Outright for Christ! “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”” — Mark 8:34 — Stephan Joubert tells us about Dr Ron Martoia, a transformation consultant from the USA who spoke at a Transformation Conference. Dr Martoia said that religion doesn’t change one’s life. It always was a cornerstone of the Protestant churches to equip people especially by bringing God’s Word on Sundays, by Bible study and by means of admission courses. But Martoia says that “to know” will not necessarily lead to “to do”. Information does not lead to transformation. I agree 100% with Martoia. If something lives in our heads it doesn’t mean that it has gone “down” to our hearts or even our hands and feet. Even a lot of knowledge is no guarantee that one would convert it into action. There are many reverends, pastors and theologians who have not been touched by the Gospel. It often reminds me of inoculation. If we are inoculated it prevents us from contracting some diseases. Religion often works in the same way. Our knowledge of Christianity makes us immune against religion. When we hear the message it all sounds so familiar that it prevents us from making the message our own. It is not however, our knowledge that will turn us into followers of Jesus. We will not one day have to write a catechism test when we reach the gates of heaven. We will not be examined about or knowledge of the Bible or other dogmatic matters. The question will be whether we have lived out our faith. We read in Matthews 7:21 that Jesus said: “Not everyone who says to me: ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of the Father who is in heaven.” Similarly, we have to ask ourselves the question: “Does my faith result in me talking and doing differently?” What does Jesus want to teach his followers when he tells them that they need to take up their crosses and follow him? Well firstly, something very practical: The Romans at whom this Mark gospel was originally aimed, knew what it meant to carry a cross. The Romans executed dangerous non-Roman criminals by crucifying them. The convicted had to carry the crossbeam of the cross to the place of crucifixion as proof that he subjects himself to the Roman government. Jesus used the image of the cross to clearly indicate that he needs to be followed in total surrender. He wasn’t against joy and he doesn’t require that we need to seek pain unnecessarily. No, he talks about the courage it takes to follow him every moment of life and to do his will, even if the present and future look dark and even if it is difficult. Secondly he wants to teach us that we shouldn’t try to turn Jesus into something that fits our idea of how he should be and what he should do. This will ensure that we eventually follow a Jesus that acts according to our taste and of whom we can say: “It is worth our while to follow him.” With such a Christ it is rewarding to be a Christian. Such a Christ doesn’t expect us to deny ourselves. No, we can simply be ourselves. No, such a self-created Messiah has no relation with the Jesus who introduced himself as the suffering Son of God. Let us be honest, we would prefer a self-created Messiah, one that entails certain benefits; one who makes it worth our while to be a Christian. See, Jesus knew very well that we would prefer not to follow a Jesus asssociated with a cross. We define Jesus exactly in a way that he doesn’t hamper us too much; doesn’t ask too much from us. In our of definition of Christ he is an acceptable model that fits perfectly into our lives. Actually, it is terrible! It is possible that for many years we can say that we followed “Jesus of Nazareth” and all the time it was a Jesus we made ourselves; all the time it was a religion carefully practiced not to sacrifice, lose or deny ourselves. A religion in which we can maintain who we are. When we do this, we turn religion into a needs fulfilment. The same as when we have a need for physical exercise and we go to the gym to satisfy this need. Or some days when we feel a bit alone and then we phone a few friends and we braai some meat to fulfil our social needs. And now we want to achieve the same with our religion. We might feel a need for some religion and well yes, then we go to church so that the church will meet our need. There is much debate currently on the question of whether the church should meet the needs of the members of the congregation. We need to be careful not to turn the church into something that differs very little from a reading group or a golf club. At the one place we play “book-book” and at the other we play “ball-ball” and at the other “religion-religion.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer said: people like to go to that place or that church where grace is to be obtained at the cheapest price. The housewife who does the shopping knows it well: go to the shop that offers you the stuff you want at the cheapest price. This is a sound economic principle. The shop with the best prices draws the most people. According to Bonhoeffer, the same applies to Christians. They look for a church and they look for a religion – they sniff them out until they find it – a place where grace is obtained at a very cheap prize, because it does not ask the price of discipleship. When I said “yes” to Jesus I also said “yes” to the cross. Our hands and feet should start moving. The challenge in particular is to make a difference in the world in the true sense as servants of the Lord. This in itself is a tremendous thought. To say “yes” means to walk the road of the Lord anew. To step onto a path of servitude on which we deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Jesus. It implies that we will sometimes be brought to a place we don’t want to be as Peter who according to legend, was crucified upside down in Rome. We must understand – if Jesus calls, he says: come here and die! (Bonhoeffer). To say “yes” to Jesus is dangerous! It requires self-denial. Self-denial is one of the most difficult words in the Bible. We should not merely nod our heads piously over this word. Before we know it, we may lose our heads. This word literally puts our heads at stake because we need to give ourselves unconditionally. And who finds it easy to sacrifice himself unconditionally? We only do it when we are fired up with passion. We never do it for a matter that we are not prepared to put our heads on the block for. We will only do it for someone to whom we have given our hearts. Self-denial is not an incidental or momentary surrender. It is a style of life according to which I subject myself to someone else, in which I say together with John the Baptist that the Lord should become more and me less. It is the style of a servant. But above all, it is the style of unconditional love for the Lord. When we follow Christ with any selfish motives, we in reality, follow him for the sake of our own interests. We need to think carefully why we follow him. We need to ensure that we want to glorify him and that we don’t think only of our own interests. We can only choose for or against Jesus. There are no grey areas. Either he is the only true God and Redeemer or he is not. This simple choice is the only qualification – although it is no qualification. It is God’s revelation to us – to share in Jesus’ circle of disciples. To choose for Jesus and his cross is not only a deliberate choice for Jesus but also a radical choice against all idols, irrespective of whether the idol is an antique or modern version. We can’t serve two Lords. We will then consider the one lesser than the other or be more devoted to the one and despise the other (see Matth. 6:24). To be in God’s school of life means to say to Jesus: “Lord, you are my life.” The large paradox of the gospel is that the life God wants to teach us keeps on evading us until the day when we lose our lives – when we surrender it to Jesus to get it back anew. Then the Spirit of God will work the life of Christ in us and will teach us how to live. Christians need to distinguish themselves from the rest of the world by being witnesses and by the way in which they live. They are people with a future. People with God in their future despite the circumstances, despite the unrest and decay and loss. We are preparing for the wedding. And we dress ourselves as brides of Christ. Christians who live festively; who live with God! Who do the people say, is the Son of man? I say: He is the Son of God who died on the cross, who was resurrected from the dead and who sits at the right hand of God. I say: He is my Lord. And what do you say: Who is he? (Acknowledgement to other authors of other sources used) Prayer: Father, You govern over the centuries, over continents. You are glorious! Your eyes spy from generation to generation. Thank you that they also rest on me. Thank you that you, who is so big, also has space for a little one like me on you lap. Amen (Johan Cilliers – From: Gebedeboek vir die lewe – Lux Verbi(BM) – translated) Kind regards in Christ. Hentie Krüger
Posted on: Tue, 23 Jul 2013 20:31:20 +0000
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