I am becoming convinced that there exist among other divisions two sets of people within Christianity.
Not Too Religious
There are those who have tasted of the goodness of God's church, but deep in their hearts suspect that the goodness they see and hear is merely one more commercial for something less than what is being hawked. They believe that the church is like Facebook--a lot of smiles, but all hiding a grimmer, less surreal reality. They believe that God is great, but not THAT great. They believe that Jesus is glorious but not THAT glorious. And they believe the Gospel is good news, but not THAT good. To take God and Jesus and the Gospel as literally, bonofide grand as worship songs, and the Bible, and pastors like me claim them to be sounds too much like a dream, a facade, a child's tale invented to numb the pain of the real reality, which is brokenness, sinfulness, and unmet expectation at the hands of false advertising, false promises, and false dreams.
It's Really Real
And then there is the other set of people within Christianity. I lump myself into this set. We believe the tales of splendor. We really honestly believe that God can and does change a heart, that the Gospel is really THAT good, and that the more we peer into God's Word, the more we behold the glorious power of a resurrected Jesus, the more we share in the grace of our Creator God, the more we literally, experientially change, and that there is no limit on the potential of the Holy Spirit to do demolition and reconstruction in our lives. We believe that treasuring Jesus really is the one and only truly satisfying endeavor in this life. We believe that following Him is not only possible, but the only worthwhile pursuit. We believe that the Gospel really does eliminate all necessity for self-righteous rule-following, people pleasing, and defense tactics. We see in our own lives brokenness, failed attempts at being good people, continual returns to the idolatry of proving ourselves worthy of God's favor, and the falsehood of sometimes hiding this segment of our lives--the brokenness.
Come Share A Meal
But if the first set of people, perhaps you are one of them, were only to come to my home, be a guest at my table, and spend a day in my shoes, with my family, with my wife, with my little boy, with me, you would see the really real goodness of the Gospel. You would see that grace is tangible and that it delivers, and that the Gospel transforms love, parenting, marriage, a day at the park, a cookout, a bedtime story, disagreements, discipline, and disappointments. You would see that the stories are true. That the songs are legit. That the Word of God, the Gospel of God, and the Church of God are not simply one more flashing banner promising something for nothing with strings attached. They are the truest and greatest reality you can found your hope on, and they are the only answer to your aching soul. Really.
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