Lacking the Essential, Missing the Point

For the past week I've been having a conversation with an atheist. As we have traded comments back and forth I've gotten an outside in glimpse of the Church. Reading what a person who says there is no God sees in the Church, and among Christians has revealed a painful truth about those who claim to be followers of Christ. We're lacking the essential and missing the point.

As I've read statistics that they have shared with me, and about interactions they have had with a pastor and conversations about the people who make up that pastor's Church, this lack of love is evident. There is a lack of love for God, and therefore a lack of love for others.

Love is essential who who we are as Christ followers. Love is to be our defining characteristic. John 13.35 says, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Love is to be the thing that sets us apart and marks us as Christ's. Why is it lacking?

As I've read more comments it's clear that the message presented by Christianity is that the point is to get to Heaven. Because so many believe that is the point, that's what others pick up on as the point. And if we're living simply to get to heaven, then our lives probably don't look very much like Christ's, therefore accounting for the lack of love. If we really knew what the point is, then we'd be focused on the essential characteristic because without that characteristic we miss the point.

I've said this so many times, the point of being a Christian is to become like Christ. The term Christian means, "Little Christ". Paul said in Ephesians 5.1b "Therefore be imitators of God", and Jesus came to earth, God became man, to show us how God would live life as a man. Jesus came to earth to give us eternal life, God's quality of life, so that we could live as God would live. God has given humanity a physical example to imitate so that we can be imitators of God, and we've missed that point. We've reduced Christianity to simply the blessings of God, and therefore, Heaven is the ultimate prize.

Philippians 1.29 reminds us that, "For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake" Romans 8.28-30 tells us, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified."

The point is for us to become like Christ, and that involves suffering. We are here to become like Christ so that we can glorify God the Father (Philippians 2.1-11). Since God is a good father He loves to bless His children, and so those who obey Him are blessed with Heaven. Heaven is God's throne room, and so we are blessed with being welcomed into the presence of God. After a life lived in pursuit of Christlikeness, we are welcomed into a perfect relationship with God for all eternity. Getting to heaven is a result of becoming like Christ. Glorification comes to those who have been conformed to the image of His Son.

In order to become like Christ we must be full of the essential characteristic. The hymn, "And Can it Be" says this in the second verse, "He left His Father’s throne above so free, so infinite His grace— Emptied Himself of all but love,and bled for Adam’s helpless race". He emptied Himself of all but love. He set aside all of His divinity, all glory, but not of love, because love is His essential characteristic. 1 John 4.8b declares, "God is love." If He empties Himself of love, He is no longer God.

If we declare ourselves to be His followers, which we do if we claim His name, we must be characterized by love. 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us that if we have no love, we are nothing. It is by love, the essential characteristic of God, that we will be seen as Christ followers. Love is the essential characteristic we must posses if we are to get to the point. We cannot become like Christ without love. And if we cannot become like Christ, there can be no glorification.

I've seen first hand, and now second hand as well, how much damage has been done because the Church has missed the point, and lacks the essential. We must get this back, we must refocus. We claim to be little Christ's, let's start living like it. Let's become the hands and feet of Jesus to love a broken and wounded world.

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you