is not earned, found after long hours of study, or achieved by harsh discipline. HE is received, by faith. Every morning we eagerly anticipate the adventure to be found in Him and we open our hands and hearts to Him saying, “Here I am, Lord Jesus, lead me. Fill me. Be radiant in me.”  And, He is!

The dreary life of religious duty is so commonplace many cannot even imagine that being a Christian will bring delight.  The beauty of Jesus can emerge from us, like a butterfly unfolding out of a chrysalis. Have you exchanged that glorious thought for the ‘try harder’ work of the Pharisees?  Those religious men knew that the heart of the law was to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deuteronomy 6:4-6, NIV) But, they were not in love with God. They were obsessed with circumcision, dietary laws, and Sabbath rules. Jesus rejects their superficial spirituality and not kindly. He called them “pious frauds, cups burnished to high shine on the outside but filthy instead, gleaming tombs full of bones, men who strain a gnat out of their soup while ready to swallow a camel!”  Oh, just reading that makes me groan. It is us so often. We, too, are incurably religious. Unless our gaze is constantly reset to Jesus, the Cross, and the promise of new life; we will slide into rule-keeping and call it “Christianity.” We will become obsessed with performance measures based on where we go, what we eat or drink, who we hang out with, church attendance, Bible memorization, and conformity to the our group’s rules.

Holiness is important but not the ‘try harder’ variety. Christians who are being transformed into the likeness of Jesus will not get drunk, spend their nights in casinos, or cuss like the proverbial sailor BECAUSE their hearts have no desire for such things!  The reason we will live a holy life, however, will not be prove our worth to God or man, but because we delight in the One whose Spirit lives in us and changes us – inside out!

Reflect on this word from the Word. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field—and to get the treasure, too!  “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!"  (Matthew 13:44-46, NLT)

Is your relationship with Christ a treasure, or a ball and chain?  Pause for some honest heart-searching.
Is the Gospel of Christ making you a beautiful person, full of life, overflowing with love, joy, and peace; 
or has a religious obsession turned you into a critical, judgmental, sour zealot?

 May this be true of us always.
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. \And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory,which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:17-18, NIV)  

That’s the best thing in life!

_______________

Jesus is all the world to me,

My life, my joy, my all;

He is my strength from day to day,

Without Him I would fall;

When I am sad, to Him I go,

No other one can cheer me so;

When I am sad, He makes me glad,

He's my friend.

Jesus is all the world to me,

I want no better friend;

I trust Him now, I'll trust Him

When life's fleeting days shall end.

Beautiful life with such a friend,

Beautiful life that has no end;

Eternal life, eternal joy,

He's my friend.

Jesus Is All The World To Me

Thompson, Will L.

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