Charisa Stories

Tag: gospel

  • What Jesus Would Say About Politics in the Pulpit?

    I used to be a rabid political guy. I once believed we could change the culture with the correct political leaders. I was right to dream about changing our culture but I was wrong about the best method. Even if I could get my “dream team” elected we would still have a problem in our world.

    Sin.

    Politics and legislation don’t change the inconvenient truth that we have an inherent human heart problem. Jesus gave us a perfect example of what it looks like to be a good citizen while recognizing what really changes the heart of man. The religious legalists (the Pharisees) were trying to trick Jesus to get Him in trouble with the Roman government. Nice try.

    “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?”

    Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin, and I’ll tell you.”When they handed it to him, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”

    “Caesar’s,” they replied.

    “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

    His reply completely amazed them. (Mark 12:13-17, NLT)

    Tim Keller brilliantly identifies what happens when we make politics an ultimate thing.

    “If you center your life and identity on a “noble cause,” you will divide the world into “good” and “bad” and demonize your opponents. Ironically, you will be controlled by your enemies. Without them, you have no purpose.”

    So many people have taken demonizing to an art form in this current climate and both sides of the aisle believe they have the noble cause. We have seen the devastation to our country when we demonize our opponents. We must not fall into that trap as representatives of Jesus. Love those who oppose you and show them that grace is a bipartisan gift from God. Let me say that I take my responsibility as a citizen very seriously. I do my homework and I vote in every election. That is a privilege I treasure.

    Paul wrote to a church in Rome that certainly had to deal with some political issues.

    Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.  (Romans 13:1, NLT)

    That can be a hard one for believers right, left, and center to stomach at times. But I didn’t write those words in Scripture that remind me that God is in control and I am not.

    Author Philip Yancey offered this insight.

    “Jesus and Paul spent no energy on trying to clean up the Roman empire, despite their terrible practices of abandoning infants, pederasty, and gladiator games.  Indeed, the people Jesus denounced most harshly, the Pharisees, were some of the most moral people on earth.  He did not give us the challenge of imposing our morality on others, but rather of spreading a far more radical message: that God loves sinners.  Politics is based on power, and power always causes divisions.  It is very difficulty indeed to get across a message of love and power at the same time.  One of them always loses out, and we are called to emphasize love.”

    I agree. Jesus spent zero time trying to change the political culture. He spent all of His time changing hearts. The real power to change our broken world comes from the finished work of Jesus and the transformational power of the Gospel. No matter what happens on Election Day I will believe that God is sovereign and His plan will be accomplished. My passion will be to share the hope that Jesus offers to both sides of the aisle and that hope is eternal. I now believe with all of my heart that the Gospel of forgiveness and grace is the ultimate cultural game changer.

  • WWJA? What Would Jesus Ask?

    Followers of Jesus confidently proclaim that Jesus is the answer.

    I believe that.

    But it is fascinating to see how Jesus, the one with all the answers, dealt with those who asked Him questions. The Gospels record 183 times that Jesus is asked a question. He directly answered only three. That is not a typo. Three.

    If you want to do a little extra credit homework they are John 18:37, Luke 11:1, and Matthew 22:36-37. I was more that a little surprised when I first learned of those numbers.

    The Gospels also note that Jesus asked 307 questions. There is clearly something to be gleaned from these numbers. Without a doubt I believe that Jesus knew the answers. He also knew the heart and motives of the questioners. So why in the world would he deflect and ask a question instead of just answering directly with the perfect wisdom of God?

    The technique Jesus used most often was answering a question with a question. My feeling is that Jesus responded that way because He understood the nature of man. Many (if not most) of the questioners had already reached a conclusion before asking. Jesus knew that a perfectly timed question would often help validate a point that needed to be made. Sometimes the question exposed the hypocrisy of the interrogator. Perhaps the most important reason was answering a thoughtful query forced the people asking the question to think.

    One of the three questions Jesus answered directly from the list above was when a disciple asked “will you teach us how to pray”? I believe Jesus responding to questions with a question was likewise teaching us how to more effectively share the truth we so desperately desire to communicate.

    Jesus is teaching us to listen and initiate honest conversation. If a follower of Jesus comes across as a know it all it can diminish the grace Jesus offers to anyone seeking Him. Engaging in caring conversation opens the door to speak truth without condemnation.

    Jesus opened the door and invited those who were actually seeking answers to come inside and learn. Often His honest questions exposed those whose goal was to deny who Jesus said He was.

    Matthew described a moment when some religious leaders tried to shame the disciples of Jesus with this question.

    Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

    I can picture the smug expressions on the faces of the Pharisees. They did not see this question coming.

    Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?” (Matthew 15:1-3)

    Jesus redirected a legalistic accusation into a question about the motivation of the Pharisee’s hearts. Powerful.

    A question that Jesus asked His disciples rocked my early career desire to seek money and power.

    “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” (Mark 8:36-37, NLT)

    Whoa! Wait! That was an important question I had to consider. As I have added considerable mileage to my spiritual journey odometer I have seen the answer to that question revealed so clearly. There is nothing in this world that matters more than the hope I have in Jesus for my eternal home and for the heavenly reunion with so many dear to me.

    But the most important question that Jesus asked in my humble opinion was recorded in Matthew 16. Jesus asked his disciples who the general population thought he was. They replied that some thought he was John the Baptist. Some felt he might be Elijah, Jeremiah, or another one of the prophets.

    I can picture Jesus listening intently and then asking the most important question any of us will ever answer.

    “But who do you say I am?”

    I tried to dodge that question for a period of time but I finally came to believe the response that Peter gave to Jesus.

    Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

    Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you.”

    Everyone who responds in that way is blessed. I am so grateful for the sacrifice Jesus made for me. I am so grateful for His daily grace and patience with me. I want to follow the example of Jesus and not try to have all of my answers cued up and ready to show my theological knowledge. I want to listen, ask questions, show love, offer grace, and engage others in a conversation that leads to an honest discussion of the Good News of the Gospel. I want to ask the kind of questions my Savior would ask and do it with His caring love.

  • A Desperate Need in the Church


    Not all of us have experienced the joy of Psalm 133.

    “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Ps.133:1, NIV)

    There is no more powerful community than a group of believers who live in unity. Nothing levels the playing field like Jesus when we genuinely follow Him.

    In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians he offered the benefits of honest community. “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14)

    Interesting that the challenges from Paul are listed from easiest to hardest. I can admonish the idle all day long. I am pretty good about encouraging the fainthearted. On my good days I help the weak. But be patient with them all? Come on Paul. Do you know these people?

    But that is the beauty of community. It is messy and beautiful. Frustrating and fulfilling. It is life. And it is best lived together with other messy, beautiful, frustrating and fulfilling saints who still are quite capable of sinning.

    And that tees up the biggest need for community as found in Galatians. 

    Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. (Galatians 6:1-3)

    That seems like such an important passage in this culture as I contemplate the devastating and heartbreaking toll of sin. I know. That word will get you canceled by many today. But there is no other word that describes what I am seeing today. Sin says that there is more that you must get in any way you can. Sin says that you deserve to be happier. Sin says that God does not really have your best interest at heart. I hate those lies from Satan that we continue to believe.

    People are desperate to find community and belonging and they often find it in the wrong places. I see precious men and women (sometimes boys and girls) lose their lives because they found identity in groups that promised family and acceptance but delivered heartbreak and abuse. These souls likely had found that dynamic of acceptance nowhere else in their experience. All of us want to find someone who will accept us for who we are. These lonely souls found identity in a group that provided provisional acceptance but not safety. 

    Lest we jump to judgement (as we are so skilled at doing) we should wonder what leads these men and women to pursue a group that can ultimately lead to depression, sadness, and even death.

    I am sad that we have too often failed to create a community that does not flinch at inappropriate language, clothing, and behavior. Do you think Jesus would look at an inappropriate t-shirt slogan or at the heart? Would He hear the ugly words of a hurting person or the desperate tone of their need? Would He condemn the sinner or embrace them and whisper gently in their ear that there is a better way? Of course there are consequences to sin. Is that ever more clear than when we turn on the news every day? But the truth is that all of us are sinners. 

    I spent 40 years in live television. It is a high energy world of edgy emotions and honest language. That was my work community and I loved them. It was not always a safe place for the easily offended. But it was a real place with real people willing to hear your story when you didn’t step back in self-righteous offense.

    Jesus put no requirements on being with Him. We are ones who have often not communicated the liberating joy of the Gospel. We attach the strings instead of shouting that all we need to bring to Him for salvation is our sin and need. Jesus has done the rest.

    I am a flawless child of God. Not because of anything I have done, am doing, or will ever do. It is because of what Jesus did for me on the Cross. Paul makes it pretty simple.

    If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.(Romans 10:9, NLT)

    We must begin to concentrate on that message of what Jesus has done for us. Whether your sin inventory fills multiple volumes or a post-it note is irrelevant. We all need the Cross. Only the finished work of Jesus makes us flawless.

  • Jesus Can Bridge the Cultural Divide

    Social media can be deeply distressing. So many posters are downright mean. If you disagree on an issue the broad brushing judges assign you to outcast status without any effort to understand your heart.

    May I share honestly what bothers me even more on social media? When those who claim to be followers of Jesus are divisive, judgemental, and graceless. How can we claim to have something of eternal value when we can’t focus on what unites us?

    A song from Mandisa and TobyMac came up on my playlist this week. The message is so important for all of us.

    Are you left?
    Are you right?
    Pointing fingers, taking sides
    When are we gonna realize?

    We all bleed the same
    We’re more beautiful when we come together
    We all bleed the same
    So tell me why, tell me why
    We’re divided.

    Why indeed? I am praying for leaders who will remind us that hateful rhetoric never, ever, ever changes a heart. Followers of Christ have a message of hope and light that is desperately needed. But we get caught up in the politics of our world and too often snuff out that light. I have probably been guilty of that over the years more than I care to think about. 

    I fear our culture will get darker in the days and months ahead. Followers of Christ have to make a decision. We can decide to complain that Christians are no longer respected and valued in the culture. We can whine that the media and elites mock us. Or we can decide to show the kind of kindness, forgiveness, grace, and love that early Christians demonstrated to change a hostile culture. We may not like this truth but Christianity really functions best as the underdog. In that environment we have no where else to turn but to God to give us the strength and grace to be a light in the darkness.

    What does that mean? What message makes a difference?

    During a British conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world debated what, if any, belief was unique to the Christian faith. They began eliminating possibilities. Incarnation? Other religions had different versions of gods’ appearing in human form. Resurrection? Again, other religions had accounts of return from death. The debate went on for some time until C. S. Lewis wandered into the room. “What’s the rumpus about?” he asked, and heard in reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity’s unique contribution among world religions. Lewis responded, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.”

    Perhaps the fact that grace and forgiveness are rare commodities in this society is a big reason we see such anger and hopelessness. Our natural reaction to those who threaten our comfortable safe haven is to strike back. Jesus knew this would happen and He had some very radical instructions.

    “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” (John 13:34, NLT)

    Jesus did not say “I am offering a helpful suggestion to love people that look like you and agree with you.” Our Lord who died for people of all colors and nations commanded that we love one another. People of different colors, political beliefs, and personalities all inconveniently fit into the “one another” category. 

    If you push back that Jesus was just talking about loving His followers I offer this.

    “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! (Luke 6:27, NLT)

    Jesus knows our hearts doesn’t He? If you are “willing to listen” then hear my words to love your enemies. He knew we tend to conveniently not hear words that challenge our hearts. Am I willing to listen? Are you? I wonder what God could do if we followed those those two commands?  And how would it look different if we remembered that we are all created in the image of God. Our different experiences and stories should not divide us but instead create a beautiful tapestry of the amazing love of Jesus.

    If we’re gonna fight
    Let’s fight for each other
    If we’re gonna shout
    Let love be the cry
    We all bleed the same
    So tell me why, tell me why
    We’re divided

    Did you notice I centered the lyrics? No left or right justification. The only justification that matters is the work of Christ on the Cross. We all bleed the same. He bled for us. The color is red in every case.

    As a person with considerable mileage on my life odometer I am convinced the culture will never be healed by politics and programs. But I still believe the power of the Gospel of grace can heal our culture one heart at a time. We can be a part of that revival or we can give up and sullenly wait for eventual glory. May I grace challenge you to get out of your Christian comfort cave? Can I ask you to make an effort to get to know people different from you? Go meet with a spirit willing to learn the story and heart of people who look and think differently. And here is the most important thing.

    Listen. Listen. Listen. 

    I think you might be amazed at what God can do in those moments. The God who created this world can heal our hearts if we trust Him. The decision is up to each one of His followers. We can make a difference in whatever sphere of influence God has given us whether it is large or small. Only faithfulness matters and the question must be answered. Are you in?

  • Confessing my “Hidden Agenda”

    The title “Evangelical Christian” seems to have become a pejorative to many in the media and culture. I understand the frustration (I have written about it a lot) when very vocal or celebrity Christian leaders fail spectacularly. I share your anger when a religious person espouses hateful or judgmental comments. I grieve when an institution or leader fails to protect the innocent.

    Critics say that Christians have an agenda and dangerous desire to control other people’s lives. I confess that has been true for some religious types. But the followers of Jesus that I have gotten to know over many decades don’t resemble that stereotype at all. Perhaps that is why Jesus warned so plainly about the dangers of power. The selfless, giving, and caring believers get little notice in this world but I believe they are quietly and faithfully making a difference. Jesus upset the organizational chart by placing those who serve at the top.

    I thought about what my answer would be if I was asked to outline my agenda. I certainly don’t speak for all Christians but I think I just might represent a number of them as I share my “agenda”.

    Let me start by telling you what this particular Christian does not believe…

    I do not believe you have to be a particular party to be a Christian. Heaven will be bipartisan and I am totally fine that there will not be “sides” of the Golden Aisle.

    I do not believe that God is “judging” America for any particular sin. But if He is judging this country I would suspect it is for the massive squandering of wealth and resources that we have been blessed with while giving back an average of less than 2 percent.

    I do not believe in ranking sins for their offensiveness to a Holy God. I am not referring to heinous sins here but things that are individually more offensive to some of us. The reality is that all sin is intolerable to a Holy God. We are either perfect or in need of a Savior. I am the latter.

    I do not believe that censorship, boycotts, or politics will redeem this culture…only a spiritual renewal of caring love and grace can accomplish such redemption.

    I do not believe that it is my place to relish or desire eternal punishment for others. I am willing to leave that to a righteous and just God who sees the real heart and motives for each one of us and Who will judge justly.

    Here is my agenda. Busted!

    • To try and see everyone through the eyes of Jesus because my eyes are prejudiced and prideful.
    • To try and love them like Jesus because my love is selfish.
    • To try and see that no one misses out on the message of grace, identity, acceptance and one-way love that is offered as a free gift of grace by the finished work of Jesus on the Cross.
    • To let them others know that my relationship with Jesus and His grace has changed my life, given my life purpose, given me strength to endure tragedy, and real hope for the future.
    • To authentically relate how this personal relationship with the living God saved my marriage and made me a better father to my sons.
    • To be gentle in relating the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to people in every situation. My goal is to introduce people to Jesus. If they are living in a way that is not biblical I will let them work it out in God’s timing while walking with them in grace and love.
    • To exhibit grace and forgiveness to those who attack me for not sharing their world views.
    • To freely dispense the grace of the living Christ to everyone I come in contact so that I can be salt and light to my little circle of influence.
    • To be an advocate for those wounded by the church and other Christians. Our lack of unity must grieve Jesus who prayed for unity of the body during His final agonizing hours before His betrayal, mock trial, and crucifixion.
    • To try to never be surprised or repulsed by the actions of those who do not have a relationship with Jesus. The Lord Himself was always gentle with sinners and always tough on religious hypocrites. We have reversed his example far too often. We are too tough on sinners and too gentle with the hypocrites in our midst.
    • To try and give generously of my time and treasure to those who have not been as materially blessed in my neighborhood, my country, and around the world.
    • To let people know that I love Jesus and I am not at all ashamed of that fact.

    It is easy to dismiss the hypocrite. No problem to ignore the angry and judgmental religious types. But before I came to faith I was troubled when I saw some Christians who displayed something different in their lives. I could not dismiss so readily the joy, peace, strength, courage, and love they modeled. They were “troublesome” Christians to me.  I could not ignore them because their lives were authentic and different (different good, not weird). I want to be that kind of Christian. I take these words of Jesus seriously.

    “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” John 15:12

    That was not a helpful suggestion. Jesus made that command the cornerstone of following Him. So that is my agenda. To love others as I have been loved and be a “troublesome” Christian to some.

  • Science Suggests that Jesus and the Apostle Paul were on to Something


    A recent study published by the Psychology Department at the University of Essex looked at the negative emotional and cognitive effect of hearing bad news only. Here is the opening statement from the study.

    Journalists employing the maxim “if it bleeds, it leads” seem intuitively aware of the negativity bias people have in attending to and remembering bad events over good ones. Indeed, negatively valenced news dominates the press and is shared on Twitter more frequently than positively valenced news

    journals.plos.org

    The study went on to note that “news featuring others’ immorality captivates people, it can have aversive affective and cognitive impacts, increasing emotional disturbances and negatively skewing people’s belief in the goodness of others”.

    I think we have witnessed that increasing and divisive effect on our culture. The authors are correct that such reporting of bad news “captivates” and leads to lots of unhealthy biting on the clickbait of negativity. The study examined an interesting counterbalance. Would showing acts of human kindness and compassion immediately after the acts of immorality create better emotional health?

    The results revealed that seeing those acts of kindness left the test subjects in a better mood and with more positive views of humanity. Just to see if kindness was the difference maker they showed some subjects only humorous stories to offset the bad news. Those subjects felt better but the conclusion was fascinating.

    Quoting the study again.

    Amusing news stories certainly helped buffer the effects of bad news and reduce the mood disturbances they caused. But in comparison, participants who’d been shown acts of kindness reported a more positive mood on average, and a greater belief in the goodness of humanity.

    This shows us there’s something unique about kindness which may buffer the effects of negative news on our mental health.

    niemanlab.org

    I find these studies fascinating as a person who believes in the wisdom of Scripture. The effects of kindness were well documented in the writings of the Gospels, the Epistles of Paul, and many other places in the Bible. It is important to note that these concepts were revolutionary in a culture which focused on power and control. Paul’s message to the church at Colossae is just one example of the amazingly positive potential of following the teachings of Jesus.

    Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (Colossians 3)

    Scottish writer Henry Drummond observed in the late 19th century that “the greatest thing a man can do for his Heavenly Father is to be kind to some of His other children”. That is our job as followers of Christ. Too often we have failed to show up for work.

    We are the hands, feet and arms of God on this planet. Christian vocal group Casting Crowns asked lyrically that “if we are the body why aren’t His arms reaching and why aren’t His hands healing”? I am afraid the answer is a hard truth. We don’t care enough for the lost. We don’t ache for the hurting. We don’t sacrifice for the poor. Perhaps most disappointing of all is that we don’t practice kindness consistently.

    I want the grace that God has given me to make my heart sensitive toward the poor and hurting and spiritually seeking. It is hard to spend much time in the New Testament and not realize our challenge to be kind. Here is a very small sample.

    35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. (Luke 6:35, ESV)

    22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (Galatians 5:22 ESV)

    32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32 ESV)

    4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. 1 Corinthians 13:4, ESV)

    The charge of hypocrisy leveled at the church has a lot to do with our obsession with sin management over living a life of kindness, grace and service. If I am not living out of grace then His arms aren’t reaching as far as they could. Kindness is clearly step one.

    Kindness does require great skill or advanced degrees. One of my spiritual heroes is Frederick Buechner. He wrote that “if you want to be holy, be kind”. You do not have to like someone to be kind. Kindness is powerful. Kindness tears down walls. Kindness builds trust. Kindness shows the love of Christ through our imperfect efforts. For Christians, kindness gives the hearer a reason to listen to our message of redemption and grace. I think writer Alexander MacLaren summarized it beautifully. “Kindness makes a person attractive. If you would win the world, melt it, do not hammer it.”

    Scientific research shows kindness makes a difference to offset the evil in this world. Scripture tells us kindness can make a difference. The world is overwhelmed with bad news. Wouldn’t it be a blessing to be a kind vessel of Good News for those we encounter on our journey?

    Excerpt from Waking Up Slowly

  • I Decided I Could Not Marginalize the Claims of Jesus


    Time Magazine decided to try and rank the most important historical figures by aggregating millions of traces of opinions into a computational data-centric analysis. Their researchers ranked historical figures just as Google ranks web pages, by integrating a diverse set of measurements about their reputation into a single consensus value. Number one on the list was Jesus Christ. 

    I am fascinated by the impact of this man. From the time Jesus began His three-year ministry He never had an office. One person tagging along with the Nazarene asked if they could join the group.

    Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58)

    Songwriter Rich Mullins wrote that “the hope of the whole world rests on the shoulders of a homeless man”. Jesus came from modest means. He lived on the wrong side of the culturally acceptable tracks in the town of Nazareth. Jesus did not recruit a single person of “influence” to further His campaign. He did not write a book. Jesus did not lobby a single political leader. He did not try to recruit the religious leaders to support His mission. 

    Jesus simply walked, talked, taught, loved and invested in the lives of twelve very ordinary men. From that resume came a faith that numbers over 3 billion people today. The group that was dubbed “Christians” continued to expand in spite of the indefensible things that have been done under the guise of His name. I have often said that one of the greatest apologetics for the Christian faith is that it continues to flourish in spite of Christians!

    His claims were mind boggling. Jesus said that He was God in human flesh. Buddha never claimed to be God.  He said, “I am a teacher in search of the truth.” Moses never claimed to be Jehovah. Mohammed never claimed to be Allah. Mohammed said, “Unless God throws his cloak of mercy over me, I have no hope.” Confucius said, “I never claimed to be holy.” Yet Jesus Christ claimed to be the true and living God. Jesus said, “I am the Truth.” You cannot honestly say that all religions are the same. Jesus threw down some claims that C.S. Lewis famously described.

    “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

    Honest people can view the same evidence and come up with completely different opinions. I wrestled with the claims of Jesus Christ for a long time before I decided to believe that He was who He claimed to be.

    Perhaps the most important argument for me is the impact that the Nazarene teacher has had on my life. I have haphazardly attempted to follow Him for many years. Tolstoy wrote these words that describe my awkward attempts.

    “If I know the way home and am walking along it drunkenly, is it any less the right way because I am staggering from side to side! ”

    The Apostles followed Jesus and saw that it was not an easy choice at times. Many followers were deserting Jesus after some difficult teaching. 

    At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

    Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”  (John 6:66-68)

    That is my belief. I am drawn to Jesus. I believe that God decided to redeem man through this outlandish plan of the Gospel. I believe I have seen His hand over and over in my life. But if I am wrong I can honestly say that I would change nothing if I could live my life over again. 

    Because I have followed the teachings of Jesus I believe my marriage is still intact. I don’t say that lightly. I honestly believe that without that faith commitment our marriage would not have survived. Whatever kind things that my friends and colleagues might say about me are in large part due to how I believe I should respond to them based on the words of Christ. I have been shaped and matured by this radical Rabbi who changed history. Tim Keller said it beautifully.

    “There is an otherworldly feel to this no works and no payment required story of Jesus. The Christian Gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less.”

    I have been changed by these truths. I have confronted my doubts and I have chosen to follow Jesus.